Across the country, people are worried that they might one day be forced to have health insurance. At least, that's what conservatives in the Arizona legislature think -- and they've generously tried to do something about it.
Lawmakers in the state have passed a bill to put a constitutional amendment on the 2010 ballot that would forbid the government from forcing individuals to participate in a national health insurance plan. HCR2014 would also make it illegal to ban the sale of private insurance in the state, and prohibit any penalty on for deciding to purchase health care directly.
"HCR2014 is proactive and will protect patients' fundamental rights," Arizona State Rep. Nancy Barto, a Republican, said in a statement. "We are a front-line battle state to stop the momentum of this powerful government takeover of your health care decisions. Health care by lobbyists thwarts your rights and can be stopped here."
Some might say that these Arizonans are getting ahead of themselves. After all, health care legislation is still in the works and none of the proposed plans would force anyone onto public insurance. Most conservatives are more concerned that public insurance will be such an attractive option, private plans will go out of business. But according to Fox News, five other states -- Indiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota and Wyoming -- are considering similar 2010 initiatives.