Arkansas legislature rejects attempt to block individual mandate

A key panel of the Arkansas legislature has blocked an attempt to reject the federal healthcare reform law's requirement that everyone carry insurance, The Associated Press reports.

The panel rejected the bill after an assistant attorney general said it would almost guarantee that the state would get sued. Six other states — Virginia, Idaho, Arizona, Georgia, Missouri and Louisiana — have already enacted legislation rejecting the mandate, while Arizona and Oklahoma amended their constitution to declare that their residents don't have to buy insurance.

A federal judge in Florida is expected to rule any day on a multi-state lawsuit challenging the mandate.