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Arizona Bill Would Allow Navajo Nation Students To Keep Using ESAs In New Mexico

In addition to the budget, Arizona lawmakers are also considering a bill that would allow some students on the Navajo Nation to continue using their Empowerment Scholarship Accounts at a New Mexico private school.

Current law prohibits families who get the vouchers from using the money out of state, but a recent audit from the Arizona Department of Education found these families, whose applications had been approved years ago.

Initially these six Window Rock families thought they owed the state of Arizona over a thousand dollars each, but the state forgave the debt as lawmakers worked on a solution.

The bills in the House and Senate each have bipartisan support.

Democratic state Sen. Jamescita Peshlakai represents that part of the state, and she joins The Show to talk about the bill.

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Mark Brodie is a co-host of The Show, KJZZ’s locally produced news magazine. Since starting at KJZZ in 2002, Brodie has been a host, reporter and producer, including several years covering the Arizona Legislature, based at the Capitol.