The Farley Report: Special Budget Edition

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Senator Steve Farley (D-LD 9) provides a special budget edition of The Farley Report UPDATE: Medicaid, Budget Pass Senate:

Here's the brief update I promised you during the last Farley Report:

I have served seven sessions in the Legislature. I have never before
experienced a day like today. Together with five brave Republicans —
Majority Leader John McComish, Majority Whip Adam Driggs, Rich Crandall,
Steve Pierce, and Bob Worsley, we 13 Senate Democrats amended and
passed budget bills to invest in Child Protective Services, K-12 and
Higher Education, State Parks and Arts Commission grants, Adult
Education and Literacy, and above all, the Governor's Medicaid
restoration plan to cover 300,000 more people in poverty, save our
hospitals and boost our economy. The bills now move to the House for
consideration.

The drama was immense, as this coalition
proved our strength in vote after vote and reconsideration after
reconsideration as we held firm together, across party lines. Through it
all, we stood tall for all our constituents.

This is why I got
into public service in the first place — to create bipartisan,
common-sense solutions to make Arizona a better place. Tonight, we
actually accomplished that on the floor of the Arizona Senate. After
seven years in the minority, losing vote after vote, it was a revelation
to be part of a bipartisan moderate majority adopting good amendments,
and voting for good budget bills that pass.

This is the type of
work the people of Arizona have been waiting for — we put the partisan
games aside to do what is right. I hope and believe that this is a
glimpse of a better political future for our state.

Have a wonderful evening. I'm heading back home to Tucson.

Thanks for your faith in me as your Senator. 

Steve Farley