Ducey gets word of his opponents’ referendum win

Gov. Doug Ducey was notified Friday evening that foes of his school-voucher expansion law had qualified their referendum for the November 2018 ballot, where they will seek to undo the expansion.

The state elections director announced the news on Twitter, and through an email to Beth Lewis, chair----

woman of Save Our Schools Arizona. That group, a coalition of parents and public-school advocates, seeks to undo legislation that made all public-school kids eligible for the school-voucher program, capping it at 30,000 by 2022.

Members of the group say the voucher program, which until the expansion was limited to certain students, including those with special-needs and in poor-performing schools, lacks oversight by state officials.

The group also opposes the use of tax dollars to pay for students’ private and religious school tuition.

School-choice advocates say the program would give parents greater control over their children’s education.

“Please see attached final receipt and certification for Referendum R-02-2018, hereafter known as Proposition 305,” election director Eric Spencer wrote in an email to Save Our Schools Arizona Chair Beth Lewis.

He tweeted, “The final results are in — Proposition 305 has qualified for the 2018 General Election ballot.”

The tweet was accompanied by a copy of the letter sent to Ducey notifying him of the development.

To undo the expansion, voters would vote cast a “no” vote on Prop. 305; to keep it, voters would cast a “yes” vote.

The expansion has been on hold since August when Save Our Schools Arizona turned in more than 100,000 signatures to prevent it from being enacted.

Save Our Schools Arizona celebrated their victory with a tweet of their own.

And then immediately began to explain to voters what a “no” vote vs. a “yes” vote would mean.

Ducey, who whipped up the final GOP votes back in August to pass the expansion program, has not commented on the group’s win.

One of the governor’s allies, American Federation for Children, on Friday, tweeted a link to an opinion favorable of the expansion measure, writing, “In #Arizona, ‘the repeal of #ESAs does not represent the will of the people.’”

The tweet linked to a letter published by the Glendale Star that applauded Ducey and lawmakers for passing the measure, writing that “competition drives excellence.”