Republicans Hell-Bent to Enshrine Universal Vouchers in State Constitution

PHOENIX – After months of waiting for Republicans to put forward a responsive proposal for Proposition 123 extension, it is now clear they are now set to rush through a ballot referral that would hijack public school funding once again to enshrine universal vouchers in the Arizona State Constitution. Senate Democratic Leader Priya Sundareshan (LD18) released the following statement regarding SCR1015’s (state land trust; permanent funds.) placement on today’s Senate caucus calendar:  

“This outcome–that Republicans would walk away from the table on negotiating Proposition 123–was a surprise to no one. Senate Democrats offered SCR1036, sponsored by Education Committee Ranking member Eva Diaz, to provide our teachers, students, and public-school families with a clean extension of Proposition 123. After months of dragging their feet on approving supplemental funding for disabled children and their parent caregivers, Republicans are gearing up to codify the universal school voucher expansion in the state constitution. They have placed SCR1015 on today’s caucus calendar without providing public amendment language, potentially to immediately move the bill to the floor today to add unrelated voucher protections onto the bill with no chance of public input or negotiations.  

This move—enshrining the voucher scheme in the state constitution—would be the final nail on public school’s coffin in Arizona. A central focus of Trump’s Project 2025 was exactly this: to transform all federal education dollars into private school vouchers. Republicans know what this will do to the nearly 1 million public school students in Arizona. They knew when they overrode the will of the voters and passed the universal voucher expansion in the dead of night in 2022, and they know what they are doing now.  

Now, I hope I am wrong, but Republicans must, for once, be honest with Arizonans and the future of public education funding. My message to them: show us your plan or come to the negotiating table.”