The junior Senator from Kentucky recently said that to believe in a ”right” to health care one must support slavery:

I’m a physician. That means you have a right to come to my house and conscript me. It means you believe in slavery.

He’s right of course. As I pointed out nearly two years ago, it is impossible for government to grant a positive right, like health care, to anyone without first taking the good or service it is granting away from someone else, like a doctor.

As I said then

Whether by forcibly appropriating and redistributing the money to purchase care for those who lack it, or by arbitrarily devaluing the time and effort of those who provide it, once a government mandate supplants voluntary exchange, coercion must be used to exercise that “right” to health care.

But how can taking what belongs to another person (their money, time, or effort) through legislative force be a right?

Is that not the very essence of slavery?

It is, and it’s nice to see someone as prominent and influential as Rand Paul has the guts to say it.

From Fox News:

To make it clear Oklahoma will develop its own plan, the state will not accept a $54.6 million federal grant for setting up a system where Oklahomans could shop for health insurance, Gov. Mary Fallin said Thursday.

Fallin said the state instead will use state and private money to form the system.

This is a step that advocates of nullification in many states have long sought. After all, it’s pretty obvious that threats of non-compliance with the feds are empty to the point of pathetic when state budgets still depend on grants of federal money (which is siphoned from their citizens to begin with).

However

Fallin’s announcement reverses her decision two months ago to accept the federal money.

Obviously the governor is bowing to some form of public pressure. In this age of  rampant and flagrant TSA molestation, it’s nice to see that pressure can still occasionally be successfully applied to public servants.

Perhaps other states whose legislatures have passed a version of the Health Care Freedom Act should consider following Oklahoma’s example.

In Oklahoma, State Constitutional Amendments (HJR1054 and SJR59) have been approved by both houses of the legislature, and approval of amended versions are all that’s needed to put it before voters for approval in the coming election in November.

In Georgia, while similar constitutional amendments failed to garner the 2/3 vote to pass and are being reconsidered, Senate Bill 317 (SB317) passed by a vote of 31-16 and is in the House awaiting further consideration.

The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution codifies in law that the federal government is one of limited, delegated powers – and that all powers not enumerated in the Constitution are reserve “to the States, respectively, or to the People.”

The founders, during the time of the Constitution’s ratification, made clear that a vast majority of regulatory powers would be left in the states – including social services, agriculture, mining, and more. Click here to read more.

Virginia, Utah, and Idaho have already passed a Health Care Freedom Act, and the Governor of each state signed it into law in March. More than two dozen other states are considering similar legislation or state constitutional amendments, including Arizona, where in November, voters will have the opportunity to approve or deny the resolution which already passed both state houses last year.

CLICK HERE to view the Tenth Amendment Center’s Health Care Freedom Act legislative tracking page

The Tenth Amendment Center has released the Federal Health Care Nullification Act, which directly nullifies the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” on a state level. Click here to learn more.

I almost fell out of my chair this morning upon reading a post on the popular progressive blog FireDogLake:

Del. Bob Marshall’s health freedom bill, HB 10, passed the House of Delegates 72-26.

The Senate bills on this issue, SB 283, SB 311 and SB 417, all passed the House Commerce and Labor committee by 17-5 margins and are headed to the floor.

At this point, several versions of the Health Care Freedom Act, which would effectively nullify various unconstitutional aspects of proposed federal health care legislation, have passed the Senate (SB417, SB283, SB311), and another has passed the House (HB10). If and when either chamber passes the other’s bill, Bob McDonnell will have the privilege of signing Health Care Freedom into law in Virginia.

And, though he may not realize it yet, Gov. McDonnell will also be delivering an important message to the politicians in Washington: Get back into your constitutional box, or We the People will put you there.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 10-1009
CONCERNING THE STATE OF COLORADO’S SOVEREIGNTY UNDER THE TENTH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OVER ALL POWERS NOT GRANTED TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND NOT PROHIBITED TO THE STATES.

WHEREAS, The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States reads: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people”; and

WHEREAS, The Tenth Amendment provides that powers not granted to the federal government nor prohibited to the states are reserved to the states and to the people, limits the scope of federal power, and prescribes that the federal government was created by the states specifically to be an agent of the states; however, the states are currently treated as agents of the federal government; and

WHEREAS, In the American system, sovereignty is defined as the final authority, the people, not the government, are sovereign, and all power not delegated by the people to government is retained; and

WHEREAS, Powers have been exercised, past and present, by federal administrations, and under the leadership of both Democrats and Republicans, that infringe on the sovereignty of the people of this state in violation of the Constitution of the United States; and

WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court has ruled that the United States Congress may not commandeer the legislative and regulatory processes of the states; and

WHEREAS, The Tenth Amendment assures that we, the people of the United States of America and each sovereign state in the Union of States, now have, and have always had, rights that the federal government may not usurp; and

WHEREAS, Because health care rights are not guaranteed or enumerated in the Constitution of the United States, decisions on how to best administer health care programs should be left to the individual states; and

WHEREAS, The citizens and legislators of Colorado know their 18 state’s needs better than the federal government, can develop a better plan for management of health care in our state than what is in the current proposed federal health care legislation, and need to be able to make our own decisions regarding what is in the best interests of this state; and

WHEREAS, The health care legislation that the federal government is proposing is in violation of state sovereignty and the states’ right to determine their own management of health care; and

WHEREAS, Certain components of the proposed federal health care legislation, such as taxation of higher-cost health care plans, are an affront to an individual’s right to self-determination; and

