DeWine wants Ohio to join court challenge to health care law

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COLUMBUS — Republican Mike DeWine made clear that things have changed in the Ohio attorney general’s office Monday by formally requesting that Ohio be allowed to join a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Democratic-backed federal health care law.

Outgoing Democratic Attorney General Richard Cordray, whom DeWine defeated, had declined to join the lawsuit.

“By ignoring the constitutional limits on federal power, the health care law tramples on the rights of Ohio’s citizens,” DeWine, who took office Monday, said in a press release. “We need to defend the checks and balances that our Constitution creates through its divisions of power and protect the people of Ohio from this huge federal overreach.”

In an earlier interview, DeWine said there were good parts to the law but that the requirement that all Americans acquire health insurance was unconstitutional. He said, “we should go back to the drawing board” and come up with a bipartisan bill.

Supporters of the law lashed out at DeWine.

“The legal challenges will only cause delay in the benefits of health care reform and will not protect the people who need access to health care or help lower costs for those who already have insurance,” Col Owens and Cathy Levine, co-chairs of Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage, said in a press release.

Among other things, the law will help those with pre-existing conditions attain coverage, help seniors get discounts on prescription drugs and aid small business owners in providing coverage for their employees, Owens and Levine said.

DeWine acted by sending a letter to Florida Attorney General Pamela Jo Bondi asking her to seek to add Ohio as a plaintiff in the federal lawsuit in which some 20 states already are participating.

DeWine has said that while he can’t speak for the judge handling the case he “would assume” that the request would be granted.