Oklahoma rejects $54.6 million federal grant

◼ Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin says that state and private money will be used to develop a system where Oklahomans could shop for health insurance. No cost estimate is available.

Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, originally agreed to accepting the federal money, but he came out against the idea two weeks ago.

He said he was worried the grant could lead to federal control of Oklahoma's online insurance informational system, which the federal government calls a health insurance exchange.

Fallin said the rejection of the federal grant should make it clear that Oklahoma is not accepting the federal health care law. The state has filed a lawsuit challenging the federal law's constitutionality, and Fallin voted against it last year while a member of Congress.