North Carolina’s new GOP House and Senate majorities have made it clear that one of their top priorities is passing legislation to “exempt” the state from the health care reform bill. The move is utterly unconstitutional, as states cannot overturn national laws, but that legal matter will be decided in the courts. Meanwhile, we’re wondering if the GOP reps’ opposition to “gummint health care” will extend to their own lives. N.C. state lawmakers, despite being technically part-time workers, get completely free — as in $0.00 in premiums — health coverage through the N.C. State Health Plan. By the way, no other part-time state employees are eligible for free coverage. We agree with NC Policy Watch blogger Adam Searing, who wrote:

Strange they want to take away from older adults the 50% discount on brand name drugs in Medicare, take away from parents the ability to keep their adult children on their own insurance plans up to age 26, eliminate the new affordable high risk pool for people with pre-existing health conditions, get rid of the requirement that health insurers spend at least 80% of their premiums on actual health care services and so on, but I guess GOPers feel someone must sacrifice.

Of course, if the GOP lawmakers have their way, they will be the last ones to have to sacrifice anything. Personally, I think it’s great that the state lawmakers get free health coverage. The question is why they want to deny merely “affordable” coverage to everyone else. But I guess that’s what makes them so special.