Masto answers back
Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto on Friday fired back at Gov. Jim Gibbons for pressuring her to take legal action to block a new federal health insurance reform law.
In a letter to the governor, Masto said she was "disappointed by the tone" of Gibbons' orders for her to join other states challenging the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Masto's letter Friday was the latest volley in ongoing bickering that started in January when Gibbons first suggested Nevada, through the attorney general's office, should file suit to block the health reform legislation.
On Thursday Gibbons gave Masto a Monday deadline to make a decision about filing suit. Gibbons did not respond to the letter from Masto on Friday, which represented her response to his deadline letter.
Gibbons, a Republican, has cited concerns that echo GOP arguments against the new law, primarily that it contains what he says is an unconstitutional mandate for people to buy insurance and will increase the state's Medicaid costs by $613 million through 2019.
Masto, a Democrat, has repeatedly said she wants to further research the federal law before joining a lawsuit against it. She also has challenged Gibbons' authority to order her to file a suit or to hire outside counsel on behalf of the state to do the legal work if she refuses.
Masto's wrote Friday she didn't care for Gibbons' implication her office has dawdled in researching legal options. She said her office has been preoccupied defending Gibbons in myriad cases, including a challenge to the Gibbons-approved state budget, a suit from a former state employee who alleges Gibbons fired her in violation of her civil rights and a case related to Gibbons' use of a state-owned computer for personal e-mail.
Masto went on to say Gibbons hasn't justified why Nevada should challenge the health law immediately when "any final outcome will have the same impact on Nevada with or without our involvement."
She closed by saying it was time to stop writing letters between each other and focus on problems facing Nevada, ending her letter saying, "And by the way, the phone does ring in my office."
Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861.
