Citizens File Suit Against Health Care Reform

AUSTIN � A Smith County group is a plaintiff in a taxpayer lawsuit to stop state expenditures for implementing the health care reform law, now that the federal statute has been declared unconstitutional. The Justice Foundation, a non-profit litigation firm in San Antonio that represents clients in public interest and limited government cases, is representing plaintiffs JoAnn Fleming and Grassroots America � We the People (GAWTP). The group, which Fleming serves as executive director, is termed the largest constitutional conservative citizen organization in East Texas.

According to the plaintiffs, Texas has judicially admitted that the law is unconstitutional. A federal judge in Florida has agreed and declared the provision requiring individuals to purchase insurance unconstitutional; therefore, Fleming claims the whole act is unconstitutional. She says Texas should stop spending anything on implementation. According to material provided by GAWTP, �Taxpayers can sue to stop future illegal spending in Texas, but they cannot get the money back once it is spent. That is why we filed suit now.� Fleming says the Texas Legislature can make the suit moot if it refuses to appropriate money to implement the law.