"However the court feels these competing concerns are best addressed through legislative action, or further rule promulgation and are not properly within the court's purview, " Wilking wrote.
It requires fresh elections, early next year, for a new, single-chamber Congress, so Mr Chavez (whose rule may be ratified by referendum) will doubtless gain the legislative majority he lacks.
ObamaCare does this by empowering an unelected 15-member panel to rule over medicine and tell doctors how to practice, with no legislative or judicial review.
After taking over the courts and provoking an opposition boycott of legislative elections, he is now targeting state and municipal governments, currently the last bulwark against his rule among elected officials.