Conservatives: Legislation To Block Federal Healthcare Reform Mandates Spreads To 38 States

[Emit]

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Conservatives: Legislation To Block Federal Healthcare Reform Mandates Spreads To 38 States

With Democrats moving ever-closer to moving healthcare reform across the legislative finish line, initiatives to block that reform on the state-level have expanded to 38 states, according to a conservative organization promoting the so-called Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act.

Virginia earlier this month became the first state in the nation to enact legislation that would block a federal mandate that all Americans purchase health coverage. Such a mandate is a key component of the reform legislation now in the final stages of the legislative process on Capitol Hill. The federal healthcare reform legislation would widen Medicaid enrollment and offer subsidies to help Americans comply with the coverage requirement.

~snip~

Under the legislation, any state attempt to require an individual to purchase health insurance—or forbid an individual from purchasing services outside of the required health care system—would be rendered unconstitutional, according to ALEC, which says that its mission is to advance the "principles of free markets, limited government, federalism, and individual liberty."

The Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act has already been filed or prefiled in 33 states—Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, ALEC says in a statement. Lawmakers in an additional four states—Montana, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Utah—have publicly announced their intentions to file the legislation. A citizen-led initiative has also been announced in Colorado, the organization adds.

~snip~

http://onthehillblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/conservatives-legislation-to-block.html

[Geoff R. Casavant]

1. What the . . . ? Not Texas?

Our current Republican administration is usually at the forefront of taking us backwards. What gives?

[Craftsman]

2. The TX legislature meets every 2 years for 100 days

They are not in session now.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

3. Yes, but . . .

. . . you'd think Goodhair would have called a special session just to pass a law like this.

[TwixVoy]

4. LOL

That state is a joke in more ways than one.

[Unvanguard]

5. Doesn't that blatantly run afoul of the Supremacy Clause? n/t

[WorseBeforeBetter]

6. Blue and Red united...way to go, Obama and the Dems. (n/t)

[smoogatz]

7. You're going to see a lot of people crossing state lines

to get health care, looks like. Or going back to their home states. And once HCR kicks in, people in states that don't have it are going to look at neighboring states and say WTF? I can't have my procedure why, again?

[MadHound]

8. Going to be some interesting court cases coming out of this

One's that could seriously effect the course of this country.

[starroute]

9. ALEC originally came out of the Heritage Foundation

And it's spent the last 35 years writing legislation and handing it out for free to state legislators who aren't competent to write bills for themselves. That leads to an awful lot of very right-wing legislation getting passed.