Sisolak: Nevada will join others to oppose judge’s ACA ruling

Governor-elect Steve Sisolak and Attorney General-elect Aaron Ford announced Saturday that they plan to join other states in opposing a Texas federal judge’s ruling that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor ruled Friday that the Affordable Care Act was “invalid” after last year’s tax cut bill eliminated a penalty for not having insurance.

Sisolak said in a statement that as a “first act,” he and Ford will join the intervenor states in their imminent appeal of the decision in the lawsuit, according to a press release from Home Means Nevada, a political action committee supporting Sisolak’s transition to office.

“Health care is a right, not a privilege,” Sisolak said in a statement. “These constant attacks on this law are direct attacks on the working families that depend on it.”

Nevada did not join other states as intervenor-defendants to the Texas lawsuit, which was brought on by 20 Republican-led states, Ford said in a statement.

“That changes now,” he said. “As Attorney General-Elect, I will take whatever procedural steps necessary to defend the ACA and health care access for Nevadans.”

O’Connor’s ruling Friday does not have an immediate impact on the Affordable Care Act, as it will remain in place while the legal battle continues, possibly to the Supreme Court.

Sisolak urged Nevadans to sign up for a plan on Nevada’s Affordable Care Act exchange by Saturday’s deadline, according to the release.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter. The Associated Press contributed to this report.