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Save Our Schools Arizona
Weekly Education Report

56th Legislature, 1st General Session
Volume 5, Issue 14 • Week of April 10, 2023

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ESA Vouchers are Bankrupting Arizona

For anyone who’s following universal ESA vouchers, it’s obvious that the program is running itself (and the state of Arizona) into the ground. Unaccredited private schools and vendors are popping up all over the state like mushrooms. The Department of Education, now wholly controlled by pro-voucher special interests, is rubber-stamping unfettered spending on “educational” expenses like chicken coops and home gyms. And the opaque financial transparency and nonexistent academic accountability of last year’s myopic, irresponsible expansion mean hundreds of millions of dollars in unbudgeted costs with no way to know whether voucher students are learning or where our tax dollars are going. 

You may already have seen that ABC 15’s “Data Guru” Garrett Archer laid out this school year’s ESA voucher costs this week, citing a staggering $512 million to date. This number is projected to grow by hundreds of millions of dollars next year. Arizona voters are watching in horror as the unfettered, unregulated ESA voucher program siphons hundreds of millions of tax dollars away from local public schools. They’re demanding a reversal, and Gov. Hobbs is ready to deliver

Perhaps sensing blood in the water, House Speaker Ben Toma attempted to defend his beloved pet program in the Arizona Republic this week. Incredibly, he characterized the public outcry against this tax dollar boondoggle as “Chicken Little cries,” and insisted the program is somehow affordable because “there are only so many children in the state.” The facts, of course, tell a different story. 

Public education-friendly lawmakers introduced 5 proposals this session that would add a modicum of transparency, accountability and safety to the ESA voucher program. Republican legislative leadership refused to advance any of these bills, meaning they are ostensibly “dead” — but they could find new life via budget negotiations. Let’s take a look:

  • SB1266, promoting safety for ESA voucher students by requiring fingerprinting of teachers in private schools
  • SB1706, requiring the ADE to be transparent in its reporting around how taxpayer dollars are being used for ESA vouchers
  • SB1707, making ESA vouchers a line item in the budget to ensure taxpayer dollars are budgeted transparently
  • SB1708, requiring academic accountability to ensure ESA voucher students are learning on par with their peers
  • SB1498, requiring private schools to tell families whether they’ll service their child’s special needs before they enroll

Simple, right? What’s the excuse for holding these ideas back? You can demand accountability TODAY with a one-click email at bit.ly/ESAfix.

Bills in Rules Committees

The goal is likely for these bills to receive a floor vote this week, so after you use RTS, contact your senator for Senate bills, your representatives for House bills.

Remember, the Rules committees don’t take public testimony and won’t read your comments.

SB1001, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would ban teachers from using a student’s chosen pronouns without written parental permission. Trans youth are twice as likely to consider suicide as their peers; affirming care, which may include using a person’s chosen pronouns, lowers suicide risk. The bill continues the recent Republican theme of pushing manufactured, divisive culture-war issues for political profit. Education advocates say the bill further politicizes teachers, which will deepen Arizona’s ongoing teacher retention crisis. Passed Senate Education Committee on party lines. Gov. Hobbs has promised to veto this bill if it reaches her desk. The Legislature’s nonpartisan rules attorneys have told them the bill is unconstitutional. Scheduled for House Rules Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.

SB1410, sponsored by Justine Wadsack (R-17), is now subject to a striker from Lupe Diaz (R-19) that would require public school boards (but not charter schools or ESA-funded voucher schools) to establish the equivalent of Supt. Horne’s “teacher snitch line” for parents to report purported violations of their rights. School boards would have to designate an administrator at each school to receive parent complaints; these administrators would then have to prepare quarterly reports for ADE. Scheduled for House Rules Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.

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Bills on the Floor

These bills are scheduled for a floor vote on Monday. COW and Third Read floor calendars are released only the night before, so we don’t yet have information for Tuesday through Thursday. Contact your senator or representatives directly, as applicable, on bills you care about. 

