By Ben Giles | Arizona Capitol Times
A debate that lasted nearly 12 hours ended late Thursday night, when the Arizona state Senate approved a budget proposal that includes a plan to expand Medicaid coverage as desired by Gov. Jan Brewer.
A bloc of five Republican senators joined forces with Senate Democrats to wrest control of the chamber from Senate President Andy Biggs and provided momentum to Brewer’s proposal by giving preliminary approval to the bills during floor debate.
Later in the evening, a sixth Republican joined the group to formally approve the bills. Nine of the 10 budget bills were approved on 19-11 votes, while one was approved on an 18-12 vote.
The budget now goes to the House of Representatives, where its fate is unclear. House Speaker Andy Tobin has said he will not allow a vote on the Medicaid expansion proposal as it is currently drafted, and he said on Twitter that the budget was full of “earmarks” and was not fiscally responsible.
