From the Washington Post‘s Breaking News Blog:
Virginia’s Democratic-controlled state Senate passed measures Monday that would make it illegal to require individuals to purchase health insurance, a direct challenge to the party’s efforts in Washington to reform health care. …
Each of three similar bills that passed the state Senate on Monday would run counter to legislation passed by both chambers of Congress, which would require all individuals to purchase health care. …
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) said such measures could help Virginia’s government establish standing to intervene in a lawsuit against the federal government, should Congress pass a bill that includes an individual mandate.
“It’s a strong political message,” said Cuccinelli, who has been studying possible legal action.
Other legal scholars and many of the senators who voted against the measure said they thought it would have little practical impact because it would be preempted by federal law.
“This would not be worth the paper it’s written on, and everybody knows it,” said Sen. Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax). “Everybody knows this bill is nothing more than a brochure bill.”
Read the whole post: Virginia Senate bills say no to requiring health insurance. The Post also links the text of the Senate Bills:
The three measures passed by the Virginia Senate on health care Monday — each on identical 23-17 votes — were SB 283, SB 311 and SB 417
Also, the Associated Press published an article about other states attempting to do the same thing. Read it in the Denver Post: States seeking to ban mandatory health insurance. See also the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act.
