States moving to bypass federal health insurance fines (State sovereignty Issue)
by Robert Morgan - The Town Talk (excerpt)

Virginia is the first state, but it probably won't be the last, to pass a law intended to protect its residents against federal fines aimed at forcing people to purchase health insurance. The health insurance bill being considered by Congress reportedly contains a requirement that people purchase insurance or face monetary penalties for refusing to do so.

According to The Associated Press, a majority of the Virginia House of Delegates, including a majority of Democrats, voted for the anti-fine legislation termed "largely symbolic." Louisiana is among the 34 other states with similar legislation pending or expected to be filed in upcoming legislative sessions. Author of the Louisiana legislation, Sen. A.G. Crowe, R-Slidell, raised the same argument reportedly given by the Virginia lawmaker, Delegate Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William.

Marshall and other supporters of the Virginia legislation said the issue is state sovereignty protected by the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In another AP article, out of Baton Rouge, Crowe is quoted as saying: "This isn't just about (President Barack) Obama. This isn't about party. This is about states' rights." The 10th Amendment states, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."