 

SB1040, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would ban trans kids from using the school bathrooms, changing facilities and “sleeping quarters” that align with their gender identities. It would create a situation where trans kids couldn’t use any facilities at all without undue scrutiny of their bodies, calling that a “reasonable accommodation.” Anyone who “encounters” a trans person in a bathroom could file suit against public schools. A federal court found that these policies violate the US Constitution and Title IX, so in addition to being monstrously cruel, this would open Arizona to a host of lawsuits at taxpayer expense. Kavanagh also introduced the bill last year, but it did not receive a hearing. As with other divisive, manufactured culture-war bills, we expect Gov. Hobbs to veto this if it makes it to her desk. Scheduled for a House floor vote, Monday. Contact your representatives to OPPOSE.

HB2539, sponsored by Beverly Pingerelli (R-28), would force the Arizona Department of Education to implement a “public awareness program” to prop up school choice in Arizona, including free publicity for taxpayer-funded ESA vouchers. If someone moves to Arizona and registers a car here, the information would be delivered to them along with their registration. This absurd bill would spend $600,000 per year and create four full-time positions to handle this work. Scheduled for a Senate floor vote, Monday. Contact your senator to OPPOSE.

7

SB1001, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would ban teachers from using a student’s chosen pronouns without written parental permission. Trans youth are twice as likely to consider suicide as their peers; affirming care, which may include using a person’s chosen pronouns, lowers suicide risk. The bill continues the recent Republican theme of pushing manufactured, divisive culture-war issues for political profit. Education advocates say the bill further politicizes teachers, which will deepen Arizona’s ongoing teacher retention crisis. Passed Senate Education Committee on party lines. Gov. Hobbs has promised to veto this bill if it reaches her desk. The Legislature’s nonpartisan rules attorneys have told them the bill is unconstitutional. Scheduled for House Appropriations Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.

7

HB2538, sponsored by Beverly Pingerelli (R-28), would allow district and charter schools to offer live, remote instructional courses for students in grades 9-12 in exchange for a portion of school funding. ADE would pay the district or charter an incentive bonus of $500 for each remote student who passes the course. Offering bonuses for passing grades monetizes learning and leads to cherry-picking of students and other forms of inequity. Scheduled for Senate Appropriations Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE. 

7

HB2705, sponsored by Leo Biasiucci (R-30), would create an optional school safety training pilot program for district and charter schools, and appropriate $10 million from the general fund to run it. The legislation is intended to bring to Arizona the FASTER Saves Lives program, an “intensive training for school teachers and staff that qualifies them to carry concealed in schools.” Besides that obvious concern, opponents point out that Arizona’s public schools already offer similar training each year. Scheduled for Senate Appropriations Committee, Tuesday (previously held). OPPOSE.

Actions!

Use Request to Speak on these bills before Monday at 9AM:

RTS April 10

Need a RTS account? Sign up here

Voucher Watch

Idaho. In February, Idaho’s Senate Republicans overwhelmingly rejected a proposed ESA voucher expansion, citing concerns about the nebulous price tag. As one lawmaker put it, “It’s actually against my conservative, Republican perspective to hand this money out with no accountability that these precious tax dollars are being used wisely.” We couldn’t agree more!

Georgia. Last week, despite intense efforts from Gov. Brian Kemp and personal lobbying from Betsy Devos, rural Georgia Republicans joined Democrats to defeat a proposed voucher bill. Rural lawmakers pointed out that many of their districts don’t have private schools, and that improving public education should be the priority. 

Texas. This week, in the Texas State House, 24 Republicans joined Democrats to approve an amendment to the state’s biennial budget bill barring the use of state funds on school voucher programs. Like Georgia, rural Republican lawmakers were concerned about the destructive impacts a voucher program would have on public schools.

