With yesterday’s news that the Secretary of State has certified more than 425,000 signatures supporting The Healthcare Freedom Amendment, it’s official – the November ballot will include a referendum on Obamacare’s key mandate. This is excellent news for Ohioans, and less-excellent news for Progressive advocates of big government.
The amendment, championed by the Ohio Liberty Council and other conservative groups, has found support among Ohio’s GOP establishment – which is finally recognizing the old Democrat-lite agenda as a dead end. In addition to being unaffordable, guaranteeing rationed care, and limiting Ohioans’ health care choices, Obamacare is plainly unconstitutional. Unless you believe (as Sherrod Brown does) that “interstate commerce” means “Washington can decide what you do or do not buy; when, where, and from whom.”
But those reasons don’t explain Republican support for The Healthcare Freedom Amendment! No, according to the Dispatch, “The measure was supported by the state Republican Party as a possible GOP counterweight to the Democrat-backed referendum on Senate Bill 5.”
Ok… let’s go down that road. Progress Ohio and the usual array of mathematically-impaired leftists insist Obamacare is good and necessary legislation, while Senate Bill 5 is the work of hateful extremists. Need proof? Just look at the campaigns behind the two ballot issues:
- Socialized medicine is a long-time goal of Progressives, therefore opposition to Obamacare is evil. Senate Bill 5 changes a law passed by Democrats in 1983, therefore Senate Bill 5 is evil.
- The Health Care Freedom Amendment has support extending beyond Ohio: astroturf! All government unions march to a nationally financed and centrally-organized drum: solidarity!
- Wealthy people sometimes donate to tea party groups – those capitalist swine! Union bosses pay themselves six figures in member dues – those martyrs for workers’ rights!
- Obamacare was written by a few Democrats and lobbyists before being rammed through using flagrant bribes, as all legislation guiding the lives of 308,000,000 people should be. Senate Bill 5 was passed with GOP maneuvering, which is obviously far worse.
Shall we start a collection for train tickets so the InnoProgPolicy Ohio scholars can depart our cloud of backwardness when The Healthcare Freedom Amendment passes and the SB 5 referendum fails?
Follow me on Twitter: @jasonahart
Cross-posted at that hero and Columbus Tea Party.
According to the Rasmussen Report, 57% support repeal of Obamacare, not that Obama cares what we think.
ReplyDeleteFirst, the Health Care Reform Amendment doesn't "repeal" the health care reform bill. All it does is attempt to declare the individual mandate to purchase health insurance (no different that the State's auto insurance mandate, except that the penalities in the federal health insurance mandate are less severe) is "unconstitutional" under Ohio's constitution.
ReplyDeleteExcept, as Tom Niehaus said on Fox News, the health care ballot initiative is totally unconstitutional. Also, Judge Jeffrey Sutton of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and former law clerk of Justice Scalia, joined the majority in declaring the individual mandate "constitutional."
If the Healthcare Amendment passes, do you know what happens? Nothing. It's a void law. Neihaus admits it, why can't you?