Florida judge strikes down parts of health care reform
January 31st, 2011
04:49 PM ET

Florida judge strikes down parts of health care reform

By CNN Supreme Court Producer Bill Mears

(CNN) – A federal judge in Florida has ruled unconstitutional the sweeping health care reform law championed by President Obama, setting up what is likely to be a contentious Supreme Court challenge in coming months over the legislation.

Monday's ruling came in the most closely watched of the two dozen challenges to the law. Florida along with 25 states had filed a lawsuit last spring, seeking to dismiss a law critics had labeled "Obamacare."

Judge Roger Vinson, in a 78-page, ruling dismissed the key provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – the so-called "individual mandate" requiring most Americans to purchase health insurance by 2014 or face stiff penalties.

Check out the complete story on CNN's Political Ticker.
Topics: Health care • The News
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soundoff (2 Responses)
  1. Maxwell

    Another gleaming example of CNN's unreliable reporting, there are 26 States that joined the lawsuit, Not 25, and the Judge did Not rule against "parts" of the Law, he ruled the entire act was void!

    "While the individual mandate was clearly 'necessary and essential' to the act as drafted, it is not 'necessary and essential' to health care reform in general," he continued. "Because the individual mandate is unconstitutional and not severable, the entire act must be declared void."

    January 31, 2011 at 5:04 pm |
  2. Liz Carter in Georgia

    @Maxwell; If what you said is true about CNNs 'gleaming example of unreliable reporting', check your local stations too! I know the 6:00pm evening news on ABC in ATLANTA, GA reported it the same way!

    January 31, 2011 at 7:11 pm |