Replies to post #195653 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

[F6]

South Carolina Bill Would Criminalize Obamacare



By Bonnie Kavoussi
Posted: 12/19/2012 10:41 am EST | Updated: 12/19/2012 5:04 pm EST

South Carolina is considering outlawing Obamacare.

Five Republican South Carolina state representatives [ http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess120_2013-2014/bills/3101.htm ] introduced a bill last week that, if passed, would send people to jail for trying to implement the Affordable Care Act in South Carolina.

Under the bill, federal officials, employees and contractors implementing Obamacare could face a jail sentence of up to 5 years, and state officials and employees implementing Obamacare could face a jail sentence of up to 2 years.

Calling Obamacare unconstitutional, the "South Carolina Freedom of Health Care Protection Act" declares that the law "is invalid in this State, is not recognized by this State, is specifically rejected by this State, and is null and void and of no effect in this State."

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley [ http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/12/17/south-carolina-lawmakers-propose-5-year-jail-sentence-for-obamacare-implementation ] (R) has not commented on the bill, according to U.S. News & World Report. Her office did not respond to a request for comment from The Huffington Post.

The Supreme Court ruled in a 5-to-4 decision in June [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/28/obamacare-supreme-court-decision_n_1585156.html ] that Obamacare's requirement for people to buy health insurance is constitutional. The court leaves it up to the states to decide whether to set up state-run online marketplaces for uninsured people and small businesses to shop for health insurance. If states opt out, the federal government will then run their health-care exchange.

South Carolina [ http://healthreform.kff.org/State-Exchange-Profiles/south-carolina ] and 24 other states [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/13/states-obamacare-decisions_n_2294615.html ] have rejected setting up exchanges. The Supreme Court also left it up to states whether to accept federal money to expand Medicaid as part of Obamacare; South Carolina [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/02/obamacare-medicaid-expansion-poor_n_2226995.html ] has opted out of doing so.

(Hat tip: The Raw Story [ http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/18/new-south-carolina-bill-pushes-jail-sentences-for-state-workers-implementing-obamacare/ ].)

Copyright © 2012 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/19/south-carolina-obamacare_n_2329425.html [with comments]

[F6]

EXCLUSIVE: The GOP’s New ‘Anti-Stimulus’ Senator Sought Stimulus Funds

Senator-Designate Tim Scott (R-SC)

Dec 19, 2012
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/12/19/1359151/tim-scott-stimulus-lettermark/ [with comments]