Last week I mentioned that I sent an official request from AFA-IN to Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller asking him to look into the possibility of joining other state Attorneys General in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the newly passed health care legislation.

I have worked with the Attorney General on several occasions and have made other requests of him when he was the Deputy Attorney General under Steve Carter. I knew when I made the request that, though he is a conservative, Zoeller is not one to jump on a bandwagon or to make a legal claim from the AG’s office based on his political views. I have always found him to be cautious and prudent in such matters and conscious of protecting the reputation of the Attorney General’s office.

That is why in our letter, I asked him to look into the constitutional concerns, rather than asking him to file suit. I felt that unless there were significant constitutional questions he would not use the AG’s office for a political attack on a bill he most likely loathes personally.

That is why I was very pleased to learn on Monday that the Attorney General would in fact be filing a legal challenge to the health care bill, making Indiana the fourteenth state AG to do so. As many of us have suspected, the AG also shares the opinion that the individual mandate requiring every Hoosier to buy insurance or face a penalty is an unprecedented and unconstitutional move.

On Monday, Attorney General Zoeller told reporters, “There has been a great deal of public debate regarding this new federal program. While I personally share the grave concerns that have been expressed regarding this law, I believe it is in the best interests of all — even those who have supported the new law — to raise the constitutional questions to the United States Supreme Court.”

“When the federal government imposes unprecedented legal obligations of this magnitude on state government, it is my obligation as Attorney General to join and participate in challenging the constitutionality of the bill,” Zoeller said. (Indiana has officially joined the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.)

At this press conference, the Indiana Attorney General also referenced and released a 55-page reporthis office had prepared for Senator Richard Lugar. It shows the devastating impacts the legislation will have upon Indiana and the significant legal concerns it raises. (Scanning just the table of contents of this report is worthwhile to see some significant Indiana specific concerns.)

Now it is Your Turn to Fight Back!

It would be a real tragedy for any AFA of Indiana supporter to go to the voting booth on May 4th only to learn that their vote would be challenged or denied because they were not registered. If you have recently moved, married or divorced causing a name change, or if you or your child will turn 18 on or before May 4th, make sure you can vote in the Primary. (The same rules and situations apply for the November 2nd election and voter registration, which has a May 18th opening and an October 4th filing closure date.)

Voter registration for the Indiana May 4th Primary ends on April 5th. Again, you must be registered by this deadline to vote in May if you have not voted in several past elections, moved, had a name change, or are turning 18 before the election.

You can print out a PDF form to register to vote through the Indiana Secretary of State’s web site here:

http://www.in.gov/sos/elections/2403.htm#

(The voter registration form is viewable through a link in the middle of this web page which once opened can be printed, filled out and mailed in before April 5th. The form is simple. Page 2 shows the county office where you can mail the form.)

Whom Do Americans Trust More?

Many of the media elites and political class have made a point of downplaying and dismissing the TEA Party movement with negative slurs, labels, and accusations. For this reason, many consider the movement to be a fringe element of society.

However, the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% of U.S. voters believe the average member of the Tea Party movement has a better understanding of the issues facing America today than the average member of Congress. Only 30% believe that those in Congress have a better understanding of the key issues facing the nation.

When it comes to those issues, 47% think that their own political views are closer to those of the average Tea Party member than to the views of the average member of Congress. On this point, 26% feel closer to Congress.

Finally, 46% of voters say that the average Tea Party member is more ethical than the average member of Congress. Twenty-seven percent (27%) say that the average member of Congress is more ethical.

Earlier polling conducted by Rasmussen in January found that 76% of voters generally trust the American people more than political leaders on important national issues.