Featured

Health Care or a Waiting List

June 9, 2009 · 5 Comments 

The hottest national domestic political issue is certainly the health care reform debate.  It’s going on right now in Congress and the President has said he wants a bill on his desk by October at the latest.

There are many unknowns about what will emerge and some Arizona Legislators argue that we should not even consider legislation protecting patients’ rights until after we see definitive action from Congress.

I couldn’t disagree more.  The ideas being seriously considered only lead to one conclusion:  Government-controlled healthcare.  Read more »

Campaign 2008

House Republicans Launch Website

April 17, 2009 · Leave a Comment 

Speaker Kirk Adams announced the launch of the Arizona House Republicans blogsite last week.  Check out the site at http://www.azhouserepublicans.com/ and give us your feedback.

Adams writes, “This forum was specifically designed to help the caucus get messages out about issues important to Arizona and to House Republicans. Read more »

Media

AZ Healthcare Freedom Act on way to Ballot

June 23, 2009 · 5 Comments 

NEWS RELEASE

 

ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE

 1700 West Washington l Phoenix, Arizona l 85007-2844

PHONE:  (602) 926-3233  l FAX: (602) 417-3043

Rep. Nancy Barto, Health and Human Services Chair (Dist. 7)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                              

CONTACT: Becky Blackburn/602-926-3233

Arizona Healthcare Freedom Act on way to ballot

HCR2014 to go to Voters in November 2010

STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX (June 22, 2009) – Today by a vote of 18-11, the Arizona Senate passed HCR2014: The Healthcare Freedom Act, which will refer a constitutional amendment to ballot to prevent citizens from being compelled to join a government-run healthcare system. The measure will also guarantee the right to purchase private health insurance.

Rep. Nancy Barto (R-Dist. 7), the sponsor of the measure, told House committee members that a constitutional amendment is necessary to protect Arizona citizens from federal reforms that could force residents to enroll in a government-run health care system or risk losing coverage.

“HCR2014 is proactive and will protect patients’ fundamental rights,” the Phoenix Republican said. “We are a front-line battle state to stop the momentum of this powerful government takeover of your health care decisions. Healthcare by lobbyists thwarts your rights and can be stopped here,” she added.

The Healthcare Freedom Act, which will go to the ballot in November 2010, is aimed at proposals being weighed in Washington requiring all employers to purchase coverage for their workers and that all individuals must have health insurance. There is also discussion about creating a government-run insurance company that would compete with private insurers.

Barto said she fears creation of “a federal healthcare rationing board will head us down the path to a one-size-fits-all system where a government bureaucrat will have ultimate authority to decide what care any one of us can receive,” Barto explained and added, “We are a front-line battle state to stop the momentum of this powerful government takeover of your health care decisions.”

“Access to a waiting list is not access to health care. Arizona’s diverse uninsured population deserves a diverse set of solutions. If some bureaucrat puts himself between you and your doctor, denying you the healthcare you need, that impedes access to health care. The Healthcare Freedom Act, if passed, protects the right to purchase health care outside of a government system,” Barto said.

“We need real solutions to the soaring cost of health care. What Americans are looking for in healthcare is more access to more treatments and more doctors with less interference from insurance companies and Washington politicians. A centralized healthcare system will not deliver that. And protecting patient choice is fundamental to achieving real reform.”

For more information on HCR2014: http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/1r/summary/s.hcr2014health.doc.htm

###

BECKY BLACKBURN

Communications Director

House of Representatives

1700 W. Washington, Second Floor

Phoenix, AZ 85007

(602) 926-3233 (Direct Line)

bblackburn@azleg.gov

Legislative Action

Education Choice Victory

June 9, 2009 · Leave a Comment 

Students with disabilities will again have access to the education that best meets their needs  –  Thanks to Governor Brewer’s call for a Special Session to fasttrack legislation rescuing about 500 students with disabilities whose education options were ruled unconstitutional by the Arizona Supreme Court in March. 

Center for Arizona Policy reports in part: Last week Governor Jan Brewer signed Lexie’s Law, creating a new corporate tax credit to provide scholarships for students with special needs to attend schools of their parents’ choosing. “This is a good day to celebrate as we do good things for these children,” said Governor Brewer as she signed the bill.

The bill will take effect at the end of August, just in time for school starting in the fall. Because of this new program, students with disabilities and in foster care will be able to receive scholarships through donations from corporations and insurance companies.

The Institute for Justice reports the corporate tax credit scholarships will save the State of Arizona an estimated $57.2 million over the life of the program, or an average of $11.4 million annually. This means the state could educate many more students at a private school than what the state would have spent had they remained in the public school system.

Additionally, the bill gives current students the ability to stay in the schools they currently attend, and parents with limited options will now have enhanced options in sending their child to a school that best fits their child’s educational needs.

Democrats have instead decided to take a vulnerable population and use them as political pawns to attack Republicans for a budget crisis due largely to the last several Democratic budgets that obligated the state to permanent spending the state could never afford. Not only should we be finding ways to save the state money as in the case of HB 2001, but we should also look to find ways to enact good policy, another benefit of HB 2001. Unfortunately this program is capped at $5 million when there are approximately 120,000 students who could potentially qualify for and benefit from this program.

See the Arizona House Republican website for more: http://www.azhouserepublicans.com/files/category-education.html

Culture Watch

Health Care or a Waiting List

June 9, 2009 · 5 Comments 

The hottest national domestic political issue is certainly the health care reform debate.  It’s going on right now in Congress and the President has said he wants a bill on his desk by October at the latest.

There are many unknowns about what will emerge and some Arizona Legislators argue that we should not even consider legislation protecting patients’ rights until after we see definitive action from Congress.

I couldn’t disagree more.  The ideas being seriously considered only lead to one conclusion:  Government-controlled healthcare.  Read more »

Did You Know

Following Lincoln’s Lead

May 2, 2009 · Leave a Comment 

Did you know….Arizona Pastors and about 100 others gathered Thursday, April 30, in the old Senate Chambers of the Capitol to contemplate Pres. Abraham Lincoln’s Proclamation Appointing a Prayer and Fast Day - and prayed for Arizona and the nation.

Before Len Munsil read the brief, but profound document, Guy Chadwick of Arizona Call to Prayer, one of the sponsors of the event along with Bridgebuilders Intl., reminded the group that Lincoln called for a day of prayer and fasting 146 years ago when our nation was deeply divided, not unlike today, and in the very middle of the American Civil War.  Read more »