1 Arizona ESA reform initiative ends campaign to qualify for November ballot

The organizers of one Arizona school voucher reform initiative stopped collecting signatures, dropping their effort to get it on the November ballot.

The Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program allows families to use public education tax dollars for private school or homeschooling expenses.

The program has grown to over 100,000 students while facing a backlash over alleged fraud and a lack of oversight, prompting a pair of accountability ballot initiative campaigns.

However, a group called Fortify AZ is no longer pursuing its “Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Reform and Accountability Act,” which was filed in March.

It was touted as ESA reform but with fewer restrictions than a competing teacher-backed initiative called the “Protect Education Act,” which was filed in February.

The Fortify AZ initiative would have required national testing for ESA students, disqualified parents who misuse the program and created paths for parent feedback.

Teacher-backed ESA reform campaign continues

Meanwhile, the campaign continues for the “Protect Education Act,” an ESA reform initiative backed by advocacy group Save Our Schools Arizona and teachers union Arizona Education Association.

It includes a $150,000 income cap for school voucher recipients, except for students with disabilities, as well as national testing and safety requirements for schools where parents can spend ESA funds.

Supporters must collect 255,949 valid signatures by July 2 get it on the ballot.

After pulling its initiative, Fortify AZ said it will continue opposing the union-backed campaign.

“Fortify will work to ensure the teachers union initiative does not become law,” a spokesperson said.

Additionally, the “Protect Education Act” could still face a challenge at the ballot box if it qualifies.

Last week, Republican state lawmakers voted to put a measure on the November ballot that could potentially render the teacher-backed initiative void.

In a statement to KTAR News 92.3 FM, Save Our School Arizona explained that it wasn’t shocked Fortify AZ had stopped collecting signatures.

“The goal has always been to confuse and disenfranchise Arizona voters from passing the Protect Education Act, and they clearly view the Republicans’ Trojan Horse ballot measure (HCR 2048), which aims to invalidate the Protect Education Act as a more advantageous means of doing so,” the statement read. “We are prepared to both defeat HCR 2048 and pass Protect Education at the ballot so Arizona voters can have a say and pass the voucher reforms our state so urgently needs.” 

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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