Lt. Gov. says health care bill could be unconstitutional

Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling wants our senators to demand Virginia be treated the same as other states getting special deals, before they agree to vote for the final version of the health care bill.

Bolling told us Monday in Lynchburg that health care reform will cost Virginia $400 million a year in Medicaid costs.  Nebraska and Louisiana were exempted from those costs, in part or in whole,  to secure the votes of two senators.
   
Bolling has asked the state Attorney General for an opinion on whether the bill violates the constitution.

“It’s probably unconstitutional.“, says Bolling.  “One of the fundamental principles of the federal constitution is that laws need to apply equally to those they impact. What’s happening with this law is that they’re impacting some states more than others because of these special sweetheart deals that were negotiated by the senate leadership.“

Bolling sent a letter to both Senator Jim Webb and Senator Mark Warner asking them to vote no on the bill, in part because of the special deals for other states.  That letter was sent four days before the senate vote.  Webb and Warner both voted in favor of the bill, making passage possible.