Horn
6th April 2010, 08:45 PM
Las Vegas, NV- Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons, is making good on his promise to fight the federal health care reform bill.
Tuesday, he announced his latest offensive, which includes a team of attorneys who're working pro-bono.
Less than a month after President Obama signed the health care bill, Governor Gibbons signed an executive order outlining his special counsel.
They plan to sue the federal government over the bill, because Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto wouldn't.
"The bill has some sections in it, however, that do have merit, and appear at first blush to be worth keeping. Overall, the bill is unconstitutional," says Gibbons.
Gibbons argues that a nationalization of the healthcare industry tramples states' rights, and forces taxpayers to foot millions of dollars in unfunded Medicaid mandates, as well as buy private health insurance.
As for the cost of the lawsuit:
"There is a small filing fee cost to the State of Nevada. It's less than $5,000. In this case, we feel that amount of money is well worth the cost," says Gibbons.
The attorney general issued Action News this statement, saying:
"The law is very clear that the attorney general is the legal advisor on all state matters arising in the executive branch of the state. The responsibility to commerce litigation is not the governor's to exercise unilaterally, and it makes no difference whether the legal representation is free or not. My office is now in the regrettable position of having to consider the necessary legal options to take in response to the governor's most recent action."
Nevada is joining 14 other states in suing the federal government over the bill.
Cortez Masto says that Nevada jumping in with those other states is essentially irrelevant, because the outcome of their suit would apply regardless.
http://www.ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12266853
Tuesday, he announced his latest offensive, which includes a team of attorneys who're working pro-bono.
Less than a month after President Obama signed the health care bill, Governor Gibbons signed an executive order outlining his special counsel.
They plan to sue the federal government over the bill, because Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto wouldn't.
"The bill has some sections in it, however, that do have merit, and appear at first blush to be worth keeping. Overall, the bill is unconstitutional," says Gibbons.
Gibbons argues that a nationalization of the healthcare industry tramples states' rights, and forces taxpayers to foot millions of dollars in unfunded Medicaid mandates, as well as buy private health insurance.
As for the cost of the lawsuit:
"There is a small filing fee cost to the State of Nevada. It's less than $5,000. In this case, we feel that amount of money is well worth the cost," says Gibbons.
The attorney general issued Action News this statement, saying:
"The law is very clear that the attorney general is the legal advisor on all state matters arising in the executive branch of the state. The responsibility to commerce litigation is not the governor's to exercise unilaterally, and it makes no difference whether the legal representation is free or not. My office is now in the regrettable position of having to consider the necessary legal options to take in response to the governor's most recent action."
Nevada is joining 14 other states in suing the federal government over the bill.
Cortez Masto says that Nevada jumping in with those other states is essentially irrelevant, because the outcome of their suit would apply regardless.
http://www.ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12266853