Mr. Smith Award to Idaho Governor, Butch Otter — by Steve Farrell
The tenth amendment is alive and well. Today, Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter signed into law a measure requiring the state attorney general to sue Congress if it passes health reforms forcing Idaho citizens to buy insurance.
Idaho’s gutsy stand against a President and Congress bent on enter stage left change, is part of a larger, history making protest that is spreading wild fire like from state to state. Indeed, 37 states have introduced similar legislation asserting sovereignty under the tenth amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Virginia Legislature signed off on such a measure last week. They await their governor’s signature.
Idaho Gov. 'Butch' Otter
The tenth amendment bells are ringing on other issues as well. After it became perfectly clear that the Obama Administration were slapping fines upon businesses that were in compliance with state laws, Montana, South Dakota, and most recently, Utah and Wyoming, sounded the alarm bells, and stood up to the feds. All four states said enough is enough. Under Wyoming’s new law, any federal officer that acts contrary to state law will be subject to fines and imprisonment.
Idaho Governor Otter, telling it like it is, said:
Congress and the White House are working out their scheme for pushing through a healthcare ‘reform’ bill that has more pages than the U.S. Constitution has words. I guarantee you that not a single member of the House or Senate has a complete understanding of that legislation any more than they understood all the implications of the USA PATRIOT Act back in 2001.
The Governor continued:
What the Idaho Health Freedom Act says is that the citizens of our state won’t be subject to another federal mandate or turn over another part of their life to government control.
Otter, a Republican, warned U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid back in December that Idaho was considering litigation if health reform went through.
Idaho Governor Butch Otter gets today’s Mr. Smith Award. He, and the Idaho Legislature, has inspired us all.
The Daily Mr. Smith Award goes to those writers, thinkers, and statesmen who gave time and effort to dig through the muck, uncover the truth, and tell it like it is, straightforward and with courage, for love of God and country, Constitution and moral principle — and this in a political world filled with smoke and mirrors, political gimmicks and schemes, self-serving politicians and blind partisans, naive and ignorant public servants, and perhaps worst of all: misguided ideologues and treasonous revolutionaries.
