Capitol roundup: Republicans eye federal voucher-style program for Arizona
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As Gov. Katie Hobbs seeks to curtail Arizona's voucher-style school choice program, Republican lawmakers are looking to force her hand on enlisting the state in the new federal version.
State of play: The Senate Finance Committee on Monday approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Shawnna Bolick (R-Phoenix) that would require Arizona to participate in a federal school voucher program called qualified elementary and secondary education scholarships, created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Trump signed last year.
- The bill passed on a party-line vote, with Democrats unanimously opposing it.
- Republicans included the federal scholarships program in their tax conformity bill, which Hobbs vetoed earlier this month.
How it works: People can contribute up to $1,700 annually to a scholarship-granting organization (SGO) and receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit in return.
- Those organizations use the money to award scholarships for expenses including private school tuition, books, equipment, tutoring and other services.
- Eligibility is limited to students whose families earn up to 300% of the area median income.
What they're saying: The governor is waiting on the federal government to provide guidance on the program before she decides whether Arizona will participate in it, spokesperson Christian Slater told Axios.
- "She has not ruled it out," he said.
- Slater wouldn't comment on whether Hobbs would be willing to sign the bill.
Yes, but: The federal program bears many similarities to Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) program, which Hobbs has repeatedly targeted over the past three years.
- Her current budget plan includes new restrictions on the program.
In other Capitol news this week:
The nationwide battle over illegal immigration was active in the Legislature, with Republican lawmakers advancing bills to:
- Require local law enforcement to notify federal immigration officials if they arrest someone who's in the country illegally;
- And force hospitals that accept Medicaid — most in Arizona do — to include patients' immigration status on their paperwork.
- Those bills passed in committee with only Republican votes and are likely to be vetoed by Hobbs.
🗳️ Voting centers would be barred and counties would be required to use precinct-based voting under a proposed ballot measure that Republicans approved Wednesday in the House Federalism, Military Affairs and Elections Committee.
- Ballot referrals require only a majority vote of the Legislature, not the governor's signature.
⚧️ Republicans on the Senate Government Committee advanced a ballot measure proposal that would require schools to obtain parental permission to identify students by preferred pronouns and names, and would restrict transgender students' access to multi-person facilities like restrooms and changing facilities.
🔫 Ben Avery Shooting Facility could be closed only by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission with legislative approval under a bill passed unanimously by the House Judiciary Committee.