by Daniel Stefanski | Jun 1, 2023 | Education, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
An Arizona Democrat leader is receiving pushback for his selective cropping of a memo from the Arizona Department of Education.
On Tuesday, Christine Accurso, the Executive Director of the ESA Program for Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne’s administration, submitted “the annual estimate of the amount required to fund empowerment scholarship accounts” to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for the 2024 fiscal year.
Accurso’s estimate concluded “that the projected enrollment by the end of Fiscal Year 2024 will be at 100,000 students with roughly $900,000,000 necessary to fund them.”
Andrés Cano, the Democrat Leader in the Arizona House of Representatives, tweeted out the memo – up until the point where Accurso shared the price tag of the program. He added. “without reform, Empowerment Scholarship Accounts will bankrupt our state & our public schools.”
Cano left out the last paragraph of the memo, where Accurso wrote: “We have made this projection with the help of our Chief Auditor, John Ward who conducted the analysis. It is important to note that we currently have 57,886 students in the program. For budgeting purposes, it is also important to note that many of the students that are enrolling now are coming from the public school system, which in the end saves the state money because the empowerment scholarship accounts are funded at a lower percentage than the state aid for a pupil in the public school system.”
One of the top school choice advocates in the country, Corey DeAngelis, highlighted the omission from Cano, tweeting, “hey why did you cut off the end of the letter.” DeAngelis included an image of the entire memo.
He also asked, “how much would those same students cost in the government schools?”
Jason Bedrick, a Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, also weighed in, stating, “$900M is about 1% of the state’s $80.5 billion budget – and the ESA costs about half as much per pupil as the public school system. The sky isn’t falling.”
Grant Botma, a best-selling author also shared his thoughts on Cano’s charge, posting, “The Arizona Auditor General report shows the public school system spends $10,729 per pupil. The $900,000,000 divided by 100,000 from your image is $9000 per student. That is a $1,729 savings. How would that “bankrupt our state”?
Members from both sides of the political aisle at the Arizona Legislature quickly piled onto Cano’s controversial tweet. On the Republican side, Representative Jacqueline Parker commented, “This is GREAT! But not enough yet. $900 million is a drop in the bucket to the other $7+BILLION spent on the useless indoctrination camps that are ‘government schools’. Until ESA’s are pulling at LEAST $5 Billion from government schools, our job is not yet finished.”
Representative Joseph Chaplik tweeted, “Simply not true. Just like the state doesn’t fund K-12 enough. This same lie is getting old fast!”
On the Democrat side, Senator Priya Sundareshan wrote, “During the last few months we were getting estimates that the cost to the state of the universal voucher program had increased to $600M, instead of the $30M originally promised when they passed it last year. Now we see it has already grown to $900M. How high will it climb??”
Twitter provided a community note to provide context for Cano’s tweet: “Cano has cropped out the portion of the letter which explains how this program saves the state money. The cropped out portion directly counters his claim that this program will ‘bankrupt our state.’”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 31, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A west-valley lawmaker is speaking out after Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed his bill.
On Friday, Arizona Senator Frank Carroll issued a press release following the governor’s veto of his bill, SB 1100, which “would have increased the maximum weight of all-terrain vehicles or OHVs (Off-Highway Vehicles) subject to registration and vehicle license tax requirements from 2500 pounds to 3500 pounds as a way to update the state law definition to coincide with the evolution of safety features, electrification and other modernizations of these vehicles.”
Carroll included the following statement in his release, expressing his disappointment over the first-year governor’s action against his proposal: “It’s disappointing Governor Hobbs vetoed a bill that had strong bipartisan support, as well as support from the sponsor who established the Off-Highway Study Committee. This bill would have promoted small businesses in Arizona and supported electric alternatives to gas-powered OHVs, which would have helped reduce exhaust and noise emissions. A number of states who regulate weights of OHVs have already updated their statute to coincide with the industry’s technological advancements. Hobbs’ veto shows her lack of knowledge on the issue, which is a complete disservice to our state.”
In her veto letter to the Arizona Legislature, justifying her decision, Hobbs wrote: “I encourage the Legislature to work with my administration to explore current challenges with Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs) and recommend mitigation strategies to minimize the impact and destruction of off-trails before increasing the weight limits. To accomplish this, I suggest working with the Off-Highway Vehicle Study Committee and/or the All-Terrain State Parks Advisory Group to study and propose administrative or legislative solutions.”
Senator Carroll, however, was not buying the governor’s reasoning, saying, “Governor Hobbs’ veto letter stated she believes the Off-Highway Study Committee established last session, instead of the Legislature, should determine whether OHVs with cab systems and electric powertrains can be legally operated in Arizona. However, this study committee was formed to address concerns stemming from improper use of OHVs and enforcement issues, not whether policymakers should amend the state’s OHV definition to allow new products to be available for our outdoor enthusiasts.”
