Texas Legislature May Give-In to O-Care

Lois Kolkhorst, R, Texas-13

Jane Nelson, R, Texas-12

Erick Erickson at RedState.Com wrote a short article early this morning concerning the Texas State House of Representatives' scheduled vote on HB1145 . This bill will basically add a row of teeth to the PPACA (Obamacare) in Texas where previous state laws kept them in check. There are also other bills which will expand federal Medicare authority in Texas that face imminent floor votes which Mr. Erickson didn't address.

Texas HB 1145 has a companion bill in the State Senate, SB 8,  that is, with the exception of the bill number and sponsor/author names, word for word identical. Allegedly, the house is scheduled to vote on HB 1145 this afternoon, at 1pm CST. This morning, the bill is still before the Committee for Public Health.  The Senate bill will likely see a vote in the near future as well.

Among the provisions is allowing federal officials to haphazardly grant "emergency enrollment" into Medicare, eliminating some of the criteria originally enacted  to avoid fraud.

In addition, there are several other bills on the docket in the Texas Legislature concerning health care. One is a bill concerning transfers from insurance providers to government funds, specifically federal funds. Another establishes punitive damages for medical services to $25,000 per violation.

Texans may want to review SB183,  SB 61, and SB 153, for a few examples. One common thread in all of these bills directing how free citizens' heath care will be managed by the government is a single name:  Jane Nelson, Republican, 12th District.  Jane prides herself on being a champion for public health.

HB1145 was authored and sponsored by Texas Rep. Lois Kolkhorst. SB 8, though identical, was allegedly authored by Texas Sens. Nelson, Nichols, Patrick, and Schwertner.

Texas residents, business owners, and workers who may want to keep their insurance premiums and tax rates from rising exponentially and who oppose the oppressive nature of the PPACA may want to call their state representative and senator and express their views on these bills. If passed, they will go into effect on September 1, 2013.