Retired state Supreme Court Justice Gerry Alexander was in Spokane Thursday for the last scheduled meeting of the city's Use of Force Commission.

Afterward, we asked him about his thoughts about this morning's U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld most of the Affordable Care Act.

"I had previously thought that they would strike the mandate down," said Alexander, outside the Spokane City Council chambers. "It seemed to me that they were taking the Commerce Clause where it hadn't gone before."

Alexander, who was appointed to the Use of Force Commission by Mayor David Condon, said he followed the case, but hadn't read the ruling Thursday afternoon. The majority of justices agreed with Alexander about the Commerce Clause, but a different majority upheld the law under Congress's taxing authority.

"I felt all along they could pass a tax for this," Alexander said.

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