The railbird reporting this week is that state senator Steve Farley (D-Tucson) is considering running for governor in 2018 against Governor Doug Ducey. Tucson Democrat Farley considering run for governor in 2018: Hoping Arizonans will have had their fill of Republican policies by 2018, Tucson Democrat Steve Farley is weighing a bid to make incumbent … Read more
Senator Steve Farley, Democrat (LD 9), takes off the gloves in this op-ed in the Arizona Republic. Arizona schools are burning while lawmakers fiddle: I’m a state senator, and I want to talk about the state of education in Arizona. I’m going to be very direct. A couple of weeks ago, not for the first … Read more
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Facebook message from Senator Steve Farley (D-LD9):
On October 1, the new healthcare exchanges will arrive. If you are currently buying your health insurance on the open market, or are a current HealthCare Group member, or would like to get insured but previously was not able to find an affordable plan due to your self-employed status or your employer not offering benefits, the exchanges will help you find a good plan at reasonable cost, and likely save you real money as it increases your peace of mind.
State Senator Steve Farley is convening a Tele-Town Hall [Wednesday night] for all of you to get your health insurance questions answered. His special guests will be Herb Schultz, the Region IX Director for the Federal Department of Health and Human Services, who will tell you all you need to know about how the exchanges work and how you can put them to work for you, and Jennifer Carusetta who works at AHCCCS and she is helping with the transition from HCG to the exchanges, so she can help HCG members and also give information on where Medicaid-eligible people fit in and what happens if their income bounces them out from time to time.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Time once again for The Farley Report from Senator Steve Farley (D-LD 9):
When I started writing this afternoon, here was my opening:
"I'm afraid this Report isn't nearly as exciting as I had hoped it
would be last week. Most of the action looks to happen tomorrow and
Thursday — I will update you as events unfold on my Facebook page, so check there to see the latest until I wrap it up next Tuesday in next week's Report."
How quickly things change.
I left a meeting about the TPT
simplification bill in the Governor's tower at 4:30 and returned to the
Senate to discover an email saying something about floor action at 5:00.
Which was very strange since we had adjourned for the day around 2pm.
When 5pm rolled around we discovered that the Governor decided she had had enough. Here is her tweet from a few minutes later:
"It's time to complete the people's business. No more delays. No more
stall tactics. No more games. #SpecialSession #AZMedicaid"
At 7:15pm we President Biggs gaveled us into Special Session, but no
other Medicaid opponents were on the floor. We first-read the Governor's
budget bills and Medicaid expansion, then adjourned for the evening.
These budget bills are basically the Senate budget with a few changes
for the better, including removal of the sunset date for the Medicaid
restoration, and the restoration of the Department of Housing.
The plan as it exists now is for us to come in tomorrow (regular
session floor at 10:30 am, special session at 11am), second read the
bills, debate in Committee of the Whole, then third read and send to the
Governor for signature after midnight on tomorrow night/Thursday
morning. Stay tuned.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Time once again for The Farley Report from Senator Steve Farley (D-LD 9):
This will be another short Report, but at least we know that –unlike
last week — the budget and Medicaid are starting to move in the
House.
Progress looked pretty slow today until Speaker Tobin casually
announced a first reading of all the Senate budget bills, and assigned
them all to the Appropriations Committee.
Where they go from there is less certain.
We do know that the Speaker met with the Governor on the topic
yesterday, clearing the way for action, so his moving the bills is a
hopeful sign that he will support them or at least not stand in their
way, a classy move on his part.
The Approps Chair, John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills) is no fan of the
Medicaid restoration, so he may well try to gut the bills in committee,
but I am hearing that there will be enough bipartisan votes on the floor
to strip off the Approps amendments, returning them to their original
state, which would mean that passage would send them straight to the
Governor's desk, not back to the uncertain fate of a Senate conference
committee.