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Save Our Schools Arizona
Weekly Education Report

56th Legislature, 1st General Session
Volume 5, Issue 10 • Week of March 13, 2023

Bills in Motion
Bills in RTS
Bills in Rules

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Voucher Watch
Upcoming Events
Bills in Motion
Voucher Watch
Bills in RTS
Bills in Rules

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It's Veto O'Clock. Does #AZLeg Know?

We applaud Gov. Hobbs for vetoing SB1305, Sen. Mesnard’s culture war-driven education attack bill. This bill would have damaged educators’ ability to teach accurate history in the name of eradicating nonexistent indoctrination from Arizona’s K-12 schools — it had no business becoming law.

Republican lawmakers are crying foul, but voters wish they’d just move on. It’s time for the legislature to focus on the K-12 issues Arizona voters actually care about — like reducing the $4.5 billion/year classroom deficit and addressing the ever-worsening educator retention crisis. 

Bills introduced this session: 1626 ► Bills passed: 2

Republican legislative leadership still hasn’t gotten that memo: they continue to downright refuse to work on any bipartisan legislation that Gov. Hobbs would realistically sign. Instead, they’re laser-focused on pushing culture war bills, denying the dire needs of our public schools, and cranking up the hysterics: 

  • Sen. Justine Wadsack (R-17) is working to ban books from school classrooms (SB1700) and pushing ballot referrals to enshrine racism (SCR1024) and distrust of educators (SCR1025) in the state Constitution. 
  • Sen. Jake Hoffman (R-15) wants to jail teachers who so much as mention “sexually explicit material” — a term so broadly defined that it includes commonly taught literature, art, and even the Bible (SB1696 & SB1323) — and also prevent schools from requiring or even recommending “diversity, equity and inclusion” trainings for teachers (SB1694). 

Also this week, newly elected Supt. Tom Horne set up a new “Empower Parents” hotline intended for people to report lessons that use so-called “CRT” or “SEL” curriculum. Horne said he was very conscious “there will be false charges,” but his “background as an attorney” would help stop anyone from being wrongfully disciplined. We encourage you to call the hotline at 602-771-3500 and report the amazing work your kids’ teachers are accomplishing, especially with the meager resources they are given. 

Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers are tripling down on voucher expansions (Mesnard’s SB1243, Livingston’s HB2014 & Parker’s HB2504) and tax cuts (Mesnard’s SCR1035 & SB1577, Kaiser’s SB1559 — all while universal vouchers have racked up $200 million in unbudgeted costs and Arizona is $4.5 BILLION behind the national average in education funding every single year. 

Decades of increased tax cuts and voucher expansions are exactly why our classrooms are funded at 47th in the nation. Use our one-click email tool to tell your lawmakers you want the real needs of Arizona students prioritized once and for all! https://bit.ly/prioritizepubliced

Email Your Lawmakers Now!

Bills in Committee

7

HB2014, sponsored by David Livingston (R-28), would quadruple over 3 years the amount Arizona spends on a specific type of STO (School Tuition Organization) voucher. STO vouchers, which topped $1 billion back in 2017, are paid for by dollar-for-dollar tax credits that siphon funds from the state coffers that fund public schools. Arizona capped STO voucher growth in 2019 due to bipartisan agreement that the exponential increases were harmful. Similar to a bill from 2 years ago, which did not pass. Arizona’s ESA voucher program ballooned by 400% this year, with the vast majority of funding going to families who have never sent their children to public school. The bill’s fiscal note says the expansion will cost the state $14 million a year when fully phased in. Passed the House on party lines 3/7. Scheduled for Senate Finance Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.

7

SB1243, sponsored by JD Mesnard (R-13), would eliminate the “individual” and “switcher” categories for STO (School Tuition Organization) vouchers, roll them into a single category, and increase the maximum contribution amount. This would reduce tracking, make it easier for STOs to take in more dollars with less administration cost, and circumvent requirements that students attend public schools first. In other words, it’s a way to bolster profit. Scheduled for House Ways and Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE. 

Actions!

Use Request to Speak on these bills before Monday at 12PM:

RTS March 13
HB2800

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Bills in Committee

7

HB2014, sponsored by David Livingston (R-28), would quadruple over 3 years the amount Arizona spends on a specific type of STO (School Tuition Organization) voucher. STO vouchers, which topped $1 billion back in 2017, are paid for by dollar-for-dollar tax credits that siphon funds from the state coffers that fund public schools. Arizona capped STO voucher growth in 2019 due to bipartisan agreement that the exponential increases were harmful. Similar to a bill from 2 years ago, which did not pass. Arizona’s ESA voucher program ballooned by 400% this year, with the vast majority of funding going to families who have never sent their children to public school. The bill’s fiscal note says the expansion will cost the state $14 million a year when fully phased in. Passed the House on party lines 3/7. Scheduled for Senate Finance Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.

