Ohio health care law opponents to file petitions

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Opponents of the new federal health care overhaul say they’ve gathered enough signatures to ask Ohio voters whether the state should amend its constitution to keep people from being required to buy health insurance.

The amendment’s backers acknowledge that approval of the measure in November wouldn’t automatically exempt the state from the mandate in President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. But they say they hope to use the amendment to challenge the law in court.

The amendment would prohibit any law from forcing Ohioans to participate in a health care system.

Its supporters say they’ve gathered more than 546,000 signatures. They need roughly 385,000 valid signatures.

The National Conference of State Legislatures says lawmakers in Alabama, Florida and Wyoming are putting similar measures before voters next year.