Va.: health care overhaul unconstitutional

RICHMOND — A federal judge in Virginia ruled Monday that a key provision of the nation’s sweeping health care overhaul is unconstitutional, the most significant legal setback so far for President Obama’s signature domestic initiative.

U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson found that the constitution does not give Congress the authority to require individuals to obtain health insurance, a mandate of the law. Hudson's ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the state of Virginia; his is the first ruling to go against the law, as 25 legal challenges to the statute work their way through federal courts. Lawyers for Obama will appeal and the constitutionality of the statute will ultimately be determined by the U.S. Supreme Court.