Health Care Suits Waste of Time and Money

Kentucky's attorney general Jack Conway wrote an op-ed piece for AOL News:

As the chief legal officer for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, it is my duty to look at the merits of any case and provide sound legal advice and representation. After careful review and consideration, I have rejected a request from Republicans in the Kentucky House and Senate to join a legal constitutional challenge of the recently passed federal health care reform law, which will provide access to affordable health care for more than 650,000 Kentuckians who are currently without health insurance.

While the lawsuits filed by other state attorneys general to block this new law may make for good Sarah Palin-style "tea party" politics, they are based on questionable legal principles. At a time when the Commonwealth of Kentucky is cutting its budget for education and social services, I will not waste taxpayer resources on a political stunt.

Unfortunately, this rush to the courthouse is nothing new. Historically, opponents of reform have turned to the courts when major legislation with which they disagree is enacted by the Congress. Challenges were brought to the Social Security Act, the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. All of those laws were upheld.