TomEmmer212Republican state Rep. Tom Emmer is prominently featured in a front page story in The New York Times today looking at the movement to pass state constitutional amendments outlawing the mandatory purchase of health insurance. The article notes that ten states have considered such amendments, and lawmakers in at least four other states intend to introduce such measures. Requiring nearly everyone to purchase insurance or face a penalty is a key component of health care plans currently being debated in Washington.

“All I’m trying to do is protect the individual’s right to make health care decisions,” Emmer told reporter Monica Davey. “I just don’t want the government getting between my decisions with my doctors.”

But Minnesota would seem to be an odd focus for this movement. Both the state House and Senate are controlled by solid Democratic majorities, and they hardly seem likely to foment a revolt against President Obama’s top legislative priority. Perhaps that’s why Emmer, who is running for governor, is the only Minnesota legislator quoted in the piece advocating for the passage of such an amendment.