States take aim to block healthcare plan

[Joanne98]

Source: Reuters

Reuters) - As the Congress once again rallies to pass healthcare reform legislation, momentum is growing in many states to pass laws to block the changes -- a move that could lead to a legal battle over states' sovereignty.

U.S. | Healthcare Reform

Bills and resolutions have been introduced in at least 36 state legislatures seeking to limit or oppose various aspects of the reform plan through laws or state constitutional amendments, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

"There's going to be a big free-for-all lawsuit about this," said Michael Bird, legislative counsel for the NCSL.

The House of Representatives is to due vote on Sunday on a sweeping healthcare overhaul that would require all Americans to have health insurance, but would give subsidies to help low- and middle-income workers. It would also ban insurance practices like refusing coverage to those with pre-existing medical conditions.

Opposition efforts at the state level "in general ... seek to make or keep health insurance optional, and allow people to purchase any type of coverage they may choose," the NCSL said.


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62I37920100319

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This will drive people out in force to throw these evil bastards out of office.

[jwirr]

1. I am assuming that this is different than doing their own single payer

plans? I am hoping that MN gets their single payer plan the day paws walks out of our governor's mansion.

[CynicalObserver]

2. If this bill is passed, it will provoke the greatest

confrontation between some states and washington since 1860. If you extrapolate the commerce clause the way it is and has been, there is in theory nothing left for the 10th amendment to reserve to the states, or the people.

That said, I think there are some states that will continue to refuse to comply even if scotus rules that fedgov can do any and everything it wants, with effectively unlimited grasp.

[customerserviceguy]

3. It will fast-track the constitutionality

of this bill (and the way it was adopted) to the SCOTUS. And that's this Court, not some future one that might get shaped by a present or future Democratic President.

[tanyev]

4. Oh, have the Republicans discovered "states' rights" again?

They seemed to forget all about them during the Bush/Cheney years.

[fasttense]

5. Let them take it to court.

Do you know how much litigation the Civil Rights bill started? Minimum wage and child labor laws were fought for decades. Anything progressive gets the RepubliCONS panties in a wad and they take it to their packed courts. You can't upset the status quo without RepubliCONS fighting to keep everything the same.

Even if the Dancing Supremes declare it unconstitutional, there will be another court to takeover when these corrupt judges die or retire.

Eventually America will have to join the rest of the developed world and look after the welfare of their citizens through health care. America can't avoid the future no matter how much RepubliCONS cry.

[Abq_Sarah]

6. It's really no laughing matter

If the court overturns this legislation on any front, either by the procedure used to pass it or because of the mandate, it will damage our future legislative prospects. If, on the other hand, the court supports the legislation, we're screwed again. If they can make us pay money to a private corporation, they can make us buy anything. As long as they're intent on driving off a cliff, the least they could have done was propose a single payer system.

[Keefer]

7. How many of these states...

have a democrat as governor? Does anyone know? Maybe they can be persuaded to drop this.