The last Legislators Town Hall held Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library witnessed a vast majority of the record 200+ citizens firmly oppose the State of Idaho’s proposed implementation of Obamacare. Eight of our nine local State Legislators were in attendance.

I had prepared the following remarks to be presented at the Town Hall. However, the meeting ended before my name was called so I present them here for your consideration:

“It appears to me, that instead of resisting and remaining a further check and balance on bad Federal Government policy on a State level, Idaho will now approve implementation of what every Republican member of the U.S. Congress voted against. Remember, Obamacare was passed by the Democrat-controlled Congress without a single Republican vote. Not one.

“Someone once said, ‘do not interrupt your enemy while he is destroying himself.’ Until now, Idaho has resisted Obamacare and sought to bring about its demise by active opposition while taking no steps to implement it. If this Idaho Health Exchange bill becomes law, our State government may very well have interrupted the inevitable self destruction of Obamacare and enabled its continued existence. At the least, the liberals may have partners in implementing bad public policy and law. Obamacare demonstrates a blatant disregard of the US Constitution as well as state and individual rights, the US Supreme Court to the contrary notwithstanding. (The US Supreme Court has reversed itself 100+ times.”

“Why should we help implement Obamacare in Idaho? If we want a Health Care Exchange run by Idahoans because we don’t trust the Feds, then how can we trust the Feds to let us run a Health Care Exchange in Idaho?”

“The questions at the end get at the heart of the argument used by local Legislators who support a State run Health Care Exchange under Obamacare. I remain unconvinced.”

LUKE SOMMER

Precinct 38 Committeeman

Kootenai County Republican Central Committee