In yet another attempt to make an unconstitutional concept a law, the state of California is attempting to enforce an individual mandate for health insurance on citizens. Effective this year, Californians will be forced to buy health insurance or face a hefty tax should they fail to comply with the law.
The individual mandate law comes as a form of resistance to the 2017 elimination the federal requirement for every citizen to have health insurance—a change that resulted from the tax reform bill. Masquerading under the “genuine” desire for every citizen to have healthcare, California has decided to employ the individual mandate tactic similarly seen in the Affordable Care Act forwarded by former President Barack Obama.
While health insurance is no longer required at the federal level, California Democrats have taken it upon themselves to force health insurance on their constituents through the new law.
However, it seems that they have failed to do their research. Within this last month, the individual mandate component of the Affordable Care Act was deemed unconstitutional by the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. As articulated by Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod, the individual mandate is unconstitutional “because it can longer be read as a tax, and there is no other constitutional provision that justifies this exercise of congressional power.”
While implementation of the ruling has yet to occur, it serves as an extremely relevant precedent for the scenario in California.
Once again, California Democrats are abusing their power to enact laws that benefit their platform while neglecting to account for the repercussions faced by Californians. By forcing an unconstitutional concept like the individual mandate, California is not only impairing citizens who may not be able to afford healthcare, but failing their constituents by upholding a concept that violates the U.S. Constitution.
It is instances like this that truly highlight the corruption and political expediency present among certain California politicians.
