It was announced earlier this month that UnitedHealth filed a lawsuit challenging a change made in last session’s final 1400-page bill. The lawsuit argues that the measure was part of a massive bill, therefore violating the “single subject clause” of Minnesota’s state Constitution.

The portion of the bill at issue creates a new state law that bans for-profit HMOs from running Medicaid health plans. The defendants are Attorney General Keith Ellison and Department of Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead.

Senator Karin Housley (R-Stillwater) released the following statement in response:

“This is the latest example of poor Democrat leadership and all the harm it can do to our state. This provision was shoved into a 1400-page bill in the final hours of session, and Democrats forced a vote on the bill before it could even be vetted. We did not even have access to the bill language.

News of this lawsuit is not surprising at all – Democrats shoved through a bill that covered taxes, housing, healthcare, higher education, and so much more. That goes far beyond the bounds of a ‘single subject’ bill.  

Governor Walz should have never signed off on a bill that was not properly vetted, and that contained far too many subjects and areas to be constitutional – legislators had no time to consider what was in it and the implications it would have when passed. If this is his standard for laws that affect our daily lives, he is not fit to lead. Democrats should truly be ashamed of the harm they’ve done to our healthcare system.”

Notably, UnitedHealth is not looking for the entire bill to be invalidated but is asking for the specific provisions relating to HMOs to be declared unconstitutional.