Karen Weaver's Fight for Clean Water November 2017 | Page 8

ARIZONA
30,000 Children Lose Benefits
It's a program used by every other state in the country yet Republican lawmakers in
Arizona decided to ditch it.
House Democrats staged a last-ditch fight to revive the KidsCare program by adding
an amendment to the state budget. Republicans claimed the program would have
"blown up" the state budget, even though the program costs the state nothing.
In the end, the vote was 25-24 to reject the amendment. Eleven House Republicans
abstained.
The bill passed overwhelmingly, and with bipartisan approval, just months before but
Republican Senate President Andy Biggs would not let the bill onto the floor in his
chamber, forcing lawmakers to try adding it in as an amendment. Republican governor
Doug Ducey has voiced displeasure with accepting federal money for health
insurance.
An estimated 30,000 children of lower-income working parents would have been
covered by KidsCare.