Az House Republicans Vote to Eliminate KidsCare!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 9, 2010

    

Wrong-Track Alert: Cuts to KidsCare, ACCCHS cost Arizona more in jobs, funding

Republicans in power are gutting the state while protecting their own pay

PHOENIX - At the Capitol today, House Republicans took a stunning step in the wrong direction by voting in committee to eliminate KidsCare for Arizona's most vulnerable children and reduce ACCCHS eligibility among needy Arizonans. Economists say this backwards math will actually send thousands of jobs out of Arizona and drain billions from the state coffers.

A recent analysis by ASU's W.P. Carey School of Business said cutting KidsCare and ACCCHS, among other health programs, would cause Arizona to lose 19,600 jobs in health care and an additional 22,400 jobs from industries that rely on health-care spending. (See: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/02/24/20100224state-healthcare-cuts-in-the-billions24-ON.html)

And by going along with Gov. Brewer's proposal to reduce the number of needy Arizonans who can qualify for ACCCHS, Republicans are sacrificing $1.5 billion in federal matching funds in order to save $765 million for the state's general fund, according to The Arizona Republic.

"None of this adds up. These are not solutions," said Luis Heredia, Arizona Democratic Party executive director. "In fact, Republicans are making the budget crisis worse."

They also voted to cut state workers' pay but not their own. These votes are even more troubling because House Republicans continue to keep their corporate tax bailout plan on the table.

"During these difficult times, the Republicans in power are showing Arizona where their priorities lie," Heredia said. "They are targeting health care for the state's vulnerable children and seniors while protecting corporate tax breaks and loopholes -- and themselves."

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BACKGROUND:

HB2010: http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/7s/summary/h.hb2010_03-09-10_caucuscow.doc.htm