Posted on 04/29/2010 9:17:39 AM PDT by Osage Orange
Health insurance opt-out proposal gets Oklahoma House’s OK
BY MICHAEL MCNUTT
Published: April 29, 2010
The House of Representatives easily passed a measure Wednesday that would allow Oklahomans to opt out of the national health care system, which the legislation’s author called "European, Canadian-style, socialized medicine crammed down our throats.”
House Joint Resolution 1054 won House approval 71-27 and now goes to the Senate.
"We fought a war against national socialism and lost a lot of good people under Hitler’s tirade,” said Rep. Mike Ritze, the author of HJR 1054. "We have this legislation to protect our citizens from being under control of this European-style socialism.”
House Democrats, who tried to block a vote, challenged whether the measure complied with House rules. The measure originally would have let voters decide whether to change the state constitution to prohibit mandated participation in a national health care system.
The measure was changed in recent weeks to a proposed statute that would prohibit any law or regulation requiring any Oklahoman to have individual insurance coverage. It also would ban any state resident from being fined for failing to have health insurance.
"We changed the legislation because Oklahoma citizens demanded we do something immediately rather than wait until November,” said Ritze, a physician and surgeon.
The measure also would authorize Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, and House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa, to hire a lawyer to file a lawsuit against Congress, President Barack Obama and the head of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department to prevent the recently passed federal health care legislation from taking effect.
HJR 1054 would protect Oklahomans "from this tsunami that’s coming at us in the form of socialized Obamacare,” said Ritze, R-Broken Arrow.
The measure also was revised after state Attorney General Drew Edmondson said attorneys who reviewed the bill didn’t think the state had a winning case and decided against filing a lawsuit opposing the health care plan.
House Democrats said they were concerned about the cost of litigation, especially when the state is going through a budget crisis, which will result in an unknown number of state workers and teachers being terminated.
Rep. Wallace Collins, D-Norman, said it didn’t make sense to apply limited funds to pay for a "frivolous lawsuit that we know we’re going to lose.”
Ritze said the Goldwater Institute in Phoenix has offered to represent, at no cost, states that want to challenge the national health care program. He showed a letter he received from the organization, which describes itself on its website as an independent government watchdog supported by people who are committed to expanding free enterprise and liberty.
Democratic House members said they wanted to see actual wording to that effect in the bill.
"Don’t give a law firm a blank check,” said Rep. Mike Brown, D-Tahlequah. "The taxpayers are going to pay for it.”
Ritze said later he couldn’t guarantee legislative leaders would take up the institute’s offer or instead hire a lawyer.
Ritze said he was confident the measure would win approval in the Senate, which like the House is controlled by Republicans. He didn’t know what Democratic Gov. Brad Henry, who voted for Obama, would do with the measure.
"We feel like we could override it if he does veto it,” Ritze said.
So what happens when folks in OK cannot get insurance, do they move and screw a neighboring state?
It will put the Kibosh on the whole scheme. At least state reps have some balls instead of massaging it like the GOP in Congress.
Provided that Doctor's still will be able to accept cash.
So...Donald, what happens if 25 states pass this same type of bill?
Eh?
Amen.............
bflr
What’s that mean?
bookmark
Never knew that........
lots of silent letters
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