COCONINO COUNTY DEMOCRATS ARIZONA LEGISLATIVE ALERT
October 2, 2023
In May, the Legislature passed a budget that appropriated $624 Million for the nation’s most expansive private school voucher program. Now, in the first months of the school year the expense for this program has exceeded its budget! As of this week, the voucher program is $16 Million over budget. A total of 67,294 enrollees have taken advantage of this program – each receiving an average of $9,523. Based on this rate of growth it is expected that an additional 748 students will be added EACH WEEK at a cost of $7 Million a WEEK!! It should be noted that a majority of these students are currently in private school or homeschooled already so could easily afford that expense – so now, you and I are paying them for their private schools and home schooling!! By the end of the school year it is projected the voucher program will be over budget by $290 Million or 47% overbudget – and where will this money come from??? Email your state lawmakers TODAY to tell them that, as their constituent, you expect responsible fiscal stewardship of public dollars and demand answers for these unbudgeted voucher cost!!
Here is the contact information for our Legislators:
AZ SENATE:
LD 1 – Ken Bennett 602-926-5874 KBENNETT@AZLEG.GOV
LD 7 – Wendy Rogers 602-926-3042 WROGERS@AZLEG.GOV
LD 6 – Theresa Hatathlie 602-926-5160 THATATHLIE@AZLEG.GOV
President Warren Petersen 602-926-4136 WPETERSEN@AZLEG.GOV
Majority Ldr Sonny Borrelli 602-926-5031 SBORRELLI@AZLEG.GOV
Minority Ldr Denise Epstein 602-926-4870 MEPSTEIN@ASLEG.GOV
AZ HOUSE:
LD 1 – Selina Bliss 602-926-4018 SBLIS@AZLEG.GOV
LD 1 – Quang Nguyen 602-926-3258 QNGUYEN@AZLEG.GOV
LD 7 – David Cook 602-926-5162 DCOOK@AZLEG.GOV
LD 7 – David Marshall 602-926-3579 DMARSHALL@AZLEG.GOV
LD 6 – Mae Peshlakai 602-926-3708
MPESHLAKAI@AZLEG.GOV
LD 6 – Myron Tsosie 602-926-3157 MTSOSIE@AZLEG.GOV
Speaker Ben Toma 602-926-3298 BTOMA@AZLEG.GOV
Majority Ldr Leo Biasiucci 602-926-3018 LBIASIUCCI@AZLEG.GOV
Minority Ldr Andres Cano 602-926-3027 ACANO@AZLEG.GOV
E-Mail Contact for Governor Katie Hobbs:
https://azgovernor.gov/contact/form/contact-governor-hobbs
E-Mail Contacts for Governor Hobbs Staff:
John Owens JOwens@az.gov
Janelle Pedregon JPedregon@az.gov