Let's see if others take Virginia's lead. Yes, this would shape up to be an excellent SCOTUS collision. I hope its televised
--------------------------------------
Posted by: Meredith Jessup
Yesterday, the Virginia Senate became another state body to take action against purchasing mandates included in President Obama's planned overhaul of the nation's health care system.
The
Democrat-majority-led Virginia Senate rebuffed their own party's Washington plans in favor of a more state-centric federalist policy... and they're not the only ones. AP reports:
The proposals would assert a state-based right for people to pay medical bills from their own pocketbooks and
prohibit penalties against those who refuse to carry health insurance.
In many states, the proposals began as a backlash to Democratic health care plans pending in Congress. But instead of backing away after a Massachusetts election gave Senate Republicans the filibuster power to halt the health care legislation, many state lawmakers are ramping up their efforts with new enthusiasm.
The moves reflect the continued political potency of the issue for conservatives, who have used it extensively for fundraising and attracting new supporters. The legal impact of any state measures may be questionable because courts generally have held that federal laws trump those in states.
Lawmakers in 35 states have filed or proposed amendments to their state constitutions or statutes rejecting health insurance mandates, according to the American Legislative Exchange Council, a nonprofit group that promotes limited government that is helping coordinate the efforts.
Many of those proposals are targeted for the November ballot, assuring that health care remains a hot topic as hundreds of federal and state lawmakers face re-election.
AP reports
