A federal judge has dismissed without prejudice a challenge to healthcare reform law filed by Gov. Phil Bryant and several other Mississippians. U.S. District Court Judge Keith Starrett signed an order Aug. 23, explaining that the issue was not yet ripe for adjudication. Dismissal without prejudice means the plaintiffs can file similar claims again. Mississippi Sen. Chris McDaniel R-Ellisville, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the lawsuit will be rekindled. Bryant and 10 other Mississippians filed the lawsuit in April 2010, broadly challenging the constitutional merits of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
