By Marshall Griffin, St. Louis Public Radio
Jefferson City, Mo. – Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder is getting praise from fellow Republicans and criticism from Democrats for filing a lawsuit against the new federal health care law. The suit was filed today in Cape Girardeau.
State Senator Jane Cunningham (R, Chesterfield) supports Kinder's actions. She cites Samantha Hill of Johnson County, one of the plaintiffs in the suit, as an example of someone whose rights are being violated by the new law.
"What she would prefer to do is pay for her maintenance expenses, but be able to have just major medical or catastrophic expenses covered," Cunningham said. "Because the federal law requires that she have much more than that, it really violates her freedom to chose what plan is best for her."
The Missouri Democratic Party calls the lawsuit frivolous, and accuses Kinder of not disclosing who's funding it.
Cunningham, meanwhile, also sponsored legislation that set up the August referendum to challenge Missouri's participation in the federal health care law.
A separate lawsuit designed to stop the referendum is scheduled to be heard in Jefferson City next week.