Lawmaker gives up
on service-dog permits
Facing a wave of criticism and legal questions, a Flagstaff Republican lawmaker gave up Thursday β at least for now β on his proposal to let restaurant owners keep out service animals and the people who need them.
Following extensive opposition testimony, Rep. Bob Thorpe even agreed to vote against his own legislation.
Thorpe said there is a problem with people who fake a disability to be able to take family pets places anywhere they go. His solution was to have state health officials issue permits, complete with photos of owners and their service animals.
But a succession of witnesses told the House Government and Higher Education Committee the measure would likely violate federal law, as well as opening the door for businesses to discriminate.
Panel OKs sales ban
on abortion coverage
On a 17-12 margin the Senate on Thursday voted to block the sale of insurance policies under the federal Affordable Care Act in Arizona if they include coverage for abortion.
Existing laws prohibit the use of state and federal money for elective abortion. But the Center for Arizona Policy, which crafted SB 1318, said 90 percent of individuals who obtain such policies under the Affordable Care Act get federal government subsidies.
SB 1318 would bar abortion coverage in any policy offered through the Affordable Care Act, and prevent women from purchasing separate coverage at their own expense.
Senate Minority Leader Katie Hobbs called the legislation part of a nationwide effort to restrict access to abortion.
But Sen. Debbie Lesko, R-Peoria, said this simply reflects the views of her constituents. βA majority of them do not want their taxpayer dollars used for abortions,β she said.
The measure now goes to the House.
Senate approves copper as state metal
The Senate voted unanimously on Thursday to designate copper as the official state metal.
SB 1441 is the outgrowth of discussions over several years in the fourth grade class of Jennifer Royer at Copper Creek Elementary School in Tucson. They proposed the law after learning that while Arizona has many state symbols, it did not have a state metal.
The measure now goes to the House.
House OKs lab tests ordered by individuals
Arizonans could soon get the power to order their own lab tests and get the results without first going to a doctor.
Current law permits individuals to get only certain kinds of tests on their own. That includes cholesterol, urinalysis, some blood work and a test to look for antigens that might indicate prostate cancer.
HB 2645, approved unanimously by the House on Thursday, removes all limits.
Rep. Heather Carter, R-Cave Creek, said lawmakers have worked in the past to make the health-care system in Arizona more efficient and effective.
She said the legislation allows people to focus on prevention βand not simply wait until theyβre symptomatic to take charge of their health concerns.
The measure now goes to the Senate.
Voters could get chance
to kill Clean Elections
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 4-3 Thursday along party lines to give voters a chance in 2016 to reconsider whether they want to keep the optional public financing system for candidates.
Voters approved the Citizens Clean Elections Act in 1998. It allows, but does not require, candidates for statewide and legislative office to get public financing if they agree not to take private money, funded largely by a surcharge on civil, criminal and traffic fines.
The measure now goes to the full Senate.
