(AP) -- Officials from 21 states have filed a court document supporting a lawsuit by Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder challenging the new federal health care law.
A federal judge previously dismissed Kinder's lawsuit, and that decision is on appeal to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
A lower court ruled that Kinder did not have legal standing for many of the claims in the lawsuit and that others were not ripe for judicial review.
A legal brief filed Monday by other states suggests that if the appeals court determines Kinder can sue, then it should strike down the federal requirement for most Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty beginning in 2014.
Kinder said Tuesday that the support from other states shows the importance of his lawsuit.
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