By Marshall Griffin, St. Louis Public Radio
Jefferson City, Mo. – A proposed constitutional amendment asserting state sovereignty received first-round approval today from the Missouri House.
The resolution would bar the state from enforcing or recognizing certain federal policies, most notably requirements mandated by the health care law signed recently by President Obama. It would also cover issues such as cap and trade, abortion laws, gun control and same-sex marriage.
State Representative Brian Nieves (R, Washington, Mo.) sponsors the resolution.
"The U.S. Constitution is not a living, breathing document...we as a sovereign state, and as a nation of independent sovereign states, need to interpret the constitution by its original intent," Nieves said.
State Representative Jeanette Mott Oxford (D, St. Louis) calls the resolution "ridiculous."
"It seems to be in a similar vein with a number of other resolutions that we've heard this year that are really about positioning for the November elections, running against President Obama and the federal government, and trying to whoop up lots of anger at supposedly the overstepping of the federal government into our lives," Oxford said.
The resolution needs one more vote before moving to the Missouri Senate. If it passes both chambers, the resolution would go before voters in November. And if it succeeds, Oxford says she expects it to be challenged in court.