Calling it too big of a change to be done so quickly, Gov. Jan Brewer on Thursday vetoed legislation that could have left Arizonans unable to get insurance coverage for certain medical conditions or treatments.
In a letter to lawmakers, the governor said she supports more competition and choice in health insurance. And Brewer said she shares the concern of legislators that requiring health insurance policies to include certain types of coverage can drive up costs.
But the governor said a last-minute addition to the plan approved by lawmakers would have eliminated, in a single action, decades of individual decisions by prior legislatures about what should be included in a standard health insurance package offered for sale in Arizona. And she pointed out that the change was made in a way to preclude any public testimony on the issue.
Brewer separately vetoed a measure that would have limited year-over-year increases in state spending to population growth and inflation, calling it “too restrictive.’’ The governor said that was proved by the experience in Colorado, which enacted similar limits as a “Taxpayer Bill of Rights’’ and then had to repeal them.
And the governor refused to go along with legislation that would have required Tucson and Phoenix to seek bids for certain government services, saying lawmakers should stop trying to “micromanage decisions best made at the local level.”
But the governor did ink her approval to several other measures, including:
• Allowing one party in a divorce to ask a judge to delay the process for up to 120 days.
• Creating a special license plate to raise money for Tea Party causes.
• Giving candidates the right to place campaign signs in the right of way regardless of local ordinances.
• Informing vehicle owners who get notices in the mail of photo-radar violations they do not legally have to respond to them or identify the driver if it is someone else.
• Permitting the governor to accept donations and enter into agreements with other states to build a fence on private property — and government land, where allowed — along the border.
• Letting the governor establish an “Arizona State Guard’’ she could use in cases of emergency when the regular Arizona National Guard does not have sufficient troops.
And Brewer signed legislation declaring the Colt single-action Army revolver to be the official state firearm. That came over objections by Rep. Albert Hale, D-Window Rock, who said that weapon was used to kill Indians.
“Certainly, it’s something that we weighed,’’ said gubernatorial press aide Matthew Benson. And he said that Arizona “has a past’’ with Indians “and certainly the Colt was part of that.’’
“But we believe, on balance, that it’s a historical part of Arizona and, as such, it’s worthy of some recognition,’’ he said.
The health insurance measure would have allowed companies from any state to sell their policies in Arizona. Proponents said that increased competition would drive down prices.
But an amendment added on the House floor — after all public hearings were completed — also effectively would have repealed existing laws that spell out what conditions must be covered for policies offered for sale in Arizona.
That list of mandates, which has been added to over the years, is extensive.
For example, policies written for women of certain age groups must include mammogram screening. There also is a mandate to cover breast reconstruction surgery and for group policies purchased by some employers to include certain treatments for autism in children.
Insurance companies that write policies covering childbirth cannot force a woman out of a hospital before 48 hours for a vaginal delivery. And newborns are entitled to immediate coverage for the first 31 days without a separate policy.
Also gone would have been prohibitions against insurers limiting treatment to The provisions against discrimination, include one that allows policyholders to get 12 medically necessary chiropractic visits without first getting a referral from the insurer. Brewer’s husband, John, is a retired chiropractor.
In her veto message, Brewer said each of these provisions was “carefully weighed’’ by lawmakers before being included in the list of mandates.
“The same level of public scrutiny should be applied when the Legislature attempts to remove a mandate,’’ Brewer wrote, rather than having the change tacked onto a bill at the last minute.
The governor also pointed out the measure would have limited the power of the Arizona Department of Insurance to protect consumers who have problems with out-of-state insurers, “potentially putting Arizona policyholders at risk.’’
Brewer has now vetoed 15 bills this session, one more than all of last year. And she still has 58 other measures on her desk that require action by the end of the day Monday.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 6:37 pm on Thu, Apr 28, 2011.
representative albert hale (d-window rock) was upset that govenor jan brewer approved the colt single-action army revolver as the state weapon because "it was used to kil indians"......and they say republicans/tea party advocates are ........"looney tunes"....what a hoot.
how about stopping the sale of tommie-hawks and knives on the rez because the were used to.........."scalp the white man"........only a democrat could turn the state weapon into a.........."racial issue".........when can we expect the reverend al sharton and jesse jackson to march from steele park to the state capital dragging the american flag in the dirt behind them like good democrats ???
mcshortie posted at 10:43 pm on Thu, Apr 28, 2011.
Ignorance must be bliss...
The economy is in the toilet and our wonderful government is worried about the official state firearm and overriding city ordinances on campaign signs? Oh and let's not forget the special decisions thrown in for the governor too.
"And he said that Arizona 'has a past’ with Indians 'and certainly the Colt was part of that.’" - Nice way of sneaking in your own ignorant slur, Howard Fischer. Last time I checked, Indians were from India. I believe the term you're looking for is Native American.
What a joke.
SethCold posted at 5:20 am on Fri, Apr 29, 2011.
Mcshortie@ your just jealous of our SMART compared to your obama, Governor Brewer is articulate and intelligent! And I am serious!
wenjenaz posted at 8:03 am on Fri, Apr 29, 2011.
SethCold, if you are using Janet Brewer as a benchmark for intelligence then you yourself are intellectually challenged. And by the way, can ANYONE get the difference between "your" and "you're" right? It's not 'YOUR just jealous.' It's 'YOU'RE just jealous.' Am I the only one who paid attention in school?? No one can write anymore!
Juggernaut5000 posted at 1:32 pm on Wed, May 4, 2011.
We should enact an ordinance that requres the American taxpayer to pay for all the expenses an illegal should incur while here. All medical, education and legal representation when they commit the various crimes they do...wait, we already do all of this so disregard.