Opponents of Arizona’s taxpayer-funded school voucher program say they got a “smokin’ deal” to help their cause. Last week, organizers of two petition drives unrelated to vouchers announced they were going to stop using paid circulators.
Dawn Penich-Thacker with "Save Our School" said that left a lot of people willing to work at a relative bargain.
“So we just want to really make a huge splash. We had the budget, and we had the connections, so we’re going to buy ourselves a little insurance policy," said Penich-Thacker.
Republican Sen. Debbie Lesko has been a major force pushing expanded vouchers, formally known as "empowerment scholarship accounts." She said the opposition’s use of paid circulators increases their chances of getting enough signatures to get the issue on next year’s ballot.
"Obviously this is something I'd want to talk to other members of the Legislature including the Senate president and the speaker and the governor's office. I mean, this is something we'd really have to think through," Lesko said.
If the petition drive is successful, the legislation would not take effect as scheduled in early August. Instead, it would be put on hold until voters have their say during the 2018 general election.
Arizona’s school voucher program started as an option for parents of children with special needs. The new law expands the program to about 30,000 students of any background.