Arizona’s legislative leadership has condemned Governor Jan Brewer’s call for a Special Session as premature and unnecessary. Senate President Andy Biggs and House Speaker Andy Tobin issued a joint statement questioning why the Governor acted hastily “while the debate regarding the full implementation of Obamacare in Arizona was already fully under way.”
“The blatant disrespect and reckless practices exhibited by this Executive are less than what was expected of her and more than should be tolerated,” Tobin and Biggs said in the joint statement.
Tobin and Biggs said, “The special session was called without any consultation with Senate or House leadership, and was designed to commence at the precise moment it was conveyed. The two said they are “disappointed and stunned that the Governor and her staff would resort to such an unnecessary, impulsive and unprecedented tactic.”
The Governor’s call smacked of overreach according to Capitol insiders who believe she may have breached the state’s Separation of Powers. They say that because the process was moving along, there was no legal reason for the Governor to interrupt that process.
According to Tobin and Biggs, “Since the beginning of the session, Senate and House leadership have made the budgetary process a top priority. Additionally, the debate regarding the full implementation of Obamacare in Arizona was already fully under way. In fact, these two specific items have not only consistently been a top legislative focus, but the other essential bills of the legislature have also been moving through our respective chambers. Instead of allowing the process to proceed in an orderly manner, the Governor made the impetuous decision to intercede and collude with the democrat minority in order to force an expedited vote on her sole legislative priority of Obamacare.”
While the Governor claimed that she was frustrated by extensive delays, Representative Adam Kwasman called the move “a completely unnecessary, half-brained coup that accomplished nothing but upended the dignity of the institution of the Legislature.”
Many had grown tired of the Governor’s game playing over the past month when she vetoed legislation for no other reason than to compel the legislature to give her Medicaid expansion. “This is not Game of Thrones,” said Kwasman. “It was completely unnecessary to use a Special Session to and threaten to oust the House Speaker to shove Obamcare down our throats.”
It was that overreach which upset many of Brewer’s constituents upset. Tobin and Biggs echoed the sentiment of many Republicans in their statement saying that they were “frustrated and bewildered by her overt hostility and disregard.”
Throughout the Medicaid expansion struggle, Brewer has been openly hostile to members of her own party who believe that Brewer is making money grab for a few of her cronies.
Shortly before the Special Session started, Senator Rich Crandall, who is retiring at the end of the session, tweeted, “Be here at 5:00. Don’t ask any questions. Just vote when we tell you. Not how I’m going to finish 7 years!”
Democrat Representative Steve Farley posted on Facebook, “Here’s the plan — we first read the budget and Medicaid tonight, do more action tomorrow, then finish Thursday morning after midnight. Budget keeps all Senate good stuff, removes the sunset on the Medicaid restoration, and other good things.”
Expansion proponents did not ask any questions as commanded by Crandall, they dutifully made their appearance to support the Governor’s “good things.”
Among the other “good things” is funding for Arizona’s 90 plus abortion clinics. Democrats have said over and over again that an exclusion of abortion would be a “poison pill” provision that would lose their support. Previously, republican Representative Ethan Orr said he would oppose expansion if it included money for abortion providers. However; expansion Republicans are committed to their new alliance and it is unlikely they will allow any provision to stand in the Governor’s way.
During last night’s Special Session, 10 budget bills were introduced despite objections from Republican lawmakers. Some Republican lawmakers sat in the gallery in defiance while others left the chamber in protest. Kwasman was the only “Liberty Caucus” member to weigh in on the key component of Brewer’s coup.
Kwasman was the lone “no” vote against suspending the rules. The rule change would allow the bills to immediately move to the floor for a vote. The bills are expected to be debated today.
Capitol insiders say that House Minority Leader Chad Campbell and Republican Representative Rob Robson had grown worried that the expansion proponents might lose three Republican supporters if the debate went on too long. Campbell reportedly contacted the Governor’s office and asked her to do something before they began to lose support.
The Capitol Times reported that Rep. Paul Boyer confirmed that the Speaker had been working with Brewer in good faith and her Medicaid plan, likely would have been approved on Thursday.
Tobin went so far as to give the Governor the ambulance bill which she could have used to attach expansion; however legislators believe the Governor was really interested in flexing her muscles and intimidating the body.
It seems if anyone is reckless it
s Tobin and Biggs! I applaud the Governor for acting in expanding Medicare. There are too many not getting the proper medical care they need. Tobin and Co. don’t care because the tax payers pay for them.
Quit dragging your arse and get to work! Otherwise they will go on their vacation and put off the vote.
Who doesn’t get medical care. Every illegal alien that comes across gets “free” medical care that we pay for. We don’t leave people to die on the streets. Let’s fix the problem not just keep sticking it to the taxpayer. Facts over emotions.
Who does Brewer think she is??? Rahm Emmanuel? Bullying and suspending the rule of law is absolutely asinine. If we can’t put our faith in the congressional leadership we elected to follow the rule of law and vote according to the wishes of their constituents, then our political system is even more sadly broken that I thought. Eight traitors and a tyrant. Disgusting.
To Airc’s point, Medicaid is NOT proper medical care and I suspect you chose your user name because you are Colleen Mathis of Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission or one of its members. Am I right? All the time.
This is a gross abuse of power and if I were Republicans, I would start running commercials about Brewer only passing expansion so her cronies can become rich. Now that being said, medical care needs to be discussed in Arizona. I have been uninsured before and it was not because I wanted to be or because I was lazy. The system needs reform. It needs to work so that it is a temporary system and so that it does not continue to reward people for having more kids they can’t afford. I know people who keep popping out babies because the more babies they have the more government aid they get. That is B.S., government is not paying for it TAXPAYERS ARE!