Arizona Legislature backs Brewer on Medicaid waiver

PHOENIX - The Arizona Legislature split along party lines as it voted to authorize Gov. Jan Brewer to request a federal waiver allowing the cash-short state to temporarily slash its Medicaid enrollment.

House and Senate votes Thursday had majority Republicans backing a bill authorizing a waiver request and minority Democrats opposed.

The bill goes next to Brewer's desk.

She wants to suspend coverage for 280,000 low-income adults to save $541.5 million. It's the single biggest element in Brewer's plan to eliminate the next state budget's projected shortfall.

Opponents said they doubt the waiver request would be approved by President Barack Obama's administration and that the legislation would survive an anticipated state constitutional challenge.