JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The leader of the Missouri Senate is holding up a proposed constitutional amendment that would bar government mandates to have health insurance.
The proposal cleared a Senate committee one month ago. But Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields has not placed it on the Senate debate calendar.
Shields, a Republican, said Thursday it’s premature to consider a state constitutional amendment because of uncertainty on whether Congress will pass health care legislation and what it would include.
Bills pending in Congress would impose a penalty on some people who don’t have health insurance. The intent of the mandate is to expand the pool of people paying insurance premiums, to offset the increased costs of insuring others with preexisting conditions.
