Huntersville could officially enter the national health care debate April 5 when town commissioner Charles Jeter introduces resolutions opposing the federal health care bill passed by Democratic majorities in Congress and signed into law last week by President Barack Obama.

Jeter is a Republican running for an at-large seat on the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners. He said last week that he will introduce two health care bill resolutions to the town board at its meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall, 101 Huntersville-Concord Road.

One resolution asks N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper to sue the federal government to prevent it from requiring citizens to buy health insurance.

By early last week, at least 13 state attorneys general had promised to sue the federal government as soon as Obama signed the bill. Among those states were South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Michigan, Nebraska and Washington.

Virginia and Idaho have passed legislation aimed at blocking the bill's insurance requirement from taking effect in their states.

Jeter's other resolution asks the N.C. General Assembly to vote to launch an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would similarly bar the federal government from requiring that people buy health insurance.

"For the first time in history, the federal government is going to force people to buy a product," Jeter said. "If you have a heartbeat, you have to have health insurance. That's as undemocratic as it gets. It's almost Orwellian: Big Brother coming in and saying, 'I'm going to protect you.'"

Jeter said the health insurance mandate isn't the same as requiring people to buy car insurance. The law doesn't make you have a car, he said.

Jeter said he's been criticized for his resolutions being seen as a way to gain publicity in the May primary. He said that would be valid if he hadn't introduced six or seven other resolutions during his years on the town board.

"I think it's incumbent on us to take a position when we feel our rights are infringed," Jeter said.

He said he expects his resolutions to be adopted, as only one member of the Huntersville board is not a Republican.