Florida's Health Care Freedom Act receives approval

Mississippi Measure Poised for 2011 Ballot

Legislators Beat Back ObamaCare One State at a Time

Today, Florida's Health Care Freedom Act (HJR 37/SJR 72), sponsored by Florida Representative Scott Plakon and Florida Senator Carey Baker, passed the House and Senate and will appear on the November ballot. And yesterday, Mississippi Representatives Alex Monsour and Steven Palazzo received preliminary approval to place the Health Care Freedom Act on the 2011 or 2012 ballot. The legislation -- which blocks a state or federal requirement for individuals to purchase health insurance -- is modeled after the American Legislative Exchange Council's (ALEC) Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act now introduced or announced in 42 states.

"Protecting the individual freedom for people to make their own health care decisions is a priority in the states," said ALEC health task force director Christie Herrera, who is coordinating the nationwide effort. "The amount of support from state legislators and policy makers for this legislation has been tremendous," she added.

ALEC's Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act has already been enacted statutorily by the Virginia, Idaho, and Arizona legislatures, and constitutional amendments in Oklahoma, Arizona, and Florida will appear before voters on the November ballot.

Statutory measures have also passed one chamber each in Georgia and Tennessee, and will soon reach Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry's desk.

Constitutional amendments have passed one chamber in the Missouri legislature, and will soon be considered by the Louisiana House.