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"                      <p class=\"imgtitle\">Van Hollen</p>           MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker authorized Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen on Monday to proceed on behalf of the state with a legal challenge to President Barack Obama's health care reform act.<br /> <br />Walker, a Republican, said in November following his election that he would give Van Hollen the green light to join the federal lawsuit.<br /> <br />Van Hollen, who was reelected in November, had requested permission to join the suit in the spring but was denied by state officials, most of whom were Democrats.<br /> <br />Now, the state has a Republican governor and the GOP is in control of both chambers of the Legislature. <br /> <br />The health care reform, also known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, requires individuals to purchase health insurance or pay a penalty.<br /> <br />Van Hollen said in a statement on Monday that this regulatory scheme is unprecedented for the federal government and unconstitutional.<br /> <br />\"The Constitution places limits on the power of the federal government, and these limits must be defended or they will disappear,\" the attorney general said.<br /> <br />\"Never before has the federal government required an individual to either buy government-approved insurance or pay a penalty. And nowhere does the Constitution authorize Congress to regulate in this manner.\"<br /> <br />Twenty states, so far, have joined a multi-state challenge being brought in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, and more -- like Wisconsin -- are looking to join the suit. Currently, summary judgment motions have been filed and argued. <br /><br />And in a related case brought by Virginia, a federal district court has ruled that the individual mandate is unconstitutional.  <br /><br />Van Hollen said on Monday he expects to take action on behalf of the state \"promptly.\"<br /> <br />Meanwhile, new Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was sworn in Tuesday morning, told <a href=\"http://nation.foxnews.com/health-care-reform/2011/01/04/florida-s-new-attorney-general-ready-carry-multi-state-obamacare-chall\" class=\"copy\">Fox News </a>she was \"absolutely\" going to continue outgoing Attorney General Bill McCollum's multi-state lawsuit against the Obama administration.<br /> <br />Bondi said in the interview that she's \"very confident\" the states will win.<br /> <br />\"I feel very confident that we will prevail and we will make it to the 11th Circuit, and then we will be at the Supreme Court soon. I look forward to that. I firmly believe it is unconstitutional, and I can't wait to make it to Supreme Court,\" she told Fox host Greta Van Susteren.<br /> <br /><em>From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by e-mail at jessica@legalnewsline.com.</em> "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://legalnewsline.com/stories/510524008-wis-gov-gives-go-ahead-for-health-care-challenge>