By Kiera Riley | Yellow Sheet
An unlikely compromise to reform the Empowerment Scholarship Account program failed in the Senate, prompting Republican lawmakers to pass a last minute sabotage measure to void the Protect Education ESA reform initiative, all under the guise of preserving funds for military families.
Republican lawmakers appeared keen on killing the Protect Education Act, a citizen’s initiative pushed by the Arizona Education Association and Save Our Schools Arizona.
The first attempt came by way of a proposed ESA reform measure borne from negotiations between Republican leadership, the Arizona Education Association and school choice groups.
The measure, decided upon behind closed doors, would require the Arizona Education Association and Save Our Schools to cut the proposed Protect Education Act from the ballot and opt for similar but softer reforms to the program. National school choice group American Federation for Children would also be required to rescind their dueling ballot measure from consideration as well.
