From a NH Voices for Health release (email):
SB 148 originally declared that the “attorney general should join the lawsuit challenging the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” The Speaker of the House attended the public hearing last week and offered an amendment to strip the Senate language and replace it with the House’s own version of the bill – HB 89, which passed the House in mid-March – that uses the phrase “requiring the attorney general to join the lawsuit.” The amendment additionally called for New Hampshire to decline and send back federal grants received by the state for implementation of the new health law.The committee voted to pass the legislation along party lines.
NH Attorney General Michael Delaney has made it clear “he will challenge it as a violation of the constitution’s separation of powers clause.”
Not only is he correct to do so; in my opinion, as the state’s leading defender of the concept of Rule of Law, he is obligated to do so.
How much of our money will be wasted teaching Bill O’Brien the Constitution?
Relatedly: This pathetic little vignette, btw, gives us the first glimpse of the House’s response to Senate modifications to their long list of Crazy. It is not an encouraging glimpse. It tells me Bill O’Brien is far more interested in putting on a show for 2012 PACs than he is in governing. A few more anecdotes like this and I think we can begin assuming a government shutdown over the budget.
(birched; on Twitter @deanbarker)
