ARIZONA NEWS

Arizona Senate president on school voucher repeal: ‘Not going to happen’

Jan 17, 2023, 11:54 AM | Updated: 12:20 pm

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen looks on as Gov. Katie Hobbs delivers her the State of the...

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen looks on as Gov. Katie Hobbs delivers her the State of the State address on Jan. 9, 2023. (Facebook Photo/Governor Katie Hobbs)

(Facebook Photo/Governor Katie Hobbs)

PHOENIX — Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen said the Republican-led Legislature won’t let Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs roll back the state’s universal school voucher program.

Hobbs’ budget proposal, released last week, calls for repealing last year’s expansion of the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program.

“It’s not going to happen,” Petersen, a Republican, told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Tuesday. “You need the Legislature to make it happen.”

In July 2022, then-Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, signed a law that gives every parent in Arizona the option of taking public money earmarked for the K-12 public school system and spending it on their children’s private school tuition, homeschool materials or other education costs.

The Arizona Department of Education said nearly 46,000 students were using the program as of Tuesday. An official with the department’s previous administration told KTAR News recently that about 75% of the applicants had no prior record of attending public schools in Arizona.

Opponents of the expansion argue that it lacks oversight and diverts much-needed funding from public schools. They also say it primarily benefits families wealthy enough to afford private school expenses above what the ESAs cover.

In 2018, Arizona voters rejected a similar voucher expansion by a 65%-35% margin. An effort to delay last year’s expansion until it could go before voters in 2024 fell short of the required signature threshold.

The ESA program was previously limited to children with special needs, students at low-performing schools, military families and residents of Native American reservations. Hobbs wants to return it to that level.

During her first State of the State address last week, Hobbs said the expansion will cost Arizona $1.5 billion over the next decade and “will likely bankrupt the state.”

Petersen said there is no way Hobbs can undo the expansion without the Legislature’s approval. Republicans hold slim advantages in each chamber, 31-29 in the House and 16-14 in the Senate.

“We are the most powerful branch of government, and I can tell you that this isn’t going to go away without us allowing that to happen,” the East Valley Republican said.

Petersen said Hobbs’ proposal could alienate voters on both sides of the aisle.

“It would be a huge debacle and mistake for her to eliminate the ESA program because you have a ton of minorities and you have ton of low-income people — you have a lot of her base — that benefit very much from the ESA — and from our base, from all of our base,” he said.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Silver Alert issued for 68-year-old man last seen in Phoenix...

KTAR.com

Silver Alert issued for missing 68-year-old man last seen in Phoenix

A Silver Alert has been issued for a missing 68-year-old man named Gregory Nathan Wascher who was last seen in Phoenix on Wednesday.

2 hours ago

APS energy customers will soon see another rate increase....

Kevin Stone

Here’s why APS energy customers will soon see another rate increase

APS energy customers will soon see another rate increase after state regulators signed off on a proposed adjustment this week.

2 hours ago

A man died after being pulled from a house fire in Phoenix's Arcadia neighborhood on Friday morning...

Kevin Stone

Man dead after house fire in Phoenix’s Arcadia neighborhood

A man died after being pulled from a house fire in Phoenix's Arcadia neighborhood on Friday morning, authorities said.

3 hours ago

off-road vehicle crash...

Kevin Stone

1 teen killed, another seriously injured in off-road vehicle crash at Phoenix canal

One teenager was killed and another was seriously injured in an off-road vehicle crash at a Phoenix canal on Thursday evening, authorities said.

4 hours ago

A new report found one-third of Arizona public grade school students are chronically absent from sc...

Balin Overstolz

Chronic absentee rate for Arizona students remains far above pre-pandemic level, study finds

A new report found one-third of Arizona public grade school students are chronically absent from school, which is double the absence rate before the pandemic.

6 hours ago

Katie Hobbs southern border...

Danny Shapiro

Arizona Gov. Hobbs says she welcomes help as more active-duty military head to southern border

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs is inviting more help at the southern border as more active-duty military are set to be deployed to the state.

6 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax

How to optimize the most money in 2024 tax returns

As tax season begins, getting your financials in order is important to maximize your tax return.

...

Bright Wealth Management

How IRAs are a helpful tool in retirement planning

When it comes to retirement planning, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can be a great tool for income growth.

...

Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Why a Heating Tune-Up is Essential Before Winter

PHOENIX, AZ — With cooler weather on the horizon, making sure your heating system is prepped and ready can make all the difference in staying comfortable this winter.

Arizona Senate president on school voucher repeal: ‘Not going to happen’