Mississippi lawmaker wants state to fight healthcare reform - WLOX.com - The News for South Mississippi

Mississippi lawmaker wants state to fight healthcare reform

By David Elliott – bio | email

BILOXI, MS (WLOX) - The United States Senate passed its version of national health care reform early Thursday morning. The legislation sparked reaction around America. Mississippi lawmaker Steven Palazzo from Biloxi opposes the legislation.

"It puts too much of a burden on taxpayers and small businesses," Palazzo said.

The State Representative has sent a letter to Attorney General Jim Hood asking the AG to take legal action on behalf of the state. In the letter, Palazzo writes that the legislation in unconstitutional.

"We've all seen several Senators get paid off for their votes in exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars," Palazzo said.

The lawmaker also thinks the bill is an unfunded mandate that could crush Mississippi's Medicaid program.

The letter, sent on December 21, asks Hood to take the appropriate legal action against the federal government in the event either the Senate or House health care bills, as currently discussed, passes into law.

Palazzo told WLOX News he is not alone in this effort.

"Lawmakers in at least ten other states have written similar letters to their attorneys general."

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