Published: July 29, 2010

ALEC Decries Ruling to Remove Florida Amendment 9 from November Ballot

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WASHINGTON, July 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Circuit Court Judge James Shelfer removed Amendment 9--modeled after the American Legislative Exchange Council's (ALEC) Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act now proposed in 42 states--from the November ballot. Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is expected to appeal to Florida's Supreme Court.

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Amendment 9, if approved by Florida's voters, would position the state to wage additional challenges against the federal requirement to purchase health insurance, and would prohibit the state from enacting a state-level, Massachusetts-style mandate if the current federal law is ruled unconstitutional.

"Judge Shelfer has put politics above the right of the people to make their own healthcare decisions," said Christie Herrera, ALEC Health Task Force Director Christie Herrera, who is coordinating the nationwide legislative effort.

"Floridians deserve the chance to vote on Amendment 9 and protect their individual rights against excessive government power," Herrera added.

ALEC's Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act has already been enacted in statute form by the Virginia, Idaho, Arizona, Georgia, and Louisiana legislatures, and constitutional amendments will appear on the November ballot in Oklahoma, Arizona, and Florida. Active citizen initiatives are also underway in Colorado and Mississippi.

A complete map with links to the legislation in each state is available online at www.alec.org.

SOURCE American Legislative Exchange Council