Arizona: GOOD NEWS! AZ GOP *does* still have some sense of shame!!

Just 2 days ago I noted that the Arizona state Senate was refusing to vote to reinstate the KidsCare program (aka, Arizona's name for the federal CHIP program) for absolutely no legitimate reason, since the program a) would provide 30,000 low-income children with healthcare coverage which would b) be 100% paid for by the Federal government and would c) bring them in line with every other state in the nation.

Well, it appears that at least some Republicans in Arizona do have at least a bit of decency:

Republican lawmakers maneuver to force a vote on KidsCare, reviving a debate over the role of government in people's lives vs. personal responsibility

Chastened and angry over their failure to reinstate KidsCare, Republican lawmakers in the Arizona House got Democrats to join them Thursday in a successful bid to revive the children’s health-insurance program.

But the program’s fate in the state Senate, where President Andy Biggs has been a staunch opponent, is unclear. The Senate went home for the day while the House debate continued.

Skeptics questioned whether the maneuvers were a face-saving bid by Republicans who don’t want to face constituents angry over the Legislature’s decision earlier this week to reject KidsCare, retaining Arizona’s status as the only state without such a program.

The series of procedural maneuvers and passionate debate were reminiscent of the Medicaid expansion vote of 2013, where a similar bipartisan coalition pushed through another health-related program financed by the federal government  that was decried by conservatives as federal overreach.

The story says that the state Senate went home for the day yesterday...but according to Emma Sandoe noted just moments ago:

Yey! CHIP passes in Arizona Senate. All states will be participating in CHIP again! #KidsCare

— Emma Sandoe (@emma_sandoe) May 6, 2016

Emma worked for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid until recently, and Medicaid is a huge passion of hers, so if she says that the AZ Senate caved and restored KidsCare, I believe her.