7

SB1243, sponsored by JD Mesnard (R-13), would eliminate the “individual” and “switcher” categories for STO (School Tuition Organization) vouchers, roll them into a single category, and increase the maximum contribution amount. This would reduce tracking, make it easier for STOs to take in more dollars with less administration cost, and circumvent requirements that students attend public schools first. In other words, it’s a way to bolster profit. Scheduled for House Ways and Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.

7

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). The sponsor said his bill was necessary because “the (public) school has unlimited resources.” The bill builds on a law passed last year that lets parents sue if they think their parental rights were “usurped.” The “parents bill of rights” concept, pushed by the extremist Center for Arizona Policy, is often wielded as a far-right political bludgeon. Scheduled for House Judiciary Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE. 

7

SB1596, sponsored by JD Mesnard (R-13), would require government offices, including school district offices, to serve as polling places if elections officials ask for it. The chaos of Election Day is disruptive to a school’s normal operation, so the bill would require schools to close, but teachers would be required to attend inservice training and banned from taking a vacation day, presumably to keep them from working the polls. Arizona and the nation are already struggling to find enough election workers. Scheduled for House Municipal Oversight & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.

7

SB1696, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-15), would double down on a bill passed last year by banning district and charter schools from exposing minors to “sexually explicit materials.” The incredibly broad description includes text, audio and video that references sexual contact, sexual excitement, and even physical contact with a person’s clothed or unclothed buttocks. This would ban many classic works of literature, from Shakespeare to Maya Angelou. Violations would be a class 5 felony, with a penalty of up to 2 years in jail. Scheduled for House Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.

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.

SB1331, sponsored by Janae Shamp (R-29), would ban school governing boards from restricting or prohibiting the parent of a student from carrying or transporting a firearm on school property if the parent possesses a valid concealed weapons permit. Getting a concealed-weapons permit in Arizona is ridiculously easy. Meanwhile, angry parents are disrupting school board meetings and threatening school staff. Do we really want to arm them? A federal law, the Gun Free School Zones Act of 1990, protects nearly every school as a gun-free zone. Part of a package of bills trying to force guns into schools. Scheduled for House Rules Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.

SB1564, sponsored by Steve Kaiser (R-2), would mandate that students at small private schools or who use ESA vouchers must be allowed to try out for interscholastic activities at public schools. Athletics should be something parents consider when choosing a school for their student. ESA vouchers already siphon dollars away from local public schools; it is unreasonable to require them to cover non-attendees’ costs for extracurriculars. When parents opt out of local schools, they opt out of extracurriculars. This bill places an unreasonable burden on public schools, who would be required to include voucher students even though they’ve chosen to go to school elsewhere. Scheduled for House Rules Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.

SB1599, sponsored by JD Mesnard (R-13), would impose penalties of up to $5,000 per day for school districts that don’t post teacher salary information as already required by law. Along with being egregiously excessive compared to the nature of the offense, this mandate does not include a requirement to post a comparison to teacher salaries in other states, nor does it apply to taxpayer-funded, private voucher schools. Scheduled for House Rules Committee, Monday. OPPOSE. 

HB2800, sponsored by Matt Gress (R-4), would fund raises for district and charter teachers who spend more than 50% of the day in classrooms: $5,000 in FY2023-24 ($400 million) and $10,000 in FY2024-25 ($700 million). However, the bill is poorly thought out, with many problems. The lack of flexibility means that, if the coming recession drives cuts to public school spending, districts would be forced to lay off teachers (and increase class sizes) rather than reduce pay to make ends meet. The funds are tied to an “accountability” measure for public school spending, but our state is now spending roughly the same amounts on ESA vouchers every year, which have zero accountability. And these monies would fall under the AEL school spending cap, compounding that problem. We recommend lawmakers instead support HB2779 (Schwiebert, D-2) which was constructed thoughtfully with input from many education experts. That bill has not been given a hearing. Scheduled for House Rules Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.

