The Tea Party Legislature now in Session.

From Protecting Arizona's Family Coalition (PAFCO):

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AZ Legislature starts to heat up with many bills dropped and AHCCCS hearings next week.



· AHCCCS is scheduled for informational budget hearings on February 1 and February 2. No budget bills dropped yet for these hearings, but this preliminary hearings will outline the Governor’s budget proposals. Details and agenda are listed below.

· These are opportunities to be present, provide testimony, and show our opposition to the Governor’s budget proposals and clearly outline the type of transparency and accountability measures required when such critical decisions.

· The Governor’s proposals include eliminating 280,000 people from AHCCCS, resulting in the loss of thousands of high paying health care jobs, and crippling the health care system capacity --- potentially comprising the general health care system and cost shifting to private health care plans.

· Such monumental human, economic and health care system decisions must be vetted completely in the light of day with lots of citizen and expert input.

· The past week, a coalition of major health care provider organizations led by the Arizona Hospital and Health Care Association held an educational session with legislators laying out the human, economic and system costs of the Governor’s health care proposals. Clearly the Governor’s choices take a tremendous human and economic toll and must be rejected. For details on the Arizona Hospital Association analysis and study go to: http://www.azhha.org/advocacy/

· Alternatives exist, including a new proposal for raising revenue through a hospital bed tax and health care premium tax. Other alternatives include raising the beer and liquor tax to national average or eliminating tax exemptions and taxing various services. See the article below from ASU economist listed whose analysis indicates at this point revenue increases have a better economic impact that budget cuts. Arizona tax boost better than budget cuts, economist says (www.azcentral.com - http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/01/28/20110128arizona-budget-tax-boost.html?utm)_



AHCCCS BUDGET HEARINGS – FEBRUARY 1 IN THE SENATE AND FEBRUARY 2 IN THE HOUSE



· Tuesday February 1 at 2pm AHCCCS Budget hearing - State Senate Appropriations agenda http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/agendas/02010154102%2Edoc%2Ehtm . This presentation is first round presentation. No budget bill has been introduced.

· Here is link to AHCCCS budget presentation. http://www.azahcccs.gov/reporting/Downloads/Legislation/Presentations/1-12househealth.pdf

· Wednesday February 2 at 2pm AHCCCS Budget hearing – House Appropriations agenda --- http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/agendas/02020101102%2Edoc%2Ehtm




Children’s Action Alliance has released a detailed analysis: Read/download the user-friendly chart here and share with your colleagues.

As CAA comments: This budget --- also ignores the next funding cliff when the temporary state sales tax dollars go away - education and health care remain exposed to more major misery. The budget moves resources from the classroom to the prison cell and promises a weaker workforce. Large cuts are proposed for K-12 and universities, key elements in a sustainable economy, workforce, and reduction of poverty, hunger, homelessness, and family violence.