[link removed] [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]]
Lawmakers Retreat to Plot Voucher Poison Pill in 123
View and share our Substack with 3 friends! [[link removed]]
¡Lea el Semanario en español! [[link removed]]
Last week, the Republican scheme to bundle unpopular vouchers into the Prop 123 renewal to continue funding public schools looked to be proceeding full steam ahead — BUT, thanks to massive public pressure (from YOU! Together, we’ve sent 3500 emails and 400 calls 🔥 ) , Republicans retreated. They not only postponed revealing their behind-the-scenes scheme, but also adjourned both chambers of the legislature for weeks [[link removed]] , presumably to workshop their unpopular plan outside of the public view. Your outreach is working — keep it up! [[link removed]]
💥 TAKE ACTION 💥
👉 Send an email [[link removed]] to your lawmakers with one click! 👈
👉 Call your lawmakers & bill sponsors [[link removed]] using these easy directions! 👈
On again, off again. Word is that Republicans first intended to hear the measure last Tuesday, one day after SOSAZ, the AEA, other education groups and Democratic lawmakers held a press conference [[link removed]] to announce our collective and fierce opposition. Next, Republicans postponed their planned vote to Wednesday and scheduled a press conference with Goldwater-funded voucher pushers “Love Your School” 🙄 Only hours later, they postponed that vote and press conference until May 19 [[link removed]] . They then went on vacation [[link removed]] , adjourning the House until May 20 (presumably postponing the vote for yet another day) and the Senate until May 28, amid swirling rumors that multiple Republican lawmakers are unhappy with the proposal. (Faced with unanimous Democratic opposition, Republicans can't lose many votes if they expect the measure to pass.) [[link removed]]
🔥 "It’s not like this Legislature has accomplished much… Demanding better oversight of the state’s runaway (ESA voucher) program? Be serious. Proposing a workable plan to ask voters for an extension of the Proposition 123 education funding that runs dry on June 30? Yeah, no." — Arizona Republic columnist Laurie Roberts on the Republican plan [[link removed]] to adjourn for weeks
As our director said on Sunday Square Off [[link removed]] , “We already know that this ESA voucher program is rife with fraud, waste and abuse. We know it’s costing a billion dollars and that’s only growing. We know it’s bankrupting our state. So enshrining it in the Constitution is incredibly dangerous, and the Republicans know that — and that’s why they’re trying to hijack Prop 123 to include their pet project [vouchers] into something that Arizona voters truly want [teacher pay].”
[[link removed]]
The details. Republican lawmakers have yet to release formal language for their plan, and likely won't until just moments before it is heard, presumably on May 20 — because transparency is their least favorite thing. Their excuse is that they need time to work on the measure because it is "complicated." That's coded language for "unconstitutional," and they know it. Chief architect JD Mesnard (R-13) admitted in a podcast this past week [[link removed]] that he is bundling separate issues together to try to force more support. (The Arizona Constitution explicitly prevents this [[link removed]] , requiring separate issues to be considered separately.) SOSAZ will review the bill's language with our attorney when Republicans finally see fit to release it to the public, and if it's anything like what's being reported, we'll see them in court. 🧑‍⚖️
“This (separate amendment provision of the state constitution) was designed to prevent exactly what Republicans may be seeking to do — taking an unpopular issue and bundling it to a popular issue in an attempt to tie the hands of voters… I am standing here today asking my Republican colleagues to uphold their oaths to the constitution, in more ways than one.” — Senate assistant minority leader Catherine Miranda on the Republican scheme [[link removed]] to hijack teacher pay by adding protection for universal ESA vouchers
Keep 'em separated. We call on Republican lawmakers to stop their political games, honor the Arizona Constitution they swore an oath to uphold, and put these separate issues on the ballot separately . Let Arizona voters decide whether they want to renew Prop 123 without hijacking desperately needed classroom funds with the inclusion of deeply unpopular, budget-busting vouchers.
READ THE FULL WEEKLY EDUCATION REPORT HERE [[link removed]]
LEA EL SEMANARIO EN ESPAÑOL [[link removed]]
K-12 Roundup
🏫🎒🧑‍🏫 All the school news you need to know from this week in one quick read:
😞 More School Closures Imminent: The Sierra Vista Unified School District is the next in a long line of districts to consider school closures [[link removed]] . The district is facing a $2 million financial shortfall — far less than the almost $8 million drained for school vouchers in that district alone ( check out our tracker to see how much vouchers are draining your school district [[link removed]] ). The proposed plan would close two of the district's six middle schools, and shift all 6th graders to their middle school campus.
Stand up for Trans and Non-Binary Students in Humboldt Unified School District! - Secular AZ [[link removed]]
A Law That Helped Convert Indigenous People Is Now Used to Get Churches Near—And On—School Grounds [[link removed]]
Take Action!
Republican lawmakers need a reminder that, when Arizonans said no to vouchers, we meant it! Contact YOUR state senator and representatives now to demand they support only a clean renewal of Prop 123, one that contains no poison pills or voucher gimmicks. If you've already done this, please do it again.