As universal ESA voucher costs balloon to over $300 million (and growing!), concerns about the management of the program under Superintendent Tom Horne and ESA Director Christine Accurso continue to grow. During an interview last Sunday, Horne once again bragged about approving 25,000 payments in a single day. When pressed on how it was possible to responsibly approve three payments every second “if they worked 24 hours,” Horne responded, “Well, they worked very hard.” He then went on to blame the prior administration (and, absurdly, Save Our Schools Arizona!) for flaws in the program. 

We know the truth: parents using ESA vouchers are the ones complaining about mismanagement from Horne and Accurso. Arizona’s ESA voucher program is spiraling out of control, and the Legislature must take immediate action. 

Sen. Christine Marsh’s SB1706, still awaiting a vote of the full Senate, would mandate that ADE follow more comprehensive reporting requirements to give taxpayers more information about how the ESA voucher program spends their money. This bill is by no means a full solution to the myriad problems plaguing Arizona’s ESA voucher program, but it’s a good start — yet Republican legislative leadership stubbornly refuses to advance the bill. 

Use our one-click email to contact your lawmakers TODAY, urging them to pass accountability for the universal ESA voucher program. If you’ve already emailed, please do it again! 

Bills on the Floor

These bills are scheduled for a floor vote on Monday. Floor calendars come out the night before, so this list doesn’t include any bills that might be heard Tuesday through Thursday. We encourage you to scan the “Bills in Motion” section and contact your senator or representatives directly, as applicable, on bills you care about.

SB1402, sponsored by Justine Wadsack (R-17), would require the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (ASDB) to offer services to any children with a disability. Given that students enrolled in separate special education schools would in general have highly individualized and specialized instruction, ASDB would be forced to make numerous staffing and programmatic changes to serve this new population of students. ASDB estimates the bill would increase its annual operating costs by up to $295 million annually, along with one-time renovation and new construction expenses of up to $142 million. ASDB assumes that their current enrollment of 353 in day programs and residential programs could increase by up to 2,902 annually. Scheduled for a Senate COW floor vote, Monday. OPPOSE.

SB1559, sponsored by Steve Kaiser (R-2), would exempt from state taxes all of the first-year profits for a corporation in its first year of business, half the profits in its second year, and a quarter in its third year. It would also waive all fees. Arizona already gives away far more in tax loopholes and carve-outs than it spends in its state budget every year, while most corporations in Arizona pay only the minimum tax of $50. The bill’s fiscal note observes “a lack of detailed business income data” and estimates the cost at an “understated” $34.3 million in FY2025. State revenues are already forecast to crater over the next two years, impacting the state’s obligations to fund public education and other essential services; this is no time to further cut taxes. Scheduled for Senate 3rd read (final Senate vote), Monday. OPPOSE.

SB1694, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-15), would ban the state, including public schools, from requiring “diversity, equity, and inclusion programs” for its employees, spending public funds on such programs, or setting policies to influence the composition of its workforce on the basis of race, sex, or color. Any employee required to participate would be authorized to sue. Diversity, equity and inclusion is a philosophy designed to harness the differences, talents and unique qualities of all individuals. Of course, this bill does not impose any requirements on taxpayer-funded private schools receiving ESA vouchers. Scheduled for a Senate COW floor vote, Monday. OPPOSE.

SB1700, sponsored by Justine Wadsack (R-17), would double down on last year’s measures to ban many books from schools and institute public review of such books. Any parent would be allowed to ask a school to remove a book, ADE would be required to keep a list of banned books, and public schools would have to make a list of books available to the public for 4 months before giving them to students. The bill takes aim at “gender fluidity” and “gender pronouns,” and would introduce an inaccurate, weaponized definition of “grooming” into statute. Attempts to ban books in schools are on the rise nationwide, with a new focus on local school boards. This horrifying bill not only harms the fight against child sexual abuse, but harms our children’s ability to learn. Many of the books that some see as controversial reflect the realities kids across Arizona are living; choosing to pull reality out of libraries won’t create good citizens. Scheduled for Senate 3rd read (final Senate vote), Monday. OPPOSE.

