Missouri Lawmakers Weigh ‘Health Care Freedom Act’
March 4, 2010 – With Virginia already having a bill ready for the signature of its governor, Missouri soon may join the growing number of states formally challenging a potential federal health insurance mandate for U.S. citizens.
The Missouri House of Representatives yesterday overwhelmingly gave preliminary approval to the state’s proposed Health Care Freedom Act, which would amend the state’s constitution to prevent any government from requiring Missouri residents to purchase health insurance and outlaw levying fines for not buying health insurance. If approved by the Missouri Legislature, the Health Care Freedom Act would have to be ratified by voters in November in order to amend the Missouri Constitution.
The Missouri House voted 113-40 to approve the amendment yesterday, but another round of voting is necessary before it can go to the Missouri Senate for further consideration.
The measure’s sponsor, Rep. Tim Jones (R-Eureka), said federal lawmakers and President Barack Obama are reaching beyond their authority in wanting to force all Americans to purchase health insurance.
“Like no other time in our nation’s history, the federal government has tried to insert itself into an area in which it does not belong to force Missouri citizens and citizens across the country to purchase a product,” Jones was quoted saying by the Associated Press. “This is a privacy issue. It’s a civil rights issue. It’s a civil liberties issue.”
Lawmakers in about two-thirds of all states have initiated legislation challenging the proposed federal health insurance mandate included in separate measures approved by the U.S. Senate and Congress. The U.S. House and Senate versions both contain exemptions for religious groups, such as Christian Scientists and the Amish, who have conscientious objections to purchasing health insurance for religious reasons.
Thus far, Virginia state lawmakers have gone the furthest in challenging the proposed federal health insurance mandate by approving a bill that now awaits signing by Virginia’s governor.
The Democrat-controlled Virginia Legislature last month approved measures making it illegal to force individuals to purchase health insurance. Although President Barack Obama overwhelmingly carried Virginia during the 2008 election, the recent backlash over Democrats’ efforts at national health care reform helped propel Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, a Republican, to an unexpected win in Virginia’s recent gubernatorial race as well as Republican Scott Brown to victory in the recent U.S. Senate special election to occupy the seat held for decades by Democrat stalwart and health care reform crusader Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts.
With several recent public opinion polls showing a majority of American’s surveyed strongly oppose to current federal health care reform efforts, many state officials are feeling more emboldened at challenging federal health care reform efforts and mandates.