Nullification Bill Draws Draws Democrats Ire
Oklahoma House approves national health care law nullification bill, draws criticism
By Michael McNutt
House Democrats criticized a bill Wednesday seeking to prevent enforcement of the national health care law as a political statement, meaningless and a waste of time.
House Bill 1021, which also would have the Legislature declare the Affordable Care Act as not being authorized by the U.S. Constitution, easily passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives mostly along party lines 72-20. It now goes to the Senate.
Rep. Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City, said voting for the measure could be a violation of lawmakers’ oaths to uphold the state and federal constitutions. The U.S. Supreme Court last year upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.
Floyd said Oklahoma’s constitution states Oklahoma is part of the federal union and that the U.S. Constitution recognizes rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court as the law of the land.