The State Senate just took a procedural vote on Senate Resolution 11, proposed by Sen. Dan Kapanke (R-La Crosse).  SR 11 would authorize the State Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen, to file or join a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Obamacare.

The Senate held a rather quick debate on the resolution before voting to not move the resolution to the Organization Committee where it could then be scheduled for a floor vote in the Senate before the legislative session essentially closes this Thursday.  The vote was on party lines; 18 Democrats vote no on the question of scheduling the resolution for a floor vote and all 15 Republicans voted yes.

Here are a few choice comments from your State Senators on the resolution.

Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker (D-Schofield): voting in favor of the resolution is “standing for insurance companies.”

Sen. Dan Kapanke: the resolution and the authorization to file a lawsuit is about “reserving our [state] autonomy.”

Sen. Bob Jauch (D-Poplar): the lawsuits against the health care bill constitute a “phony demagogic effort by attorney generals across the nation.”

Sen. Robert Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie): the health care bill was a “good Republican bill.”

Sen. Luther Olsen (R-Ripon): this isn’t about the health care bill.  SR 11 is responding to the fact that “Congress went farther than the Constitution.”  It’s a state’s rights issue; the federal government has gone too far [by passing Obamacare].

Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Waunakee):  this resolution is “not necessary” because there’s already a lawsuit and it’s just a huge waste of time and money.