By KTAR
PHOENIX — Among contentions between Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and a Republican-controlled State Legislature is education, specifically the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program.
Hobbs’ budget proposal called for a repeal of the expansion signed by former Gov. Doug Ducey in July 2022, but Republican Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show soon after that won’t happen.
Hobbs went on Fox News Sunday to discuss the southern border and education. When pressed about the ESA program gifting families opportunities to send children to private schools, the governor said the program is not benefitting families Peterson claims they are“We’re not calling for a repeal of the entire program, we’re just calling for a repeal of the universal expansion,” Hobbs said. “The folks President Peterson cited … they’re not actually benefitting from this program, there’s no evidence showing that. For the most part, these families, regardless of getting a private school voucher, they’re not able to afford the gap in tuition that exists with this program.”