South Carolina Has Fun New Idea: Jail Officials Who Implement Obamacare

Anyone here from SOUTH CAROLINA? Yes? Maybe you can explain to us why your state is so crazy, possibly as crazy as Florida (or at least, coming at a close second):

South Carolina state Rep. Bill Chumley last week pre-filed a bill for the upcoming legislative session that would criminalize implementation of President Barack Obama's 2010 healthcare reform law.

If his bill becomes law, any state official caught enforcing the healthcare law would be guilty of a misdemeanor and "must be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than two years, or both."

That's just for STATE officials.

Any federal employee or contractor enforcing the law "is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five thousand dollars, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both," the bill proposes.

But don't you worry, this is all on the up-and-up because of the Constitution, which lawmakers are sworn to protect and uphold (when convenient and in their perceived best interests, that is):

"I think we're within our rights to do this," [State Representative Bill] Chumley explained to U.S. News . "It's an obligation, I swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and protect the people."

It's always fun when a self-identified " farmer " decides to dive into Constitutional jurisprudence! Chumley also thinks, apparently, that protection of the Constitution and the people involves rejecting the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act , limiting punitive damages awarded to plaintiffs in lawsuits, allowing hunting and fishing without a license on father's day , and freeing employers from the burden of informing employees of their rights . Constitutional law -- it's so easy, anyone can do it!

Among the items in the healthcare law that irk Chumley are the individual health insurance mandate, "the establishment of 150 or so more agencies," "the addition of many thousand new IRS agents," and "home visits to come out and see how you're living."

If that were happening, that would irk us as well. But it is not happening, but that doesn't matter since Republicans are apparently entitled to their own versions of life, the universe and everything. Good luck, South Carolina, with getting health care in 2013 because it seems like you'll need it.

 [US News]