WHEREAS, Higher-cost health care plans are used by many citizens, including those who have preexisting conditions, disabilities, and chronic illnesses; disabled veterans; the elderly; employees of small businesses; and those in dangerous professions such as firefighting and coal mining; and

WHEREAS, Restricting and singling out these types of plans is a violation of an individual’s right to determine the health care decisions that are best for the individual and the individual’s family and is in conflict with current state policies; and

WHEREAS, Under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, Colorado reserves the right not to be subjected to or required to participate in new proposed federal health legislation; now, therefore, Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Sixty-seventh General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein:

That we, the citizens of the State of Colorado and the members of the Colorado General Assembly, hereby:

(1) Affirm Colorado’s sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not granted to the federal government and not prohibited to the states;
(2) Demand that the federal government, as Colorado’s agent, cease and desist immediately all actions that are beyond the scope of the federal government’s constitutionally delegated powers;
(3) Reserve the opportunity and ability of the State of Colorado and its citizens, under the state’s and the people’s Tenth Amendment rights, to opt out of any obligations due or participation required in any new federal health care legislation; and
(4) Further reserve the right to approve or reject the State of Colorado’s participation in any federal health care plan or program, either by a vote of the people or by vote of the members of the Colorado General Assembly.

Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to Governor Bill Ritter, President Barack Obama, United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the members of Colorado’s Congressional Delegation.

After several months of intense lobbying by activists from all over the state, the Virginia Senate passed all three bills (Fred Quayle’s SB 283, Jill Vogel’s SB 417, and Steve Martin’s SB 311) up for consideration that would effectively nullify many of the worst provisions in any federal health care mandate.

And from Norm Leahy at Tertium Quids:

[M]ore evidence that Creigh Deeds doesn’t get it

The former Democratic gubernatorial candidate had this to say about the health freedom bills:

“We are legislating in theory and if we want to continue to do that and then tell our folks back home we’re accomplishing great things, that’s a wonderful thing to do,” said Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath County. “We’re here to solve problems. We’re here to revive the economy. We’re here to close the budget gap. This legislation does none of that.”

I guess he’s right, if by “none of that” Sen. Deeds meant “exactly that.”

For one thing, government doesn’t solve problems, it creates them. And neither can it revive the economy, private entrepreneurship does that.

However, these bills will help to protect the Commonwealth’s bottom line from incredibly costly and burdensome legislation that has already passed both U.S. Houses of Congress. Legislation that would be funded through enormous increases in state Medicaid expenditures (currently drowning Virginia’s budget in red ink), as well as job- and wage-killing tax hikes across the board on everyone from small business owners to consumers.

Not to mention that (minor) problem with there being no authority for such legislation anywhere in the Constitution.

Needless to say, this is big. Congrats to all the activists who helped make it happen. If your Senator got it right, don’t forget to pat them on the head and say thanks.

The latest news on the federal level is there will be an attempt to force a health care bill through a process known as “reconciliation.”

In Kansas, we need to quickly act to introduce a Health Care Freedom Amendment. It will be much more than sending a message. If passed, it will be an amendment to the Kansas Constitution, acting to preserve the freedom of Kansans to provide for their health care without government coercion.

This is reason to take courage! We can make a difference.

You can read the entire proposed amendment here.

I have also appended the essence of the concurrent resolution below.

I am currently asking other Kansas State Senators to co-sponsor the concurrent resolution now. I must have their signature by Friday so they can show they support the bill before it gets introduced.

Once introduced, we will receive a number for the Health Care Freedom Amendment and you will be able to access it through the Kansas Legislature’s website (www.kslegislature.com).

We should work to get at least 27 co-sponsors, because that’s how many votes are needed to pass the bill. A proposed constitutional amendment requires two-thirds vote of each House to pass before it can be placed on the ballot for a vote of the people. So far we have 14 signatures.

Even if your senator has already given their signature, they need to hear from you so they know you support the amendment. Ask them if they would help co-sponsor the Health Care Freedom Amendment.

State Rep. Peggy Mast is working to get signatures on the House side, so please contact your Kansas State Representative as well and ask them to co-sponsor the proposed legislation.

The Senate and House Health Committees are planning on having a joint hearing on the Health Care Freedom Amendment on Tuesday, Feb. 9, and the time is yet unknown, but will likely be around 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Hearings are held so citizens and lobbyists have the opportunity to testify, but first we need to get the signatures from the State Senators and the State Representatives.

Thank you for your help!

Speaker Howell has asked to be a co-sponsor of the Health Care Reform Bill [HB10], one of two 10th Amendment bills we have before the General Assembly…

Get your State Senator on board! The comparable bill in the State Senate is SB 417 being sponsored by Senator Jill Vogel. Find out if your state senator is supporting the bill and give them a call or send an email.

This is important for two reasons. One, it increases the likelihood that HB10 will emerge intact from committee, which is the legislation’s first major hurdle, and hopefully go on to final passage in the House.

And two, it indicates that already amongst the most powerful members of Virginia’s political class, there is a recognition that voters want leaders who will protect their constitutional liberties, not followers who will carry water for Washington.

If approved by both houses of the South Carolina legislature, it will go to a ballot vote for final approval by the citizens of the state.

South Carolina joins Georgia, Ohio, Florida and a number of other states considering similar state Constitutional Amendments to effectively nullify, or resist any future national health care plan.

New Hampshire recently introduced a bill to make law that not only makes federal restrictions of health care choices illegal in the state, but also expressly prohibits interference in these choices by federal agents and requires state agencies to interpose as a protection.
Click here to learn more.

CLICK HERE to see the Tenth Amendment Center’s Health Care Nullification Tracking Page