As for whether the mandate is otherwise constitutional, it isn't. It requires you to pay a third party for services that you might not otherwise want. That's not a tax — the only money going to the government is a fine if you don't buy the policy, and that wouldn't satisfy your obligation to then buy insurance. It's not regulation of commerce, because failing to buy insurance is no less engaging in commerce than failing to buy the creme brulee last night at dinner. If interested, I'd refer you to a couple posts of mine on this:

http://marquesletters.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/th…

http://marquesletters.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/th…

Individual mandates to purchase health insurance are unconstitutional. To read more about the individual mandate and its relationship to the United States Constitution, please follow the link to see a comprehensive and itemized list of all recent articles, commentary, white papers, video and etc. on the subject! My website (single issue, no advertising, no soliciting) is completely dedicated to this specific issue.

Rob Natelson and the CNS News staff have done an exceptional job researching and publishing articles on this subject. Thank you for your past work; please continue to publish on this subject going forward.

The proof of equality between State Conventions and State Legislatures can be found in Article V of the Constitution. It states, in part:

“The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress;…”

State Legislatures can call for a Convention to propose amendments but ratification of any proposed amendment(s) is vested exclusively in either State Conventions or State Legislatures. If Congress can simply pick one, they must be equal. If my memory is correct, State Legislatures, not State Conventions, have ratified every amendment added to the Constitution since the document was adopted. If there is equality in amendment then there had to be equality in ratification.