We’ve told you about the 13 state attorneys general who have filed suit to get health-care reform declared unconstitutional. But spare a thought for another state official who’s desperate to get in on the fun too — but so far in vain.
That’s Gov. Jim Gibbons of Nevada. On Wednesday, the GOP governor called on his state’s attorney general, Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto, to sign the Silver State onto the lawsuit, citing a state law that gives the governor the power to direct that legal action be taken “to protect and secure the interest” of the state.
Yesterday, Gibbons ratcheted up the pressure, saying he wants a response from the AG by Monday. “This is a critical issue, an issue which defines fundamental rights under the constitution,” the governor told the Las Vegas Sun. “This bill has been passed since Sunday. It’s available, you can read it, and it’s time to move quickly.”
Cortez Masto has said her office is conducting a “thorough legal analysis” of the law before making a decision. We assessed the lawsuit’s slim chances of success here.
Like many of the AGs who have joined the lawsuit, Gibbons is running for office. He’s seeking re-election despite a string of damaging revelations about his personal life. During their 2008 divorce proceedings, the governor’s wife charged that he had cheated on her with “many” women, including one to whom, records showed, he sent 860 text messages in a two-month period.
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