Arizona Education Association President Joe Thomas speaks at a press conference June 21 in the Capitol’s rose garden as members of Red for Ed listen behind him. Thomas and others lashed out against the Republican-crafted budget they said left public education underfunded in favor of tax cuts for the state’s wealthiest. /PHOTO BY KYRA HAAS/ARIZONA CAPITOL TIMES
By Kyra Haas | Arizona Capitol Times
Public school advocates’ frustrations with the state budget go beyond Gov. Doug Ducey’s tax plan – the rebirth of zombie bills and expansion of empowerment scholarship account eligibility are an added blow to groups that say the Legislature should prioritize traditional public education.
Arizona Education Association President Joe Thomas said sticking policy into the budget was “dangerous.”
“We think the budget bill should be clean; we should not have policies stuck in the budget bills,” Thomas said. “Policies should have up and down votes by themselves, like they always do.”
The Senate approved a $13 billion budget in a marathon session that began June 22 and ended at 2:21 a.m. on June 23, adding an assortment of public policy changes into the budget bills. The House was working on passage on June 24, but had not finished business by press time.
One of those policy changes tacked onto the K-12 budget reconciliation bill is similar to SB1532, which aimed to bar teachers from teaching controversial issues without sharing multiple sides.
