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ARIZONA CAPITOL TIMES CONTRIBUTING ARTICLE

BY KATIE CAMPBELL
Prop. 305 defeat doesn’t end

ght over voucher expansion
Katie Campbell

More than 1 million voters rejected lawmakers’ attempt to
allow every public school student in Arizona to attend private
or parochial schools on taxpayer dollars – but the ght isn’t over.
Dawn Penich-Thacker, the spokeswoman for the group
responsible for sending the expansion to the ballot, announced
Proposition 305’s downfall to cheers.
She said the result seemed unlikely nearly two years ago
when the Legislature passed then-Sen. Debbie Lesko’s Senate
Bill 1431 and a new group dubbed Save Our Schools Arizona
promised a referendum.
And she had a message for lawmakers, new and old.
“Tonight’s rejection of vouchers is a mandate: Supporting
and investing in public education is your priority,” she said.
Penich-Thacker said the reason Prop. 305 failed was
because of the state of public education funding. She said the
pro-voucher crowd has to take a step back and deal with that
issue before trying to return with another attempt at voucher
expansion.
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34 THE EDGE | WINTER 2019