Statement from Governor Brewer Regarding Arizona Supreme Court Decision not to Hear Prop 204 Case

Statement

"I commend the Arizona Supreme Court for deciding not to hear this case that challenged the
Constitutional authority of elected officials to manage the state's budget.

"This decision preserves a series of difficult but necessary actions that I and the Arizona Legislature took last year in order to rein-in Medicaid spending and balance the budget of the State of Arizona. Medicaid spending had increased nearly 65 percent over the course of four years, thwarting previous attempts to stem the program's expansion and threatening to consume other core functions of state government. Concrete steps had to be taken.

"The reform plan I and the Legislature enacted charts a sustainable course for Medicaid by cutting
costs, freezing enrollment where possible and implementing co-pays and other provisions common with private insurance. Coverage is maintained for existing enrollees, and the program is maintained for Arizona's most needy.

"I am mindful that these reforms have real impacts for Arizonans. But I am encouraged that our actions have preserved this critical segment of Arizona's safety net while remaining true to the provisions of Proposition 204 -- as validated by the Maricopa County Superior Court, Arizona Court of Appeals and, now, the Arizona Supreme Court."

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