SPRINGFIELD — State senators left in place Gov. Pat Quinn's veto of legislation that would have revised state health insurance contracts.

There is no immediate effect to the override. The earliest any change in state health insurance contracts would occur is next summer.

The vote was a defeat for a number of local lawmakers, including Sens. Mike Frerichs, D-Champaign, and Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, who had sponsored Senate Bill 178. The bill was approved in late May, and Quinn vetoed it in late July.

The measure Wednesday to override the veto failed on a 28-28 roll call. Thirty-six votes were needed to overturn the veto.

All area senators — Frerichs, Righter, Shane Cultra, R-Onarga, and Bill Brady, R-Bloomington — voted to override the veto.

The vote was a victory for Quinn and his Department of Human Services, which had fought the override effort.

"We want to thank members of the Senate for sustaining the governor's veto of Senate Bill 178," said Brie Callahan, a spokeswoman for the governor. "The bill would have undermined the state's transparent, competitive procurement law passed just two years ago.

"Our process keeps politics out of procurement, and ensures that the people of Illinois are served by contracts awarded for quality products at the best possible price."

Frerichs said "the governor's office was working very diligently against this bill, and we were up against some pretty tough forces."

Still, the practical result of the failed override may be minimal. Frerichs noted that the original decision to award health insurance coverage to groups that did not include Urbana-based Health Alliance already was being challenged in court.

Further, the Legislature's Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, of which Frerichs is a member, approved emergency contracts with Health Alliance through June 2012.

And Frerichs said he would try in the spring session of the Legislature "to work on a different kind of legislative remedy. This one got vetoed, but there are other parts of it we might be able to try again in the springtime."

The failed veto override came Wednesday afternoon, several hours after Frerichs first called the bill for a Senate vote, then withdrew it at the request of one of his cosponsors, Sen. David Syverson, R-Rockford.

Syverson's unusual request, which came after several senators had opined about the override attempt, temporarily stunned Frerichs. But Syverson said he hoped to work with the governor's office and others on a compromise. Those negotiations went nowhere, Frerichs said, and he decided to renew his call for an override.

In the original debate, Chicago Democrats generally supported Quinn while downstaters backed an override.

"The General Assembly got in the game here, both chambers, both parties, and decided that we needed to play a part in this decision-making process," Righter said during debate. "This Senate and the House of Representatives both voted in overwhelming majorities to pass this legislation that says the General Assembly should have a say in this. This affects thousands of employees and retirees all across the state, people who have served this state in good faith and retired from this state and whose health care decisions would be deeply affected with what happens with this bill."

But Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, argued that "the role of the Legislature is not to preside over procurement. We could jump into all sorts of situations, and where does it stop?"

Sen. Martin Sandoval, D-Cicero, said he was "appalled" at Frerichs' override attempt.

"This bill makes significant changes that would limit transparency, competition and fairness in the procurement process," he said. "It is unconscionable and it is ridiculous that after the bid process and the award, and the savings of over $100 million to the taxpayers of Illinois, that we would allow senators and lobbyists to come back to this chamber and ask for the contract to be rebid."