Oklahoma Becomes 22nd State to File Lawsuit Against Pro-Abortion Health Care
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 21, 2010
Oklahoma City, OK (LifeNews.com) — Oklahoma became the 22nd state to file a lawsuit seeking to overturn the government-run health care bill President Barack Obama signed into law that funds abortions. Because state Attorney General Drew Edmondson refused to file suit, the Oklahoma legislature took it upon itself to do so.
Edmondson said he would join a lawsuit if the legislature passed a resolution requiring him to do so, but legislative leaders worried he would put up a lackluster effort.
House Speaker Chris Benge and Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, both Republicans, said Tuesday they will file suit to prevent the law from going into effect.
"Our concern is that the attorney general’s effort would be lackluster, at best. We have an obligation to our citizens to challenge this unconstitutional bill," Benge said.
“Why would we want to retain an attorney to represent our case when he doesn’t believe in it?” Coffee asked.
Some 20 other states have already joined or planned to do so the main lawsuit filed by Florida on March 23. The suit claims the new health care scheme violates state rights and will cause economic problems.
Florida’s Attorney General Bill McCollum indicated Tuesday that Alaska officials became the 20th state to get on board and, separately, Virginia has filed its own lawsuit to become the 21st.
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli filed a lawsuit challenging the mandate based on a specific state law barring the government from requiring that Virginians buy health insurance.
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington have joined the lawsuit against the pro-abortion health care bill.
Conservative columnist Connie Hair says the number of states filing lawsuits shows the problems with the bill Congress passed and Obama signed.
"The count is quickly closing in on half of the states poised to challenge the new law. The unprecedented size and scope of the challenge by the states virtually guarantees that eventually the Supreme Court will decide the matter," she said.
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