Gun bill aimed at mocking Obamacare

Posted: Feb 04, 2011 8:54 PM EST Updated: Feb 04, 2011 8:54 PM EST

A South Dakota republican introduced a bill that would require all South Dakotans who are over the age of 21 to purchase a gun for protection.

But the bill is actually mocking the healthcare bill known as Obamacare.

Sioux Falls House Representative Hal Wick introduced a bill this week that would require South Dakotans to own guns for protection and he says introducing this bill was actually to prove a point.

"The purpose of the bill is to draw attention to the fact that that makes as much sense as Obamacare does in ordering people to buy healthcare. It's not constitutional and there are people who will argue it is," Wick said.

But some people in Sioux Falls think introducing the gun bill was a waste of time.
"I think it's a big waste of money and I think we should be spending money on more important things than passing this," Kyle Collins said.

Wick disagrees.

"The only ones who are saying anything bad are why waste time but it's not a waste of time if we can stop this bill," Wick says.

And that's what Wick is trying to do.

"Obamacare causes medicaid to go up. Right now we have 111,000 people on medicaid and the low estimate for what Obama's healthcare bill would cause is another 29,000 people going on medicaid in South Dakota," Wick said.

And Wick says that would increase sales tax, something South Dakota and the nation can't afford.

"It wouldn't waste time if it bankrupts the state and frankly it could bankrupt the nation and we can't afford it," Wick said.

The gun bill will be heard on February 16 when it goes to the House Committee.

http://www.ksfy.com/Global/story.asp?S=13974558&clienttype=printable