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Medicaid plan limits AHCCCS director power, but concerns remain
Limits on how the AHCCCS director would be able to use the unprecedented power provided under Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion plan have eased some worries, but not all.
Governor says new law is first step in dealing with school isolation rooms
Gov. Jan Brewer signed a bill into law Wednesday requiring parental consent for unruly school children to be placed in isolation rooms.
Brewer said in a letter to the Legislature’s leaders and bill’s sponsor that the new law, passed as HB2476, is just the starting point in deciding policy on the use of the rooms.
Pro-life dispute: Conflicting definitions further complicate Brewer’s Medicaid expansion proposal
Gov. Jan Brewer forcefully declared that her proposal to expand the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System to hundreds of thousands of new patients is a pro-life plan. As a pro-life governor, she said, she will not sit idly by while people suffer. Since then, opponents of her plan have taken up the pro-life mantle in the Legislature.
Records show Dem connections with redistricting commissioners, but incumbent knowledge denied
A Democratic redistricting commissioner and the Democratic party’s interim executive director denied insinuations they were part of a conspiracy to rig the state’s legislative maps. But newly released records showed party leaders and incumbent lawmakers were at least included in mapping strategy emails sent to the commissioner on his non-commission email account. And phone rec[...]
Pullen backs Brewer Medicaid plan
Once again, Randy Pullen is coming to Gov. Jan Brewer’s defense at a time when she needs allies on the right.
Obstacles hold up bills that seemed bound for success
Many notable bills that seemed on their way to success this session suddenly faltered — sometimes for personal reasons, sometimes for ideological reasons and sometimes because there just wasn’t enough time to smooth out the details.
Senate split leaves little room for error
Unlike the supermajority Senate Republicans enjoyed under the leadership of Russell Pearce and Steve Pierce in 2011 and 2012, Senate President Andy Biggs has been forced to work with the chamber’s slimmest majority in years, leaving little room for error on the Senate floor.
Legislature lags behind on budget negotiations — and forecast is not optimistic
The Legislature is well past the midway point of an ideal 100-day session. But with several big issues still hanging in the air, and not even a legislative budget proposal drafted, finishing the session promises to be anything but quick and easy.
‘Firestorm’ over new school standards embroils Republican lawmakers
As Arizona ramps up efforts to invest in Common Core, a tide of opposition has defeated one of the first legislative efforts to implement the new education standards by likening them to a national takeover of Arizona’s school curriculum.
Supporters, opponents of Medicaid expansion clash at hearing
The contentiousness of the debate over Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion proposal was on full display during the Legislature’s first public hearing Wednesday, where advocates and proponents debated every facet of the plan.
Mayors unveil own sales tax simplification plan
Mayors of Arizona cities offered an alternative plan to simplify the state’s sales tax code today, hours before a Senate panel began tackling key provisions of Gov. Jan Brewer’s proposal.
Montgomery will challenge dismissal recommendation of Horne campaign finance case
Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery will challenge a recommendation by an administrative law judge that his campaign finance case against Attorney General Tom Horne and his ally, Kathleen Winn, be dismissed.
