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.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Earlier this year our Tea-Publican legislature pased the most restrictive abortion law in the nation. It bans abortions after 20 weeks, but has a unique provision for calculating the start of the 20 weeks from the date of the woman's last menstrual period. As critics pointed out at the time, this means that a woman could be deemed pregnant two weeks before having had sexual intercourse — talk about your miraculous conception!
On Thursday, the Center for Reproductive Rights and the ACLU sued on behalf of three doctors to halt the new law from going int effect in August. Lawsuit challenges Arizona abortion restrictions:
Three Arizona abortion providers went to federal court Thursday to try to block an Arizona law that bans most abortions beginning at 20 weeks.
They are seeking a preliminary injunction to stop the law before it takes effect Aug.2.
The suit alleges the legislation violates the protections outlined in the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade decision, which permits abortions before a fetus is viable. Medical experts and abortion clinics typically consider a fetus viable at 22 to 24 weeks. The suit states that the only exception to the new 20-week ban in the Arizona law is so narrow it "places significant burdens on the health of some women seeking abortion care."
by Pamela Powers Hannley
Those of us grumbling about newly-elected Democratic Congressman Ron Barber's Republican voting record must remember that Barber still has a primary challenger for the CD2 race in November.
After the jump, check out State Legislator and Democratic challenger Dr. Matt Heinz touring and speaking in Naco. Check out his website for townhalls and upcoming appearances. Heinz will hold a Happy Hour fundraiser at Woody's Bar in Tucson on July 16 at 6 p.m., and he will be in Sierra Vista on July 18.