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Immediately after the Arizona House of Representatives passed legislation, SB1431, to expand Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program, Speaker of the House J.D. Mesnard and Majority Leader John Allen gloated in reaction to teachers and other public education activists shouting “shame” from the gallery.
House Democratic Leader Rebecca Rios echoed their sentiments by calling the legislation “shameful.”
“This legislation wasn’t about public schools or private schools – it was about Arizona’s kids getting the education their parents think best,” said Mesnard in a press release.
The bill passed 31-28-1, with 4 republicans joining all democrats in opposition.
A report from the bipartisan Joint Legislative Budget Committee found that the expansion of the Empowerment Scholarship Account program to all Arizona K-12 students by the 2020 school year would increase the State’s General Fund costs considerably.
According to that report, “the bill would increase state General Fund costs by $2.1 million in FY 2018, $5.8 million in FY 2019, $12.9 million in FY 2020, and $24.5 million when all prior public school students are eligible in FY 2021.”
Related article: Lesko’s Empowerment Scholarship Bill Comes With Hefty Bill
| Representative | Vote |
| ALLEN J | Y |
| ALSTON | N |
| ANDRADE | N |
| BARTON | Y |
| BENALLY | N |
| BLANC | N |
| BOLDING | N |
| BOWERS | Y |
| BOYER | Y |
| BUTLER | N |
| CAMPBELL | Y |
| CARDENAS | N |
| CARTER | N |
| CHÁVEZ | N |
| CLARK | N |
| CLODFELTER | N |
| COBB | Y |
| COLEMAN | N |
| COOK | Y |
| DESCHEENIE | N |
| ENGEL | N |
| EPSTEIN | N |
| ESPINOZA | N |
| FARNSWORTH E | Y |
| FERNANDEZ | N |
| FINCHEM | Y |
| FRIESE | N |
| GABALDÓN | N |
| GONZALES | NV |
| GRANTHAM | Y |
| HERNANDEZ | N |
| JOHN | Y |
| KERN | Y |
| LAWRENCE | Y |
| LEACH | Y |
| LIVINGSTON | Y |
| LOVAS | Y |
| MARTINEZ | N |
| MITCHELL | Y |
| MOSLEY | Y |
| NAVARRETE | N |
| NORGAARD | Y |
| NUTT | Y |
| PAYNE | Y |
| POWERS HANNLEY | N |
| RIOS | N |
| RIVERO | Y |
| RUBALCAVA | N |
| SALDATE | N |
| SALMAN | N |
| SHOOTER | Y |
| SHOPE | Y |
| STRINGER | Y |
| SYMS | Y |
| THORPE | Y |
| TOWNSEND | Y |
| UDALL | N |
| UGENTI-RITA | Y |
| WENINGER | Y |
| MESNARD | Y |