House committee calls on governor and attorney general to protest federal health care
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House committee calls on governor and attorney general to protest federal health care

Date: April 4, 2011
By: Jamie Hausman
State Capitol Bureau
Links: HB423 HCR30 SB367

JEFFERSON CITY - The House Rules Committee passed a resolution calling on the governor and attorney general to write a letter protesting federal health care. Although the resolution passed, it met some opposition in the committee, and the final vote rolled in at 7-4.

Last week the Missouri House passed a bill that would add Missouri to the multi-state Health Care Compact, which would put health care under state regulation. The same Democrats who voted no on that bill, voted against sending this letter.

Rep. Mike Colona, D-St. Louis City, voted against the bill, along with three others, calling it inaccurate.

"It's inappropriate, it doesn't accurately reflect the opinion of the Missouri General Assembly," Colona said. "We will have a majority of our members voting in favor of that resolution, but the reality of it is, we'll have 52 plus members voting against it. So if we send a singular resolution to the president stating we're against this health care proposal as a state, it's just not accurate. It's inappropriate."

Colona's colleagues on the committee did not agree.

Rep. David Day, R-Dixon, said he hopes to raise awareness on the health insurance issue after hearing constituents' concerns.

"Voters in my district overwhelmingly have concern about a lot of the health care issues that are going on," Day said. "If it helps relay a message from the voters to the president, that's what I'm going to do. I would like to think any president would listen to what the people are saying."

The resolution will now move to the House floor for debate.