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“COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Opponents of the new federal health care overhaul say they’ve gathered enough signatures to ask Ohio voters this fall whether the state should amend its constitution to keep people from being required to buy health insurance or face penalties.
The amendment’s backers acknowledge that approval of the measure won’t automatically exempt the state from the mandate in President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. But they say they hope to use the amendment to legally challenge the law.
A coalition of tea party groups called the Ohio Liberty Council is among the amendment’s supporters who planned on Wednesday to file more than 546,000 signatures with Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted. They need roughly 385,000 valid signatures for the amendment question to get on the Nov. 8 ballot.
The amendment would prohibit any federal, state or local law from forcing Ohio residents, employers or health care providers to participate in a health care system.”
