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Legislation slows as bickering continues over Medicaid expansion, other key bills
The legislative process at the Arizona Capitol has slowed to a crawl in recent weeks after Gov. Jan Brewer warned lawmakers to focus on her own legislative priorities, first and foremost Medicaid expansion.
Four counties jump on board, support Brewer Medicaid expansion
After Yavapai County jumped on board, three other county governments officially backed Gov. Jan Brewer’s proposal to expand Medicaid.
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.
No, you’re the RINO!
A war of words erupted between Tobin and the Arizona Conservative Coalition (formerly the Pachyderm Coalition) early this week, and it is showing no signs of abating. At the center of the escalating tension is the group’s ranking system, which is based on a set of criteria that aims to show how conservative a Republican is.
Capitol Quotes: March 22, 2013
The most outstanding quips, gibes and utterances to emerge from the political debate in Arizona this week.
A less than positive reception
The reaction to LaFaro’s remarks yesterday (March 20) about Brewer triggered a tsunami of backlash, and by this morning, several politicos and lawmakers were calling for LaFaro’s resignation. So far, no one has stepped forward to defend his remarks, although some said they believe the governor has abandoned the party’s conservative principles. Tobin took to Twitter to denounce LaFaro.
LaFaro says he hopes his “Judas’’ comment taught governor a lesson
The comments by Maricopa County Republican Party chairman A.J. LaFaro equating Gov. Jan Brewer to Judas Iscariot for pushing Medicaid expansion have created a firestorm and led to calls for his resignation.
Two early voting bills get uncertain new life
Two controversial early voting reform bills have been cleared for a vote in the House, but their future remains uncertain. The bills advocated by county elections officials had been going nowhere, held up in the House Government Committee.
House speaker’s water bill likely dead this year
House speaker Andy Tobin has set up a special committee to try to address problems that have derailed a water bill he's crafted to deal with shortfalls across the state.
Tobin says the bill is likely dead this session and he'll rely on the four-member committee to fix the problems.
Print v. online: Public notice bill sparks debate
A bill to remove the requirement that cities and counties publish public notices in a newspaper – and instead allow them to publish the notice only on the municipality’s website – was voted down in the House on Wednesday. But the battle over is far from over.
Carter’s Medicaid hearing moved to Appropriations
The Legislature’s first public hearing on Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion plan is moving from the friendly confines of Rep. Heather Carter’s House Health Committee to more hostile territory.
Speaker Tobin not giving up on water authority bill
A proposal that would allow the creation of new agencies to secure new regional water supplies is stalled in the Arizona House, but Speaker Andy Tobin says he's not convinced opposition from Yuma farmers means the bill won't move this year.
