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Lawsuit filed to stop Mo. health care referendum

By Marshall Griffin, St. Louis Public Radio

Jefferson City, Mo. – A lawsuit has been filed in Jefferson City that's designed to stop the August 3rd referendum on Missouri's participation in the new national health care law.

The referendum was approved by the Missouri House and Senate this year, and it states that citizens cannot be forced to buy health insurance against their will. Republican Jane Cunningham of Chesterfield sponsored the bill in the Missouri Senate.

"I would expect our opponents to try to use the courts to thwart the will of the people," Cunningham said. "People feel very strongly that they want to voice their own viewpoint, they felt that their voices were ignored by Washington."

The plaintiffs are Barbara Lake Finch of St. Louis and Mary Lucy Brenner of Morrison.

The suit states that the bill is unconstitutional because it also addresses rules to allow insurance companies to dissolve, which it says violates the single-subject matter rule.

A hearing for the suit has not been scheduled yet.

St. Louis Public Radio contacted Jefferson City attorney Chip Gentry, who represents Finch and Brenner, but he has not responded to our request for an interview.

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