Across the country, people are worried that they
might one day be forced to have health insurance. At least,
that's what conservatives in the Arizona legislature think --
and they've generously tried to do something about it.
Lawmakers in the state have passed a bill
to put a constitutional amendment on the 2010 ballot that would
forbid the government from forcing individuals to participate in a
national health insurance plan. HCR2014 would also make it illegal
to ban the sale of private insurance in the state, and prohibit any
penalty on for deciding to purchase health care directly.
"HCR2014 is proactive and will protect
patients' fundamental rights," Arizona
State Rep. Nancy Barto, a Republican, said in a statement.
"We are a front-line battle state to stop the momentum of this
powerful government takeover of your health care decisions. Health
care by lobbyists thwarts your rights and can be stopped
here."
Some might say that these Arizonans are getting
ahead of themselves. After all, health care legislation is still in
the works and
none of the proposed plans would force anyone onto public
insurance. Most conservatives are more concerned that public
insurance will be such an attractive option, private plans will go
out of business. But according to Fox News, five other states --
Indiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota and Wyoming --
are
considering similar 2010 initiatives.