Tallahassee, Florida – June 28, 2012 – Noon -

Florida was the instigator of the lawsuit upheld at the U-S Supreme Court on the Affordable Healthcare Act this morning. Minutes after the court’s decision was released, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said she was shocked by the ruling.

Florida was the leader amongst  the twenty-six states to legally challenge the Affordable Care Act. Government officials here said the federal government has no right to mandate people purchase health insurance, that the law infringes on state rights, and that the individual mandate should be struck down as unconstitutional.

Minutes after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on health care was released, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said she was shocked by the ruling. Bondi said the court decided the government cannot impose an individual mandate under the commerce clause, but justices ruled it’s a tax and that’s why the law can be upheld.

The court ruling states that since the fee falls under the qualification as a tax, it can be upheld. Starting in 2014, people who do not purchase health insurance will have to pay a fee. That amount will be no more than $285, or 1 percent of a family’s income, whichever is greater. In 2015 that amount rises to $975 or 2 percent of family income. In 2016, the fee could be $2085 per family or 2.5 percent of income.

“They found that this is a tax and that’s contrary to everything our President has been saying.  It’s a tax on the American people and that is why it was upheld,” Pam Bondi said.

Bondi says they have not had a chance to review the entire 200 page opinion from the justices.  But as soon as it’s available on line, they’ll review it.

Stay with WCTV for much more on this story.