The legislation first passed the Arizona Senate 19-10 (with one member not voting) on February 21. It then cleared the House of Representatives 43-15 (with one member not voting and one seat vacant).
During the legislative process, representatives from the Sierra Club – Grand Canyon Chapter and City of Sedona had opposed the bill.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 31, 2023 | Education, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona Republicans continue to take proactive steps to protect women’s sports.
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne recently filed a legal response in the case of Jane Doe, et al. v Thomas C. Horne, et al., asking the federal court to grant his side “an additional 90 days to compile evidence as Plaintiffs did at leisure, and then deny the Motion for Preliminary Injunction.” Horne is seeking to defend an Arizona law that prohibits biological males from competing in women’s and girls’ athletic events at state public schools, colleges, and universities. That law was SB 1165, which was signed by former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey on March 30, 2022.
Horne’s action comes weeks after Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma filed a Motion to Intervene in the proceedings. According to the Senate Republican’s press release, “On April 17, 2023, plaintiffs represented by a radical organization filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to stop the law from being enforced in Arizona,” and “Attorney General Kris Mayes is not defending the constitutionality of the law.”
The transfer of power from Republican Mark Brnovich to Democrat Kris Mayes in the Attorney General’s Office has forced the Republican-led Arizona Legislature into the lead role when it comes to litigation of federal and state lawsuits. Both Petersen and Toma figure to take many more legal actions over the next year and a half with Democrats occupying the Governor’s and Attorney General’s Office in the Grand Canyon State.
In his most-recent filing to the court, Horne states, “The disruption and the unfairness caused to others by Plaintiffs insisting on unfairly competing against biological girls is undeniable. If the preliminary injunction were to be granted, a number of schools would permit biological males/transgender females to compete against girls. This would be devastating to girls who hope to excel but cannot because they are competing against biological boys and being deprived of scholarships. “
The Republican Superintendent, in his second stint as the state’s top educator, issued the following statement when announcing his filing: “I have sympathy for anybody who feels trapped in the wrong body, but I don’t believe that biological boys should be playing against girls. If there really are no differences between males and females then all sports would already be co-ed.”
Last Wednesday, Horne had joined Marshi Smith, a former University of Arizona swimming star, at a press conference to announce the court filing and to highlight a letter sent to the NCAA from Marsh and dozens of other female athletes in March 2022.
That letter, also co-signed by Riley Gaines, expresses the ladies’ “anguish” as they watched the 2022 NCAA Swim & Dive Championships earlier in the month. They write that they “feel we are witnessing irrevocable damage to a sport that has transformed our own identities for the better,” charging that “the NCAA has successfully failed everyone by allowing Lia Thomas to compete directly with women.” The female athletes state that they “are eager and willing to discuss directly with the NCAA potential steps it can implement to create new solutions for the expanding athletic family.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 30, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Two Arizona west valley lawmakers are eyeing a return to the Arizona Legislature in 2025.
On Friday, State Senator Anthony Kern and Representative Kevin Payne announced that they had filed paperwork to run for re-election in the 2024 election cycle. Their news release revealed that the two would be switching spots in the Legislature due to Payne’s term limits in the House. Kern will now be running for the Arizona House of Representatives, and Payne for the state senate.
Senator Kern shared his thoughts about the swap, highlighting that the idea to take this course of action originated with him: “Kevin Payne is a solid conservative who is doing great and important work on a number of issues, especially those related to public safety and Arizona’s military and veterans. With him reaching his term limits in the State House I asked if he would consider switching places with me so that he could keep fighting for those issues.”
Payne also issued a statement on the news, saying, “First off, let me just say that Anthony Kern hasn’t just been one of the hardest working State Senators in Arizona, he’s a selfless guy who wants what is best for Arizona.” responded Payne, “So I appreciate his offer and I’ll be glad to work hard for both my own election as well as his. We need his solid conservative presence in the State House!”
The two legislators quickly received one high-profile endorsement for the re-election bids, coming from House Speaker Ben Toma, who also serves in the same district. Toma said, “This is great news for the district and the state. Kevin and Anthony are hard-working, solid conservatives, who focus on getting the work done. I look forward to voting for both of them!”
Kern and Payne’s district is extremely crucial for Arizona Republicans in November General Elections as they enjoy a solid-red electoral advantage. Both lawmakers have been instrumental in helping legislative Republicans hold the line against the new Democrat state officials: Governor Katie Hobbs, Attorney General Kris Mayes, and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. Legislative Republicans hope that these two are at the core of an expanded majority in 2025.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 29, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
As Americans around the country honored the fallen men and women who have worn our country’s uniform on Memorial Day, Arizona Legislators paid their own homage to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation’s freedoms and Constitution.
May we never forget and always be appreciative of the great debt we owe to all the individuals who have laid down their lives to protect American freedom. We live in the greatest country in the world and have so much to be thankful for – because of the service and sacrifice of these men and women who are no longer with us.
God bless and keep the United States of America.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
