What has the office of the Attorney General said regarding legal challenges to the constitutionality of the Federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act?
Over 20 lawsuits have been filed around the country challenging this law. There have been four decisions on the merits, with two federal district courts holding the law constitutional and two other district courts ruling that portions of the law are unconstitutional. Appeals have already been filed, and the United States Supreme Court will almost certainly resolve the issue. As Governor Haslam has said, this is an issue that should be resolved in a timely fashion. This office takes a conservative approach to the expenditure of taxpayer dollars. In these cases, the state of Tennessee will be bound by or receive the benefit of the final decision regardless of whether we participate. Because intervention by the state would cost money but provide no additional benefit, and in light of the serious financial challenges facing state government, I have determined that participating in these cases is not an appropriate use of limited state resources. Accordingly, this office has declined to joi
