By Howard Fischer |Capitol Media Services|Arizona Daily Star
Rolling handily over most Republicans, a bipartisan Senate coalition gave preliminary approval Wednesday to an $8.8 billion spending plan including an extensive expansion of the state’s Medicaid program.
The House continued to work late into the night and was expected to take a preliminary vote before going home, with a final roll call anticipated by both bodies today.
Supporters of the package, knowing they had the necessary lawmakers’ votes and the support of Gov. Jan Brewer, refused to debate the specifics or to answer questions, leaving those opposed sputtering in objection.
“I have never seen this,” complained Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert, first elected to the Legislature in 2000 and one of the more senior members. “I’ve never seen a circumstance where a governor has rolled over her own party because she was throwing a temper tantrum.”
