Arizona Democrats will usher through some long-sought changes to ESA vouchers, teacher pay, school meals and all-day kindergarten if they can wrest the gavels away from Republicans in November.
Only two seats away from having a Democratic majority in Arizona's legislative chambers for the first time in six decades, the Democratic Caucus has established a plan they say would allow them to hit the ground running in 2025 should they take control of the Legislature. Their priorities include cutting costs for taxpayers, investing in education, addressing water conservation and creating solutions for the affordable housing crisis. This story is part of an ongoing series of what a Democratic trifecta would look like for Arizona taxpayers.
Empowerment Scholarship Account Program
One of the things discussed this last legislative session was how Arizona's Education Savings Account program has been used. ESA dollars allow parents to spend tax dollars allocated for their students for educational expenses including private school tuition.
“I think the vast majority of Arizonans want to make sure their tax dollars are being used wisely and that there’s no waste, fraud and abuse rife in this program and right now, that is the case,” said Assistant Minority Leader Rep. Oscar De Los Santos, D-Phoenix. “We’re going to be looking at a package that ensures transparency and accountability in the program to ensure that tax dollars are being spent primitively and wisely and are not being spent in a wasteful manner.”
