Bob McCarty Writes

Missouri State Sen. Jane Cunningham  (R-Chesterfield) drew much applause Saturday afternoon when she informed the crowd at the Million Med March about the Health Care Freedom Act she is going to introduce soon in the Missouri Senate.

The favorable response was due, in part, to the fact that the crowd of more than 300 included physicians, nurses, other health care professionals and “ordinary Joes” gathered in the St. Louis suburb of Clayton to protest the possibility of a government takeover of the nation’s health care system.

A Constitutional amendment, the act would protect Missourians from the un-Constitutional federal health care mandates and protect their rights to make their own medical and insurance choices, according to Senator Cunningham.

Specifically, she said it will include the right for individuals to pay directly to health care providers, and it will protect small business owners from being forced to swallow up to eight percent penalties on payroll taxes for not adhering to the federal government standard of insurance.

Best of all, she said, the Constitutional amendment will not require the signature of the governor if it gets through the House and the Senate.

“Instead,” Senator Cunningham said with a smile on her face, “it will go directly to a vote of the people.”

Similar efforts are being waged in at least 20 states, the senator added.

“If we get all of these through our legislatures,” she explained, “it will set up a showdown on states’ rights before the U.S. Supreme Court, and I say, ‘Bring it on!’”

To find out if this kind of legislation has been introduced in your state, contact your state legislators.