As NPR's Julie Rovner reports, Vinson took a big legal step by saying the mandate couldn't be separated from the rest of the law,
so the whole overhaul of health care should be tossed.
Just about everyone expected
Vinson to declare the individual mandate to be beyond Congress' power under the Constitution's Commerce Clause. Still, many also expected Vinson would allow most of the rest of the law to stand, as a federal judge in Virginia did in December.
Vinson, however, showed no interest in half-measures. He wrote:
"I must conclude that the individual mandate and the remaining provisions are all inextricably bound together in purpose and must stand or fall as a single unit. The individual mandate cannot be severed."
Federal Judge In Florida Rules Health Overhaul Violates Constitution : Shots - Health News Blog : NPR