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The Fight is Just Beginning 💪
Signature Update! It’s been nearly a week since we turned in hundreds of thousands of signatures to qualify the Protect Education Act to the ballot, [[link removed]] a first-in-the-nation effort to rein in a $1 billion private school voucher program!! 👏🎉 This week, the Secretary of State’s office finished processing the Protect Education petitions — over 40,000 petitions with over 420,000 voter signatures. We were there to observe the process, and we can report that Sec. Fontes’ team did a phenomenal job protecting your signatures. Next, signatures will be scanned and a random sample will be sent to each of Arizona's 15 county recorders for signature verification. [link removed] [[link removed]]
No Rest for the Voucher Pushers: In the meantime, our opponents have been busy 😡
Signature Update! It’s been nearly a week since we turned in hundreds of thousands of signatures to qualify the Protect Education Act to the ballot, [[link removed]] a first-in-the-nation effort to rein in a $1 billion private school voucher program!! 👏🎉 This week, the Secretary of State’s office finished processing the Protect Education petitions — over 40,000 petitions with over 420,000 voter signatures. We were there to observe the process, and we can report that Sec. Fontes’ team did a phenomenal job protecting your signatures. Next, signatures will be scanned and a random sample will be sent to each of Arizona's 15 county recorders for signature verification.
No Rest for the Voucher Pushers: In the meantime, our opponents have been busy 😡 Within hours of Protect Education filing signatures, the Betsy DeVos-backed special interest group American Federation for Children announced it intends to take us to court to keep us off the ballot. Then, former Gov. Doug Ducey announced a new PAC aimed at invalidating the Protect Education Act. [[link removed]] We expect bad-faith lawsuits to be filed against us any day now.
Within hours of Protect Education filing signatures, the Betsy DeVos-backed special interest group American Federation for Children announced it intends to take us to court to keep us off the ballot. Then, former Gov. Doug Ducey announced a new PAC aimed at invalidating the Protect Education Act. [[link removed]] We expect bad-faith lawsuits to be filed against us any day now.
Donate to Support Protect Education’s Legal Fund TODAY! [[link removed]]
They’ll stop at nothing. Why? Because they’re scared. They’re scared of our grassroots army of volunteers and the incredible conversations we’ve had across Arizona. They’re scared that voters will get a real, voter-protected say in the ESA voucher program and how their tax dollars will be used.
And they should be. We’ve seen the polling, and we know that Arizona voters overwhelmingly support these common-sense reforms to the $1 billion. That’s why we were able to collect 420,000+ signatures in 14 weeks in 100-degree temperatures.
BUT, in order for Arizona voters to weigh in, we need to defend these signatures in court. And this is expensive. We are working tirelessly to raise $100,000 in emergency legal funding by next week [[link removed]] . If everyone on our list of public school defenders across Arizona were to each give $10, $25, or $50, [[link removed]] we would meet our goal immediately.
🏛️ AZ Leg Republicans Force Biased Language on Protect Ed & More: Legislative Council met on Wednesday to determine language (which is supposed to be an “impartial analysis” according to state law [[link removed]] ) to describe ballot referrals in the statewide voter pamphlet delivered to Arizona’s 4.3 million voters. In a series of party-line votes, the GOP majority council defeated efforts by Democratic lawmakers to add clarity for voters.
However, when the time came to tell voters about the one measure they never wanted on the ballot, the Protect Education Act [[link removed]] , Republicans didn’t hesitate to ram through draconian amendments clearly intended to harshen the language (from “recoup” funding to “take” funding) and to confuse voters (for example, telling voters Protect Education gives a PAC the right to sue families, which it does not).
When it came to HCR2048 , the legislative referral that blatantly attempts to invalidate the Protect Education Act under the guise of protecting military family scholarships, the committee refused to add language explaining that the intent of their measure is to kill Protect Education. Republican lawmakers’ final language left out the main result and what voters most need to know.
As Rep. Nancy Gutierrez said, the effect of that provision should be made clear in the ballot pamphlet and proposed adding language to tell voters that approval of this Republican measure would specifically invalidate the entire Protect Education Act, "which would enact common-sense reforms to rein in the fraud, waste and abuse in the current ESA voucher program…. People should know that, by voting for this, they are also voting to negate a citizens' initiative. And I think that needs to be extremely clear.” Her amendments were shot down in a party-line vote.
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Lawsuit Filed: Lawyers representing SOSAZ and Protect Education have filed a lawsuit against HCR2048 [[link removed]] , which blatantly attempts to invalidate the Protect Education Act under the guise of protecting military family’s scholarships. HCR2048 is an example of the worst form of legislative trickery, as it was passed in the 11th hour of the last day of legislative session as a striker bill that never went through the legislative process. The case will be heard in the Maricopa Superior Court [[link removed]] in the coming weeks, and legislative Democrats have already filed an amicus brief in support [[link removed]] . Stay tuned!!!
READ THE FULL WEEKLY EDUCATION REPORT HERE [[link removed]]
LEA EL SEMANARIO EN ESPAÑOL [[link removed]]
Don’t Miss – Voucher Watch Video
More Perfect Union came to Arizona this summer to cover our state’s off-the-rails $1 billion voucher program and its devastating impacts on school closures, kids, and communities. It’s a MUST Watch 📽️
Watch the full video ⏩ [youtu.be/JpmIaajDfcM]
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Take Action for Public School Proud Candidates!
Public School Proud Phonebanks!
Saturday, July 11 - 3-5pm [[link removed]]
Sunday, July 12 - 2-4pm [[link removed]]
Monday, July 13 - 5:30-7:30pm [[link removed]]
Tuesday, July 14 - 5-7pm [[link removed]]
Wednesday, July 15 - 5-7pm [[link removed]]
And more! [[link removed]]
Make calls to friendly voters with fellow volunteers on zoom!
SIGN UP HERE [[link removed]]
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Knock with Team Ortiz for LD24!
Taco Tuesday, July 14 - 5:30pm [[link removed]]
Thursday, July 16 - 5pm [[link removed]]
Saturday, July 18 - 9am [[link removed]]
Sunday, July 19 - 5pm [[link removed]]
RSVP HERE [[link removed]]
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Contact Us
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Save Our Schools Arizona
PO Box 28370
Tempe, AZ 85285
United States
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