Mississippi challenge to health law will move forward

Elsewhere, the Washington state attorney general gets approval from his state's supreme court for joining with other AGs to challenge the law.

The Associated Press/Houston Chronicle: Judge Allows Health Care Suit To Continue
A federal judge will allow a lawsuit filed in Mississippi challenging part of the Obama administration's health care law to continue. U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett, in a ruling issued Aug. 29, denied the Obama administration's motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The lawsuit -; originally filed in April 2010 -; argues the health care reform law's requirement that every American buy health insurance would injure them. The law provides tax penalties starting in 2014 for those who don't have medical insurance (9/1).

The Seattle Times: State High Court Rules McKenna Challenge On Health Care OK
State Attorney General Rob McKenna had the authority to join other attorneys general last year to challenge the national health care overhaul, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday. … In the health-care case, McKenna joined 26 other states in an effort led by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum to challenge the national health-care law approved by Congress two years ago. Their suit claims, in part, that Congress doesn't have the constitutional right to force people to buy health coverage. Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes later sued McKenna, arguing he overstepped his authority. The state Supreme Court ruled state statute gives McKenna "broad authority" and that his decision to join the health care case was within his rights (Garber, 9/1).