15 Oct Judge lets 20 states’ challenge of health-care law move forward

The Washington Post | October 15 – A federal judge ruled Thursday that a lawsuit brought by 20 states challenging the health-care overhaul law can move forward.

The decision by Judge Roger Vinson of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida to reject the Obama administration’s request to throw out the case was expected. During oral arguments over the government’s motion to dismiss last month, Vinson had indicated that he was likely to rule at least partly in the states’ favor. His ruling is limited to the plaintiffs’ standing to mount the case, as opposed to its merits – which will be discussed at a summary judgment hearing scheduled for Dec. 16.

But Vinson’s opinion delineates the issues over which the states – and two private citizens and a business group also party to the suit – will and will not be allowed to make arguments in what could shape up to be one of the most serious of about a dozen pending legal challenges to President Obama’s signature legislative achievement.

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