Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
In 2004, a handful of Republican senators joined with Democratic senators to wrest control of the Arizona Senate chamber from an obstructionist Senate President. It hasn't happened since -- until today.
A bipartisan Senate coalition, led by the Republican majority leader John McComish no less, gave tentative approval Thursday to Gov. Jan Brewer’s proposal to restore and expand Medicaid (AHCCCS). Ariz. moves closer to Medicaid expansion:
[The coalition beat back more than a dozen hostile GOP amendments sponsored by Senate President Andy Biggs and Sen. Kelli Ward, in a failed attempt to weaken the measure.]
The measure awaits a formal vote of the full Senate, which is expected to come later today. If it passes, as expected, it’s likely to run up against a buzzsaw in the House, where the fate of Medicaid expansion, and the budget it’s attached to, remain uncertain.
Senate President Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, a steadfast opponent of the governor’s proposal, fought unsuccessfully to kill it with a slew of amendments, including requiring a two-thirds vote for approval, eliminating a hospital tax that will help pay for expansion, converting all state employee health insurance to Medicaid and repealing expansion if even one Medicaid patient is found to be an undocumented citizen.
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But again and again, two members of Biggs’ leadership team and three other GOP senators stood with the chamber’s 13 Democrats to defeat Biggs’ amendment. Majority Leader John McComish, Majority Whip Adam Driggs and Sens. Rich Crandall, Steve Pierce and Bob Worsley joined Democrats to approve the Medicaid amendment on an 18-12 vote.
“We’re faced with two unpleasant choices,” said McComish, who sponsored the Medicaid amendment. “If we don’t do Medicaid expansion, our rainy-day fund will be totally wiped out.”
One of Biggs amendments was successful, requiring a three-year “sunset” review by the Legislature of the expanded health-care program. That provision also is contained by a package of bills unveiled this week by House Speaker Andy Tobin, R-Paulden.
The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) adds, Senate gives preliminary approval to Medicaid expansion:
Whether that wave of momentum carries over into the House next week, when representatives are likely to begin debating the $8.8 billion budget and the expansion of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment system, remains unclear.
The votes for Brewer’s expansion plan in the House are far less certain than they were in the Senate.
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McComish, R-Phoenix, supported one of Biggs’ amendments: a sunset measure that would repeal Medicaid expansion on Jan. 1, 2017, essentially requiring the Legislature to vote again in four years and decide if the state still wants to continue the program.
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“The only thing we know for sure about the state of Arizona over the next three years is we’re going to lose money if we don’t pass Medicaid expansion. And with the Biggs floor amendment, we know that in three years, we get another crack at it,” he said.
House leaders will likely huddle next week to see what support there is in the chamber for the Senate budget and Medicaid expansion.
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Earlier in the day, Senate Republicans briefly entertained the possibility of blowing up the budget and starting from scratch next week, but budget deals reached by Senate Democrats and a few Republican dissenters forged ahead in approving the $8.8 billion budget – to the dismay of the majority of Republicans.
One by one, Democrats’ amendments were offered, initially rejected, but then approved on division votes in the Senate Committee of the Whole. That was despite the objections of a majority of the Republican caucus, who watched helplessly as Crandall, Pierce and Worsley joined with the minority party to approve most of their wishes.
House Republicans crossed over from their chamber to watch the voting take place, getting a glimpse of what could transpire in their chamber next week.
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Meanwhile, the Democrats succeeded in adopted amendments including $9 million for Child Protective Services, $875,000 for Navajo Technical College and funding for the Arizona State Parks Board and Arizona Arts Commission.
A plea came Ward during the morning caucus for Republicans to unite.
“I would like to see our caucus come together as a caucus,” Ward said. “I’m tired of seeing Republicans picked off to vote for a Democrat budget.”
But Hobbs said Republicans were finally getting a taste of their own medicine. Democratic amendments are routinely shot down by majority vote in the Senate.
“We’ve also been able to show how tenuous their majority is. That’s a win right there,” Hobbs said.
Today was a good day. It was a well-deserved humiliating defeat for Tea-Publican obstructionist Andy Biggs. Enjoy it. And then start calling your Tea-Publican House members to pressure them to vote for this Medicaid (AHCCCS) restoration and expansion bill. Tell them to show the same courage to do the right thing as these five senators showed today.
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