A national group that spent more than $6 million in 2026 to defend Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program now seeks bipartisan legislation to make ESAs politically sustainable. Some Republicans, including Freedom Caucus members, oppose that approach, leaving the program’s future contested inside the GOP.
A national advocacy group that spent over $6 million in 2026 to defend Arizona’s ESA program is now lobbying for bipartisan legislative reforms to stabilize the program politically.
Recent failed ballot efforts and ongoing legislative standoffs mean lawmakers and the governor’s office will be the main arenas for any ESA changes this fall and winter.
A national school choice organization that spent more than $6 million in 2026 to defend Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program is shifting its strategy. The group plans to press Republican legislators and the governor's office to pass bipartisan legislation designed to make the ESA program politically durable.
The advocacy group's 2026 spending indicates it remains a major player in Arizona education politics. Its stated aim is not to expand immediately but to seek reforms that could reduce political vulnerability and keep the ESA program intact through future legal and electoral challenges.
Inside the Republican coalition there is a split. Some Republican leaders favor negotiating compromises with Democratic lawmakers and the governor to codify changes that would lessen the chance of successful repeal or ballot challenges. Other Republicans, especially members of the Freedom Caucus, push back on that approach. They view outside national groups and bipartisan deals skeptically and prefer maintaining a more hard-line posture on school choice.
The dispute comes after multiple attempts related to ESAs in 2026 failed to reach voters or passed legal tests. Two propositions aiming to change the ESA program did not qualify for the ballot, leaving elected officials, not voters, to settle the program's future for now. That dynamic increases the importance of legislative maneuvering and executive action.
What legislators and the governor must decide
Lawmakers and the governor's office face trade-offs. A bipartisan reform could secure the ESA program by addressing concerns that motivated repeal efforts, but it would require compromise on policy details and political messaging. Standing firm without compromise risks continued ballot fights and legal challenges that could destabilize the program again.
Expect the advocacy group to push specific legislative language or negotiating frameworks to protect ESAs. Lawmakers who want a negotiated fix will need to find middle ground acceptable to both Republican majorities and the governor's office. Freedom Caucus resistance means any deal could face intraparty opposition in the Legislature.
Voters won’t get to change Arizona’s ESA program after two propositions failed ballot qualification, but other statewide races could still shape its future. The post Even with measures struck down, ESAs loom over election first appeared on Arizona Capitol Times .
For anyone following the fight over public education in Arizona, this has been a consequential year. The Protect Education coalition mounted a valiant effort to get Prop 212 on the ballot. But the initiative ultimately failed to qualify after a well-funded pro-privatizers managed to challenge enough petition signatures
Arizona families won big this week. The teachers union and Save Our Schools fell short (again) in their latest attempt to roll back the universal Empowerment Scholarship Account program that helps more than 100,000 students there. The groups needed 255,949 valid signatures to place their Protect Education Act on the No
News from New York City Students from the Rio Lindo Adventist Academy Chorale recently performed on a world stage, joining participating choruses, soloists, and full orchestra in New York City for a major musical debut. The students contributed to the world premiere of Psalmos, a newly commissioned Christian choral wor
Latest business news from the catering and events industry
Loading more related stories...
Open the app view to save this story, compare related coverage, and continue from the same source.