On July 17, 2021, parents, teachers, and advocacy organizations kicked off their campaign to stop and refer recently passed bills to the ballot for voters to decide. The Invest in Education campaign, including AEA, that accomplished a historic election win at the ballot box last November, is now leading the effort to defend state revenues by relaunching their efforts as Invest in Arizona.
Arizona legislators recently voted for several bills including cuts that will affect water, roads, public safety, health care, and city infrastructure as well as education. They also passed massive tax cuts and legislation to decrease the revenue generated by the voter-approved Invest in Education Act, eliminating hundreds of millions of dollars that were supposed to reach teachers and students.
Invest in Arizona is running three referenda campaigns that target specific bills that were passed during the legislative session this year. These bills are:
- 1828, a so-called “Flat Tax” which primarily benefits Arizona’s wealthiest individuals, giving them massive handouts and guts hundreds of millions from state revenues.
- SB 1783, a direct attack on the Invest in Education Act and the 1.7 million Arizona voters who passed it. The bill siphons off over $300 million dollars that voters passed, taken away from teachers and students.
- 1827, another give-away for Arizona’s wealthiest friends of the Governor, ensuring that they never pay their fair share into the state’s general fund.
The event was held at the Arizona Education Association headquarters in Phoenix. The event included drive-thru petition signing stations, canvassing, and a press conference. Hundreds of people showed up to volunteer and sign petitions that day.
“These cuts undermine education, infrastructure, and the future of Arizona. The Governor and his cronies want you to think it's over. It is not,” said AEA President Joe Thomas, in a press conference held that day. "We’ve been continuously nickel and dimed by this legislature and this governor and they’ve done it again. It’s unconscionable."
“47 Republican state legislators and the governor have overturned the will of 1.7 million Arizona voters. By passing these sneaky budget schemes, this small group of politicians are helping their rich friends avoid paying their fair share to public schools. Worst of all, they are trying to silence voters,” said Rebecca Gau, Executive Director of Stand for Children Arizona. "There is a moral imperative to honor the will of the people and stop these attacks on voters, just because a few politicos are angry that they lost an election," she added.
