TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas Senate has narrowly rejected a proposed amendment to the state constitution aimed at challenging a key federal mandate on health care.
Thursday’s vote on the so-called health care “freedom” amendment was 26-14 in favor, but backers needed a two-thirds majority, or 27 of 40 votes.
The Senate’s decision came after members revised the measure so that a statewide vote on the proposition would have occurred only if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the federal health care overhaul of 2010.
The amendment would have declared that Kansans have the right to refuse to buy health insurance. A provision in the federal health care overhaul requires most Americans to buy insurance, starting in 2014.
Critics argue that if the federal law is upheld, the Kansas measure would be meaningless.
