Center for Arizona Policy Helped the Family again in 2013
By Cathi Herrod, President, Center for Arizona PolicyAnother legislative session has come to a close, and once again, Arizona lawmakers had the opportunity to vote on pro-life, pro-family legislation.Center for Arizona Policy's Family Issues Voting Record is now available online for you to discover how your state legislators voted.
After accessing the Voting Record, please take time to share this important resource. It's vital that your friends and family discover how their legislators voted on these important bills.While this session had significant challenges, CAP was able to continue its record of success in promoting life, marriage and family, and religious liberty in public policy. Here is a recap of the session:
- Another successful session: In total, nine CAP-supported bills were signed into law this year. Since the organization's founding in 1995, 123 CAP-supported bills have become law - 60 in the last 5 years alone!
- Medicaid: The most hotly debated issue of the legislative session was whether or not to expand Medicaid to childless adults up to 133% of the Federal Poverty Level. While Medicaid typically falls outside of CAP issue areas, the proposed expansion meant more dollars and patients to abortion providers like Planned Parenthood who also provide Medicaid services.CAP worked with lawmakers to address this issue, though ultimately, no efforts to prevent further funding of the abortion industry under Medicaid expansion were successful.
- Vetoes: We're grateful for Governor Brewer signing the nine CAP-supported bills into law this session. Sadly, she vetoed three CAP-supported bills, including two religious freedom bills, SB 1178 and HB 2446, along with a school choice measure, HB 2617.
- Coming Back Next Year - These three vetoed measures will be back next session, along with SB 1069, which brought abortion clinics up to par with every other medical facility by allowing for warrantless, unannounced inspections and took measures to prevent taxpayer funding of abortion under the Medicaid expansion. SB 1069 did not receive a vote in either house.
