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State Legislators for Progressive Health Care Reform - Failure of Right Wing Obstruction

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Failure of Right Wing Obstruction in the States

In recent months, the health insurance industry-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has claimed that over 40 individual state legislatures have "defend[ed] health care choice" by being witness to the proposed or actual introduction of their model legislation intending to attempt to nullify the recently passed federal reforms in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Despite their model legislation's patent unconstitutionality, ALEC has persisted in pushing nullification bills in state capitals across the nation, promising those who want to obstruct reform that they will "protect citizens from ObamaCare" and "stop ObamaCare at the state line."

In fact, nullification bills have already been rejected or failed to pass in at least 25 states where ALEC claimed legislators would defy federal law:

Health Care Nullification Map

 

(States highlighted in blue have enacted health care nullification bills. States highlighted in gray have approved ballot measures attempting to nullify health care which require approval by voters later this year.)

ALEC style bills or proposed constitutional amendments have failed in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

In other states where ALEC has claimed success, such as Montana, Rhode Island, and Texas, health care nullification bills have yet to even be introduced.

Additionally, nullification proposals have met significant opposition in many other states where they have been introduced:

  • In Iowa, the 2010 session ended with the House minority leader conceding the failure of conservative efforts to nullify federal health care reform.
  • In Arkansas, the 2010 session ended without action on a non-binding bill intended to "prevent involuntary enrollments in health care insurance programs."
  • In Delaware, legislative leaders directed a nullification effort to a committee described in a recent news report as a "favored burial ground for bills."
  • In North Dakota, a proposed constitutional amendment failed in 2009.
  • In Maryland and Michigan, attempts at nullification through constitutional amendments failed in committee.
  • And in Maine, where a nullification bill has not been introduced, legislative leaders defeated a resolution promoted by conservatives calling on the Attorney General to join a lawsuit seeking to block the implementation of federal reform.

States Moving Forward on Implementation, Not Nullification

At the same time the right wing is focused on grandstanding and political gamesmanship, legislators and officials in all 50 states are moving forward with the hard work of planning the effective implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at the state level. Many of these efforts began well before the passing and signing of federal reform, and will accelerate as responsible leaders in the states focus on delivering quality, affordable healthcare to their constituents.

Here's a map of just some of the states where implementation efforts are moving forward:

States Moving Forward on Implementation


For details on how the above states are moving forward on implementation, see the State Implementation Resources page.

Op-Eds by State Legislators:

More on Nullification Efforts:

More on ALEC: