SB1097, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-15), would require public district schools to be closed on every regular primary and general election day, and to provide their gymnasiums for use as polling places upon request. Whether schools offer their space for elections should be left up to local control. Scheduled for Senate Judiciary & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1226, sponsored by Shawnna Bolick (R-2), is a copy of a vetoed bill from last year that would require district and charter school boards to restrict student access to the internet and to limit students’ use of phones during the school day to only for educational purposes or during an emergency, including during meals, passing periods and recess. This is a national trend that is already being handled on the local level. Schools should be allowed to set their own policies and not struggle under top-down legislative mandates. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1298, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would expand Arizona's existing religious property tax exemption to also exempt religious schools. Scheduled for Senate Finance Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
SB1473, sponsored by David Farnsworth (R-10), would create a new funding formula for K-12 school districts that takes Arizona a step closer to "backpack funding" by shifting costs around. Districts would be allowed to opt into the charter school funding formula, which is higher, in exchange for giving up locally funded bonds and overrides. From far-right tax policy group ATRA, the bill furthers their longstanding agenda to eliminate property taxes and could harm Arizona's K-12 funding. Scheduled for Senate Finance Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
SB1534, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would allow for more partisan ballot language, transferring the responsibility for preparing the summary of ballot initiatives and referenda from the Secretary of State to the Legislative Council and removing the requirement for the Attorney General to approve the summaries. This is yet another effort to curtail the citizens' initiative and referendum process granted by our state constitution. Scheduled for Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1560, sponsored by Vince Leach (R-17), would require referendum signature campaigns to adhere to strict compliance requirements, making it vastly more difficult for them to succeed. The sponsor has a long history of attacks on direct democracy. Scheduled for Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1584, sponsored by Janae Shamp (R-29), bans public schools from implementing hiring policies based on factors other than "merit" as part of the MAGA attack on diversity, equity and inclusion. Allows individuals to sue, which would lead to endless frivolous claims of “reverse racism.” Scheduled for Senate Regulatory Affairs & Government Reform, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1693, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would mandate that students at private schools or who use ESA vouchers must be allowed to try out for interscholastic activities at public schools. Athletics should be something parents consider when choosing a school for their student. When parents opt out of local schools, they opt out of extracurriculars. ESA vouchers already siphon dollars away from local public schools; it is unreasonable to require them to cover non-attendees’ costs for extracurriculars. This bill places an unreasonable burden on public schools, who would be required to include voucher students even though they've chosen to go to school elsewhere. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SCR1028, sponsored by Shawnna Bolick (R-2), would ask voters to amend the Arizona Constitution to require school district bond measures receive at least 60% voter approval instead of a simple majority. In effect, this measure could stop school districts from ever passing desperately needed bonds again. “It puts the minority of the community in charge, because if a minority of the people vote against it, it doesn’t pass,” said school funding expert Chuck Essigs, who also pointed out that voters don't elect the Legislature this way. The bill is part of a concerted effort by some politicians to reduce citizens’ power to enact policy at the ballot. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SCR1032, sponsored by JD Mesnard (R-13), is a ballot measure that would permit the Arizona State School Fund (the state land trust from which Prop 123 monies flow) to provide guaranteed financing for district and charter schools, including bonds, overrides and capital financing. We question why taxpayers should guarantee loans for for-profit charter schools; some have made a tremendous profit. This change could put the land trust's current ability to fund schools at risk. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2191, sponsored by David Livingston (R-28), is a copy of a failed bill from 2024 that would adjust zoning restrictions to allow churches to build housing on their property. This is part of ALEC’s 2025 policy push to enable wide-scale building of religious microschools across the US. Scheduled for House Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2700, sponsored by Teresa Martinez (R-16), would insert "a specific focus on the Gulf of America" into the state high school social studies standards for graduation. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2725, sponsored by Chris Lopez (R-16), would force public schools to notify parents if their child does not recite the Pledge of Allegiance during the time set aside for it each day. This punitive and cruel bill would stigmatize kids and would be incredibly difficult to enforce as a teacher. One teacher commented, "Do they really expect me to monitor all 35 students every day to see if they're saying it?" Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2814, sponsored by Lisa Fink (R-27), would let the legislature direct federal funding however they wish if Trump dissolves the Department of Education and turns the money into block grants to states for them to spend as they please, with no strings attached. This could allow the state to redistribute Title I and IDEA funds to private school vouchers with no strings attached. See HCR2015. Scheduled for House Appropriations Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2867, sponsored by Michael Way (R-15), would ban public schools from teaching, promoting, funding or training students in antisemitic conduct. Students and parents would be allowed to sue for damages. The bill requires ADE to investigate all complaints and impose disciplinary actions up to revocation of teaching certifications. The bill does not define "antisemitism," but does say it creates "a hostile educational environment" — which is often coded language for avoiding any discussion that deals with thought-provoking or difficult subjects. The bill also bans "requiring a student to advocate for or against a specific topic or point of view to receive credit," which is core to many social studies and English standards and is necessary to properly develop critical thinking skills. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2918, sponsored by Justin Olson (R-10), would slash Arizona's tax rates in the sales, individual income, small business and school district categories. The 2022 Ducey tax cuts have already caused state revenues to plummet, leading to massive deficits. Arizona cannot shoulder the burden of further cuts. Scheduled for House Ways & Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2920, sponsored by Justin Olson (R-10), would require county treasurers to include school district property tax rates on bills and statements. This and other bills introduced by Olson go out of their way to point out the costs that fall to counties and localities when the state — namely the legislature — fails to adequately fund public schools. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday, and House Ways & Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HCR2003, sponsored by Matt Gress (R-4), would waive Arizona’s archaic school spending cap for next school year (2025-26), averting teacher layoffs, program cuts and school closures. Without a waiver, the public district schools which serve 70% of the state’s schoolchildren would be legally unable to spend $1.4 billion in funds the Legislature has already allocated to them, and would have to cut spending by nearly 20% across the board. The bill requires a two-thirds supermajority vote in both chambers. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. SUPPORT.
HCR2015, sponsored by Lisa Fink (R-27), would ask voters to amend the Arizona Constitution to let the legislature direct federal funding however they wish if Trump dissolves the Department of Education and turns the money into block grants to states for them to spend as they please, with no strings attached. This could allow the state to redistribute Title I and IDEA funds to private school vouchers with no strings attached. As a ballot referral, this would circumvent the governor's veto. See HB2814. Scheduled for House Appropriations Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
