Linda McMahon presses Gov. Katie Hobbs on education tax credit after three vetoes

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon urged Gov. Katie Hobbs on Tuesday to opt Arizona into the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit, calling the governor’s three vetoes of opt-in legislation a disservice to families across the state.

“Governor Hobbs has vetoed three measures that would have allowed Arizona to participate in the Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit, holding Arizona families back from accessing these powerful opportunities expanding across the country,” McMahon told a Mesa audience Tuesday.

McMahon appeared alongside U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs and Arizona House Speaker Steve Montenegro at the East Valley Institute of Technology, pressing Hobbs to reverse course before the program launches in January 2027.

Thirty states have already opted in, McMahon said.

Hobbs’ office said the governor has not taken a position for or against the program and is waiting on the federal government to provide rules for how it will be implemented.

Press Secretary Liliana Soto said the vetoes were not a rejection of the concept itself.

Hobbs vetoed the most recent opt-in bill on April 14.

“It is irresponsible to sign this bill before the federal government has released any regulatory guidance,” Hobbs said in her veto letter.

She pointed to problems with Arizona’s existing Empowerment Scholarship Account voucher program as a cautionary example.

What is the Education Freedom Tax Credit?

The tax credit, signed into law by President Donald Trump as part of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, gives individuals a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for contributions to approved scholarship-granting organizations. The funds can be used for private school tuition, tutoring, special education services and technology for K-12 students in participating states.

McMahon dismissed concerns about the program’s regulatory safeguards, saying it has sufficient oversight and that states can opt out if it does not work.

“So Governor Hobbs, what are you waiting for? Come on in, the water’s really fine,” McMahon said.

KTAR News 92.3 FM reporter Shira Tanzer contributed to this report.

Related

1 in 10 Arizona schools could lose full letter grade with removal of bonus pointsWest Valley charter school cleared after evacuation for bomb threatTempe school employee allegedly used security cameras to watch students in changing roomTeaching requirements for dual-language and CTE classes are getting stricterArizona Sen. Ruben Gallego ready to ‘get into the fight’ against proposed changes to Head StartMarcos de Niza High School in Tempe damaged by monsoon storm activity