Missouri Senate approves health care lawsuit resolution

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- In a party-line vote, the Senate approved a resolution Wednesday urging Attorney General Chris Koster to join 25 other states in a lawsuit to overturn the new federal health care law on the grounds that the mandate for all citizens to purchase health insurance is unconstitutional.

Republicans argued that a majority of Missourians favored repeal and that the state should join the lawsuit to represent those interests, while Democrats argued the outcome of the interstate lawsuit would be binding on Missouri regardless of its involvement and said the resolution was a waste of government time and resources.

The resolution is identical to one passed in the House last week. It does not legally force the attorney general to take any action.

Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder has filed a separate but similar lawsuit against the federal government.

To date, Koster has not touched the national debate over the constitutionality of the federal health care reform law. But "in the coming days," Koster's office plans to "consider Missouri's unique issues and legal concerns, including the enactment of Proposition C and the resolutions passed by the General Assembly," according to a spokesperson's statement Wednesday.

The response followed this morning's passage of a non-binding Senate resolution. The House passed a similar measure earlier this month