State Legislators Standing Against a Washington Takeover

Posted by John LaPlante in Health Care, Tenth Amendment on Jun 26th, 2009 | no responses

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ALEC’s effort to encourage state legislators to oppose a Washington-centric approach to health care is getting some attention. At least six states are mentioned in this Fox News story as places where efforts are underway to place before voters measures that would preempt a federal takeover.

Legislators cite concerns not only of socialized medicine, but of an infringement on state prerogatives. Will a tenth-amendment claim hold up? It’s doubtful, but it may be tried anyway.

It’s not just legislators who share “a common belief in limited government, free markets, federalism, and individual liberty” who are concerned. When I attended a meeting of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, some people there wondered if any national legislation would allow for state-based insurance exchanges.

Granted, a state government exchange is arguably no better than a national exchange. But the concern shows that the founding fathers had something going when they develop a system of various offices, all of which might be jealous of each other’s powers.

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