Kansas. In a repeat of 2021, Kansas has once again killed a proposed school voucher bill. Opponents pointed out the estimated price tag — as high as $215 million — and the fact that 63 out of the state’s 105 counties do not even have private schooling options.

The nation is watching Arizona’s universal ESA voucher rollout, and they don’t like what they see. Despite the efforts — and dollars — of the Betsy Devos-backed American Federation for Children, state legislatures across the country are rejecting voucher programs. 

Bills in Motion

Any of the bills marked “ready for floor” could be brought up for a vote with less than one day’s notice. Bills that are “ready for rules” first require caucus meetings, which usually happen once weekly, before being brought to a vote.


Key: ⚠️= veto-proof bill, ⏱️= time is running out, 📥= on Gov. Hobbs’ desk, ☠️= dead

Ballot Referrals:

    • ⚠️SCR1015, Mesnard (R-13), would ask voters to require ballot measures to collect signatures from a percentage of voters in each of Arizona’s 30 legislative districts: 10% for initiatives and 15% for a constitutional amendment. Awaits House Rules Committee, then the floor (and the ballot). OPPOSE.
  • ⚠️SCR1024, Wadsack (R-17), asks voters to enshrine racism in the state Constitution. This would negatively impact student learning, teacher retention and teacher recruitment. Awaits House Rules Committee, then the floor (and the ballot). OPPOSE.
  • ⚠️SCR1034, Mesnard (R-13), would ask voters to amend the state Constitution to automatically extend the previous year’s state budget if lawmakers don’t pass one in time. This would remove the only structural motivation lawmakers have to work together. SCR1034 awaits House Rules Committee, then the floor (and the ballot). See duplicate bill HCR2038, Livingston (R-28). OPPOSE.
  • ⚠️SCR1035, Mesnard (R-13), would mandate automatic 50% income tax cuts if Arizona has a surplus. These are permanent cuts to the state general fund – and desperately needed dollars that could be used to bring funding for K-12 schools out of the bottom 5 nationally. Awaits House Rules Committee, then the floor (and the ballot). OPPOSE.

Attacks on Teachers & Curriculum:

  • SB1001, Kavanagh (R-3), would ban teachers from using a student’s chosen pronouns without written parental permission. This manufactured, divisive culture-war bill further politicizes teachers and will deepen Arizona’s ongoing teacher retention crisis. Doesn’t apply to taxpayer-funded private schools taking ESA vouchers. Scheduled for House Rules Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
  • SB1040, Kavanagh (R-3), would ban trans kids from using the school bathrooms, changing facilities and “sleeping quarters” that align with their gender identities, further politicizing teachers. Doesn’t apply to taxpayer-funded private schools taking ESA vouchers. Scheduled for a House floor vote, Monday. OPPOSE.
  • SB1323, Hoffman (R-15), would make it a felony for any public school employee to violate last year’s ban on referring students to or using any so-called “sexually explicit” material, which includes commonly taught literature and even the Bible. Doesn’t apply to taxpayer-funded private schools taking ESA vouchers. Awaits a House floor vote. OPPOSE.
  • HB2523, Parker (R-10), would require every K-12 student to recite the Pledge of Allegiance daily at district and charter schools. Doesn’t apply to taxpayer-funded private schools taking ESA vouchers. Passed the full House 2/21 on partisan lines, with Republicans in support. Awaits Senate Rules Committee. OPPOSE. 
  • HB2786, Heap (R-10), would require school boards to notify parents of recommended or funded “training opportunities” for staff. Part of the hunt for nonexistent “critical race theory” in schools. Doesn’t apply to taxpayer-funded private schools taking ESA vouchers. Awaits Senate Rules Committee. OPPOSE.

