Posted by AzBlueMeanie: James Downie writes at The Plum Line today, The Morning Plum: On women’s health, a clear contrast between Obama and GOP: Today marks a major milestone for the Obama health care law and, more importantly, women’s health. As the Center for American Progress outlines, “a regulation goes into effect that will phase … Read more
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports that U.S. District Court Judge Neil Wake has temporarily blocked Arizona from implementing a new law that prohibits public funds from going to Planned Parenthood. Court blocks recent Arizona abortion law targeting Planned Parenthood’s funding: The law bars the state from contracting with or making … Read more
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: A conservative activist federal district court judge ignored case law precedent and went with his own views on abortion in permitting Arizona's abortion law to take effect on Thursday. Judge to let Arizona's abortion ban take effect: In his ruling, U.S. District Court Judge James A. Teilborg said the Legislature cited "the … Read more
Posted by AzBlueMeanmie:
Arizona's Tea-Publican controlled legislature passed the nation's most restrictive abortion measure earlier this year in part to assist Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) in his anti-abortion crusade to impose a similar 20 week abortion restriction in federal law on the District of Columbia. Franks is behaving like a tyrannical "Mayor of D.C."
This is part of the anti-choice, anti-contraception agenda of the Christian Taliban that wants to get a case before the U.S. Supreme Court in the belief that the conservative activist Justices of the Court may overturn Roe v. Wade.
The ACLU has filed suit against the Arizona legislative measure, but Rep. Trent Franks doesn't want to have to wait as long as it will take before Arizona's law is in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. Franks continues to push for the 20 week abortion ban on the District of Columbia because, if it were to become law, a lawsuit would be filed in the D.C. Circuit Court and have a direct line of appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
UPDATE: See Sarah Kliff at Ezra Klein's WonkBlog. Arizona v. Roe v. Wade.
Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton for the District of Columbia discussed Rep. Frank's disenfranchisement of the residents of the District of Columbia by refusing to permit her to speak on their behalf at committee hearings, and his attempt to gain a federal imprimatur for the 20 week abortion ban during a segment of the Rachel Maddow Show on Thursday night (video below the fold).
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
The Arizona legislature froze enrollment in the state's Medicaid system (AHCCCS) for chidless adults last year to balance the state budget. In a lawsuit challenging the budget cuts under Prop. 200 (2000), the Arizona Supreme Court wussed out relying on the political question doctrine of separation of powers to hold that the legislature has discretion to make budget decisions despite the citizens initiative, which takes precedence over simple legisaltive acts. I would argue the decision also eviscerated Prop. 105 (1998), the Voter Protection Act (apparently not so much).
In any case, the expanded Medicaid provisions of the Affordable Care Act present an opportunity to restore cuts to AHCCCS at a financial benefit to the state of Arizona. The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports Analysts: Arizona would get cash infusion by lifting Medicaid enrollment freeze:
[The Affordable Care Act] which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld last month incentivizes states to open their Medicaid rolls to more people beginning in 2014. Though the court struck down the penalties to states that don’t do so, the federal government still plans to dramatically increase the amount of money it gives to states to cover those new health care costs.
In particular, that money will cover much of the cost for states to include childless adults – the same group of Arizonans who were directly affected by the AHCCCS enrollment freeze.
Currently, the federal government covers 66 percent of the costs for that population.
But the match increases to roughly 74 percent in 2014 and continues to grow in subsequent years, reaching 91.5 percent in 2020.
Legislative budget analysts say that restoring the coverage for childless adults means lowering the cost for existing participants by $217 million, and that, in turn, will offset the cost of letting in new enrollees.
The bottom line, the analysts determined, is that the state could improve its financial position by $51 million by 2015 if it lifts the enrollment freeze.