House Passes Nullification Bill

It’s on to the senate for the so-called nullification Bill. The bill that would nullify the federal health care overhaul in Idaho passed the house this morning.  Despite an Idaho attorney general's opinion and Democratic objections that the measure is unconstitutional, the house voted 49 to 20 yesterday to pass the measure. Republican Representative Vito Barbieri of Dalton Gardens says the health law is a tentacle of federal encroachment that Idaho must stand up and oppose.  Barbieri also cited wolves and the Environmental Protection Agency, which many Idaho Republicans also see as intrusive. Democrats including Minority Leader John Rusche  argued nullification violates lawmakers' sworn oath to uphold the U.S. and state constitutions. About a half dozen Republican lawmakers voted against the bill. The bill now goes to the Senate. It would make it illegal for state officials to enact provisions of the health care law, including mandates that residents buy insurance.