Federal appeals court rejects health care lawsuit

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder's lawsuit challenging the federal health care law.

The Kansas City Star reports (http://bit.ly/T5pXYb ) a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that Kinder lacked standing to sue because the law posed no immediate threat to his legally protected interests. Thursday's ruling did not address the constitutional challenges to the health care law.

The Republican lieutenant governor said in a statement Friday that he's disappointed. But he adds that "the battle is not over" and says he's looking at other options to fight the health care law.

Kinder filed the lawsuit in July 2010 in his individual rather than official capacity. Several others had joined in the lawsuit as plaintiffs.

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com