Voucher Expansions:

  • SB1243, Mesnard (R-13), would bolster profit for STO vouchers by rolling them into a single category and increasing the maximum contribution amount. Awaits House Rules Committee. OPPOSE. 
  • HB2014, Livingston (R-28), would more than triple over 3 years the amount Arizona spends on a specific type of STO voucher. Awaits Senate Rules Committee. OPPOSE.
  • HB2504, Parker (R-10), would expand STO vouchers to students in foster care. Public schools serve the vast majority of foster youth, who are already eligible for ESA vouchers. Awaits Senate Rules Committee. OPPOSE.

Attacks on Schools, School Boards, Districts:

  • 📥SB1005, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would ban parents from having to pay attorney fees or damages if they lose a lawsuit against a public school or teacher (but not an ESA-funded private school or teacher). On governor’s desk 4/5. OPPOSE. 
  • SB1026, Kavanagh (R-3), threatens school funding by banning “drag shows” for people under 18. Violators would lose state funds for 3 years. Broad enough to include school plays and pep rallies. Awaits House COW. OPPOSE. 
  • SB1331, Shamp (R-29), would allow parents to carry guns on school property with a valid concealed weapons permit, violating federal law. Passed the full Senate 2/21 on partisan lines, with Republicans in support. Awaits a House floor vote. OPPOSE.
  • SB1410, Wadsack (R-17), is now subject to a striker that would require public school boards (but not charter schools or ESA-funded voucher schools) to establish the equivalent of Supt. Horne’s “teacher snitch line” for parents to report purported violations of their rights. Scheduled for House Rules Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
  • SB1599, Mesnard (R-13), would fine school districts that don’t post teacher salary information as already required by law up to $5,000 per day. Awaits a House floor vote; scheduled 3/20, but retained. OPPOSE. 
  • SB1694, Hoffman (R-15), would ban the state, including public schools, from requiring “diversity, equity, and inclusion programs” for its employees. Awaits House Rules Committee. OPPOSE.
  • SB1696, Hoffman (R-15), broadly doubles down on a ban on district and charter schools exposing minors to “sexually explicit materials.” Awaits House Rules Committee. OPPOSE.
  • HB2539, Pingerelli (R-28), would force the State Board of Education to implement a “public awareness program” to prop up school choice in Arizona, including free, mandatory publicity for taxpayer-funded ESA vouchers. Scheduled for a Senate floor vote, Monday. OPPOSE.

Resources & Accountability:

    • SB1281, Shamp (R-29), gives state income tax rebates of $200 individual, $400 joint, to anyone who filed a return in 2022. This would drain $936 million from the state General Fund, which would mean massive cuts to K-12 education. Awaits House Rules Committee. OPPOSE.
  • SB1255, Kern (R-27), would restrict Arizona agency rulemaking and substitute the legislative process instead. This would kneecap the state’s ability to regulate unaccountable, wasteful spending, such as with universal ESA vouchers. Awaits House Rules Committee. OPPOSE.
  • SB1559, Kaiser (R-2), is a state tax cut for corporations. This would drain money from the state General Fund, which would mean cuts to K-12 education. Awaits House Rules Committee. OPPOSE.
  • SB1577, Mesnard (R-13), would mandate automatic 50% income tax cuts if Arizona has a surplus. These are permanent cuts to the state general fund – and desperately needed dollars that could be used to bring funding for K-12 schools out of the bottom 5 nationally. Awaits House Rules Committee, then the floor. OPPOSE.
  • HB2003, Livingston (R-28), would slash corporate income taxes nearly in half by 2025. Arizona’s tax giveaways already far outpace the entire state budget. Awaits Senate Rules Committee. OPPOSE.
  • HB2538, Pingerelli (R-28), would allow live, remote instruction for grades 9-12, with bonuses for passing grades. This would monetize learning, leading to cherry-picking of students and other forms of inequity. Awaits Senate Rules Committee. OPPOSE.

Frustrated by what you see here? Use our one-click email tool to tell lawmakers you want Arizona to focus on real education needs, not bloated boondoggles: bit.ly/prioritizepubliced

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