The 10th Ammendment lives on!

"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."

 

The Roanoke Times
© February 1, 2010

By Michael Sluss
RICHMOND
The Virginia Senate took a stand against a key provision of a proposed federal health care overhaul Monday, passing legislation declaring that Virginia residents cannot be forced to buy health insurance.
The legislation targets the so-called "individual mandate" provision that could be part of a federal health care reform package being negotiated by congressional leaders. The Senate passed three identical bills by votes of 23-17, with five Democrats joining the chamber’s 18 Republicans in support of the measures.
Republicans in both houses have filed legislation taking on a controversial aspect of the reform package championed by President Barack Obama. Supporters of the legislation questioned the constitutionality of proposals that would require individuals to purchase insurance or be subject to a penalty.

“This is not a bill that deals with health care; it is a bill that attempts to reinforce the Constitution of the United States,” said Sen. Frederick Quayle, R-Suffolk, who is sponsoring one of the bills. “Never in the history if this country has the Congress of the mandated that all citizens of the United States purchase anything.”

Senate Bills 283, 311 and 417 state that no individual can be forced to purchase health insurance, even if coverage is provided by the person's employer.
Democratic opponents of the bills argued that any federal mandate would override the state law and render it useless. They also questioned whether a debate over still emerging federal legislation was a good use of the General Assembly’s time in a year when the state has a severe budget crisis to manage.
“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.”
The five Democrats who supported the bill are Charles Colgan of Manassas, Edd Houck of Spotsylvania County, John Miller of Newport News, Phillip Puckett of Russell County and Roscoe Reynolds of Henry County.