Use our one-click email tool to email your legislators: bit.ly/VoucherFree123 [[link removed]] Looking to do more? We made a handy guide with instructions on how to call your legislators, reach out to the bill sponsors, and more! [[link removed]] [[link removed]] bit.ly/123-Calls-Info [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]]
Tell your lawmakers and Gov. Hobbs [[link removed]] that unaccountable vouchers for the rich must be reined in in this year’s budget! Our students deserve quality resources, safe buildings, and rich academic experiences that will prepare them for a strong future. Our educators deserve pay raises and quality working conditions that benefit all teachers, staff and students.
NOW is the time to demand true voucher reform and fund our public schools. Our easy-to-use, one-click email tool is preloaded with a message, but we encourage you to customize your email for maximum impact.
CLICK HERE TO SEND AN EMAIL NOW! [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]]
What's Happening at the AZ Leg?
💰 Budget Update: As both chambers of the Legislature head into a prolonged break, insiders say budget negotiations still haven't begun. Lawmakers are using Prop 123 as an excuse: Sen. JD Mesnard (R-13) told press [[link removed]] “there’s some feeling that, until we get a 123 outcome, we can’t even really get to the budget in a serious way.” This means budget negotiations may not truly start until after Memorial Day. Lawmakers are constitutionally mandated to pass a budget by June 30 or face state shutdown.
😖 A "Big Battle": Meanwhile, House Appropriations Committee chair David Livingston (R-28), one of the Republican leaders on budget negotiations, says he doesn’t expect any new ongoing spending [[link removed]] . This means continuations for last year's slashed poverty weight [[link removed]] and District Additional Assistance funding (nearly $60M for K-12 public schools), as well as the DDD program that serves severely disabled children, are uncertain and have been thrown into jeopardy. This is unacceptable. Lawmakers must restore and double the $37 million K-12 opportunity weight and $29 million for K-12 additional assistance which were slashed in last year’s budget. These critically needed funds provide supports and resources for students most in need so they can thrive.
⚾ Billionaire Giveaway Bill Gets Worse: Negotiations continue behind the scenes on tax handout HB2704 [[link removed]] , and we're told the deal just continues to get worse. The bill, which would redirect up to $1 billion in taxpayer dollars over 30 years into the pockets of billionaires, is gathering opposition as key provisions which were added to gain the support of fence-sitters are now being negotiated out . Insiders say the package now contains no limits on spending on luxury items, no engineering report to identify problem areas, and no requirement for the team to pull its own financial weight with a public-private 1-1 tax dollar match. Residents of the city of Phoenix will likely bear the largest tax burden, as they will be forced to pony up through both the city and the county. (The city of Phoenix just rolled out a new 0.5% sales tax increase to cover other budget shortfalls). As the legislative session drags on, the likelihood rises that this giveaway will be wrapped into the budget — even as talk mounts of the legislature not having enough money to restore key funds cut from public schools and other desperately needed services just last year.
Meanwhile, political insiders have begun to whisper about conflicts of interest and "pay to play." Team owners Ken and Randy Kendrick are key Republican donors [[link removed]] who donated $185,000 last year to the AZ Republican Party, two days before the party passed $20,000 to Jeff Weninger's (R-13) 2024 campaign for the state legislature. Just months later, Weninger sponsored HB2704 , then heard the bill in the committee he chairs.
Republican lawmakers' myopic hyperfocus on budget-busting tax cuts and vouchers over the many pressing real issues in our state makes your engagement critical. Stay in contact with your state senator [[link removed]] and representatives [[link removed]] , as well as the governor's office at [email protected] [[email protected]] or 602-542-4331, to be sure they are aware of the public's expectations — not vouchers or tax giveaways, but reinvesting in PUBLIC education.
✅ Stay in the know: The SOSAZ Bill Tracker [[link removed]] contains full information about the bills SOSAZ supports or opposes and gives you up-to-the-minute information on where these bills stand.
Join Us!
[link removed] [[link removed]]
Book Club is BACK📚 Join Save Our Schools Arizona Network for our May Book Club to discuss Eve Ewing’s Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago’s South Side from 5:00-6:00 pm at Palabras Bookstore (come early for appetizers and drinks). Then stay to hear Eve Ewing herself discuss her latest book. Can’t make it in person? Join us virtually on Sunday, May 18 for a final book discussion from 4:00-5:00pm. Additional resources and materials will be emailed out this week!
REGISTER FOR EITHER OR BOTH EVENTS HERE [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]]
Attorney General Mayes Town Hall: Attorney General Kris Mayes is hosting townhalls about the DOGE Cuts and other federal funding issues. The next one will be held in Yuma on Wednesday, May 14 from 5:30-7:30 PM at the Yuma Arts Center, 245 S Main St, Yuma 85364.
REGISTER HERE [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]]
Help Voters on May 28! Want to help voters who have been kicked off the voter rolls? Join us for a virtual phonebank on Wednesday, May 28, 4:00-5:30pm and help voters get re-registered! Training is provided so all experience levels are welcome!
SIGN UP HERE [[link removed]]
SUPPORT OUR WORK [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]
Contact Us
[email protected]
Save Our Schools Arizona
PO Box 28370
Tempe, AZ 85285
United States
Paid for by Save Our Schools Arizona. Not authorized by any candidate.
unsubscribe: [link removed]