As new governors and attorneys general were sworn into office, six states have officially joined the lawsuit against federal health reform led by Florida’s attorney general. On January 19, 2011, a motion was filed seeking to add the six states – Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Wyoming– to the suit. They join 20 states and the National Federation of Independent Business as plaintiffs.[1]
Additionally, Oklahoma’s attorney general Scott Pruitt filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District in Oklahoma. As with the Florida suit, and the separate suit in Virginia’s federal court, the Oklahoma lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the individual mandate. “Oklahoma's challenge claims that a law taking money from a person and giving it to a private insurance company is contrary to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Constitution.”[2]
For more information about the Florida lawsuit, visit http://www.healthcarelawsuit.us/
[1] The 20 states they are joining in the lawsuit are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Washington.
[2] Hoberock, B. “Oklahoma Files Lawsuit Over Health-care Law,” Tulsa World, January 22, 2011. Accessed from http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=16&articleid=20110...
