This November, voters will get the chance to weigh in on a state law expanding Arizona's voucher program. The law, passed in 2017, gradually gives more students access to Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA). It allows students to use public funds for education-related expenses. Approval of Proposition 305 would allow the law to take effect, whereas a "no" vote voids the law and maintains existing requirements. Arizona Daily Star education reporter Hank Stephenson explained the pushback surrounding the law.
"I think most people are looking at the Empower Scholarship Account expansion as just fewer dollars available for public schools, and that's the real concern," Stephenson said. He added that neither Democrats nor Republicans want to see the program go away entirely. Currently, children with disabilities or military families are among the groups eligible for ESAs.