by Eli Stokols - Fox 31 Denver


DENVER — Colorado Republicans, already heading into the 2014 legislative session with plans to challenge the state’s new gun control laws passed earlier this year, are planning to target another big Democratic policy: Obamacare.

Two GOP lawmakers announced Tuesday that they plan to introduce legislation to compensate Coloradans who are subjected to fines for failing to buy health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

State Reps. Dan Nordberg, R-Colorado Springs, and Jared Wright, R-Fruita, are calling their bill the “Colorado Healthcare Liberty Act.”

“Millions of Americans are learning they will not be able to keep their health insurance under Obamacare even though the President promised they could,” said Nordberg in a press release announcing the legislation.

“Congress has failed to act and the President has declined to lead, it is time the state legislature step up and help our constituents deal with the surging costs of Obamacare.”

With Democrats holding a 37-28 majority in the House, the sponsors know their legislation is probably going nowhere.

The point is to force Democrats to kill it — to say no to an apparent remedy to one of the less popular pieces of Obamacare — with the midterm elections looming next November.

“Many Colorado families are relying on us as their elected representatives to try to mitigate the adverse impacts of Obamacare. I hope my friends across the aisle will work with us in a bi-partisan manner to provide some relief to the thousands of Colorado families who have been negatively impacted by this law,” said Wright.

“Our bill is an appropriate response to the tax penalty and will help people in Colorado who simply cannot afford this expensive new government health insurance mandate.”