Wyoming Health Care Amendment, Constitutional Amendment A (2012)
| Health Care Amendment | |
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| Type: | Constitutional amendment |
| Constitution: | Wyoming Constitution |
| Referred by: | Wyoming State Legislature |
| Topic: | Health care |
| Status: | On the ballot |
Contents |
According to the proposed amendment, "No federal or state law, rule or administrative decision shall compel, directly or indirectly, any person, employer or health care provider to participate in any health care system."[2]
If approved by voters, Wyoming would be the third state to amend it's state constitution in reaction to the 2010 federal health care reform law.[2]
Election results
- See also: 2012 ballot measure election results
Election results will be posted here throughout the day on November 7 and in the days to come as additional votes are counted.
| Wyoming Constitutional Amendment A | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Yes | 180,289 | 76.98% | ||
| No | 53,919 | 23.02% | ||
Results via the Wyoming Secretary of State's website
Text of measure
Ballot language
The ballot text reads:[3]
The adoption of this amendment will provide that the right to make health care decisions is reserved to the citizens of the state of Wyoming. It permits any person to pay and any health care provider to receive direct payment for services. The amendment permits the legislature to place reasonable and necessary restrictions on health care consistent with the purposes of the Wyoming Constitution and provides that this state shall act to preserve these rights from undue governmental infringement.
Background
Two proposed measures were filed in the Wyoming Legislature for consideration. Senate Joint Resolution 2 proposes a constitutional amendment that specifies that no federal or state law could require participation in any health care system by any person, employer or health care provider. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Leslie Nutting and was filed in response to the federal Affordable Health Care Act.[4]
A second proposal, Senate Joint Resolution 3 calls for an amendment that would recognize individual rights to make health care decisions and prohibit state actions to limit those decisions. Additionally, it would authorize the Wyoming Attorney General to participate in litigation to protect those rights, sue the federal government and have the federal Affordable Health Care Act declared unconstitutional. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Charles Scott.[5]
Path to the ballot
- See also: How to amend the Wyoming Constitution
A 2/3rds vote in both chambers of the Wyoming State Legislature is required to refer an amendment to the ballot. The proposed measure, Senate Joint Resolution 2, cleared the House on February 15, 2011 following a 49-11 vote. Previously, the measure cleared the Senate with a 23-7 vote.[6] The measure was signed by Governor Matt Mead on February 19, 2011.[2][7]
Timeline
The following is a timeline of events surrounding the measure:
| Event | Date | Developments |
|---|---|---|
| Approval | Feb. 15, 2011 | House approved measure, 49 to 11 after Senate approval. |
| Signature | Feb. 19, 2011 | Measure was signed by Governor Matt Mead, placing it on ballot. |
See also
| By Eric Veram Ballot measure writer |
| Email • Submit a link |
Similar measures
Wyoming Health Freedom Act (2010)
Articles
External links
Additional reading
References
- ↑ Billings Gazette,"Education, states' rights expected to dominate 2011 Wyoming Legislature," January 8, 2011
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Billings Gazette,"Health care amendment makes Wyoming ballot," February 19, 2011
- ↑ Wyoming State Board of Elections,"Constitutional Amendment A," retrieved October 1, 2012
- ↑ Wyoming State Legislature,"SJR0002," retrieved January 11, 2011
- ↑ Wyoming State Legislature,"SJR0003," retrieved January 11, 2011
- ↑ Billings Gazette,"Health care measure appears headed to Wyoming voters," February 15, 2011
- ↑ Star-Tribune,"Health care amendment makes Wyoming ballot," February 20, 2011
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