Missouri Joins Health Care Battle

Senator Jane Cunningham’s Health Care Freedom Act (SJR25), nearly identical to Virginia’s, passed the Missouri Senate as a ballot referendum Tues. by a 26-8 vote. Three Dems., two up for reelection in conservative districts, crossed over to vote in favor.

The legislation provides:

“that no federal law shall compel a patient, employer, or health care provider to participate in any government or privately run health care system, nor prohibit a patient or employer from paying directly for legal health care services.”

Cunningham’s bill started out as a Constitutional Amendment but hit hard resistance from not only Democrats, who threatened a filibuster, but a number of Republicans as well. What the conservatives did not want is to have any measure pass across Governor Nixon’s desk; he’s a Democrat and had already indicated he’d snap a veto on it post haste. So it had to be a referendum or an amendment.

The House passed their version of the bill in early March by a wide margin, so the referendum is set to appear before the voters in the August primary. Better then than in the November general according to many conservatives, including Jaci Winship, Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Missouri Director. “There are many many contentious conservative races throughout the state,” she indicated. “And conservatives will be out in droves to vote.”

The Missouri Sovereignty Project and numerous Tea Party groups, including I Heard the People Say, Franklin County Patriots, K&N Patriots, and Show Me Patriots, were instrumental in keeping pressure on Jefferson City legislators to bring Cunningham’s bill to the voters.

Aside from numerous 400/500-people rallies in the rotunda of JC on three different occasions since early February, on the day of the Senate vote on Tues. over 400 Tea Partiers from around the state circled the capital building in a rolling tea party. For 20 minutes they circled and honked, circled and honked, circled and…well you get the picture.

It was a stunning (and LOUD) demonstration, with many legislators watching from their windows. Four hours later, and after an hour of debate where conservatives made a collective eloquent case for the bill, Cunningham got her wish.

Missourians will now have their say. We have joined the battle.

EDITOR’S NOTE:
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.

Tags: Health Care Freedom Act, Missouri Sovereignty