Arizona Senate considering Republican budget plan

The Arizona Senate has canceled its regular proceedings for Wednesday so the chamber can consider a budget plan proposed by the Republican majority.

The Senate scheduled committee hearings and caucus discussions on the plan Wednesday morning, with action by the full Senate anticipated in the afternoon. The Senate waived numerous public-notice rules to allow one-day action on the 13-bill package.

Its cuts include reductions in funding for K-12 schools, universities and health care for low-income people.

The health care cuts include Republican Gov. Jan Brewer’s proposal to drop Medicaid eligibility for 250,000 people. She released a scaled-back version late Tuesday.

The Senate Republicans’ plan had been the subject of negotiations with Brewer and House Republicans, but so far there’s no agreement between the chambers or the governor.