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

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. Passed the Senate on party lines. Assigned to House Education Committee, not yet on an agenda. 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. Passed the Senate on party lines. Assigned to House Education Committee, not yet on an agenda. OPPOSE.
  • 🗑️ SB1305, Mesnard (R-13), would have banned teaching “controversial topics” in district and charter schools (but not ESA taxpayer-funded private schools). Violators would have lost their licenses and faced $5,000 fines. Didn’t apply to taxpayer-funded private schools taking ESA vouchers. Vetoed. 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 House committee assignment. 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. Assigned to Senate Education Committee, not yet on an agenda. OPPOSE. 
  • HB2533, Gillette (R-30), would require public schools to post a list of every single item teachers use or discuss with students. Doesn’t apply to taxpayer-funded private schools taking ESA vouchers. Awaits Senate committee assignment. 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 committee assignment. 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. Scheduled for House Ways & Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE. 
  • HB2014, Livingston (R-28), would more than triple over 3 years the amount Arizona spends on a specific type of STO voucher. Scheduled for Senate Finance Committee, Monday. 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 committee assignment. OPPOSE.

Attacks on schools, school boards, districts:

  • 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. Assigned to House Judiciary Committee, not yet on an agenda. 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 House Rules. OPPOSE.
  • ⏱️SB1410, Wadsack (R-17), would allow lawmakers to order the Attorney General to investigate if school boards are violating state law, potentially obstructing local control by blocking policies they disagree with. Assigned to House Education Committee, not yet on an agenda. 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. Passed the full Senate 2/16 on partisan lines, with Republicans in support. Awaits House Rules. OPPOSE. 
  • SB1694, Hoffman (R-15), would ban the state, including public schools, from requiring “diversity, equity, and inclusion programs” for its employees. Scheduled for a Senate floor vote, Monday. OPPOSE.
  • SB1696, Hoffman (R-15), broadly doubles down on a ban on district and charter schools exposing minors to “sexually explicit materials.” Assigned to House Government Committee, not yet on an agenda. OPPOSE.
  • SB1700, Wadsack (R-17), is a broadly written book ban that takes aim at “gender fluidity” and “gender pronouns,” and would introduce an inaccurate, weaponized definition of “grooming” into statute. Scheduled for a Senate floor vote, Monday. OPPOSE.
  • ⏱️SB1704, Wadsack (R-17), would make it an “unlawful discriminatory practice” for public schools to ask for kids’ shot records. Vaccination rates in Arizona are dropping and measles is making a comeback; it’s dangerous to children. Awaits House committee assignment. 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. Assigned to House Government Committee, not yet on an agenda. OPPOSE.
  • ⚠️SCR1025, Wadsack (R-17), would ask voters to insert the “parents’ bill of rights” into the state Constitution as a far-right political bludgeon against public schools. Does not apply to private schools receiving taxpayer funds via ESA vouchers. Assigned to House Health Committee, not yet on an agenda. 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. Awaits Senate committee assignment. OPPOSE.
  • HB2546, Jones (R-17), would force any school district with at least 35,000 students to call an election to decide whether to split the district into two or more. This could lead to educational gerrymandering. Awaits Senate committee assignment. OPPOSE.

Attacks on direct democracy: 

  • ⚠️SCR1002, Kern (R-27), would ask voters to require a supermajority vote on constitutional amendments. Passed the full Senate on partisan lines, with Republicans in support. Assigned to House Government Committee, not yet on an agenda. OPPOSE.
  • ⚠️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. Passed the full Senate on partisan lines, with Republicans in support. Awaits House Rules Committee, then the floor (and the ballot). 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. Assigned to House Ways & Means Committee; not yet on an agenda. 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. Scheduled for Senate 3rd read (final Senate vote), Monday. OPPOSE.
  • ⏱️SB1674, Epstein (D-12), would require a cost study of Arizona online instruction to make sure students are learning and taxpayer dollars are properly spent. Awaits Senate Rules Committee. SUPPORT.
  • ⏱️SB1675, Epstein (D-12), would make menstrual hygiene products available free of charge in public district and charter schools that serve students in grades 6-12. Awaits Senate Rules Committee. SUPPORT.
  • ⏱️SB1706, Marsh (D-4), creates reporting that requires the ADE to release more information about who is using ESA vouchers and how taxpayer funds are being spent. Awaits Senate Rules Committee. SUPPORT.
  • ⚠️SB1577 and 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 for SCR1035, 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 is assigned to House Appropriations Committee. See duplicate bill HCR2038, Livingston (R-28), which has been scheduled twice for a House floor vote, but retained. 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 a vote in Senate Appropriations 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 committee assignment. OPPOSE.
  • ⚠️HCR2038, Livingston (R-28), 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. See duplicate bill SCR1034,  Mesnard (R-13). Awaits a House floor vote; scheduled twice, but retained both times. OPPOSE.

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Save Our Schools Arizona is a registered 501(c)4 social welfare organization. For additional research and educational resources, visit the Save Our Schools Arizona Network, a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.