By Howard Fischer
Mail | Twitter: @azcapmedia

PHOENIX – A Tempe lawmaker who leads the Arizona Senate Democrats said Gov. Katie Hobbs’ decision to give up on her demand to curb universal school vouchers will be a hard sell for her party in approving a bipartisan state budget.

The proposed spending plan released May 8 has Hobbs, also a Democrat, backing away from her demand to curb the program that allows any parent already sending their child to private or parochial schools to now get the bill picked up by taxpayers.

A deal Hobbs negotiated with GOP leaders, unveiled Monday, continues in place the universal vouchers approved last year by the Republican-controlled Legislature and signed into law by Doug Ducey, her GOP predecessor.

The $17.8 billion spending plan also does not pause enrollment for what are known as "empowerment scholarship accounts.''

Senate Minority Leader Mitzi Epstein of Tempe doesn’t like it.

"We are fighting tooth and nail,'' she told Capitol Media Services on Monday. "We are going to the mat for the people of Arizona and not let this fiscally imprudent, downright irresponsible idea go forward.''

The key, Epstein said, is investing in public education so "all our kids can go to their dream school.''

Hobbs brushed aside questions about agreeing to unlimited universal vouchers.

"I'm not going to negotiate the budget here,'' she said.

Hobbs said Monday that she remains convinced that universal vouchers are a bad idea.

"I think that we can agree that the voucher program is a drain on resources that should be directed at public education,'' she said.

But the governor, after acknowledging the deal to keep universal vouchers in place, denied that it was ever her intent to repeal the program - despite the fact that her own budget proposal would have eliminated the additional dollars.

"I didn't say we're going to end it,'' Hobbs said.

"It is a goal, certainly,'' she said, which is why she put it in her budget.

But Hobbs, for whom this is the first budget she has proposed as governor, said she knew she would have to negotiate with the Republican-controlled Legislature. And she acknowledged she wouldn't be able to get everything she wanted.

"I knew from Day One in order to get a budget over the finish line it had to be bipartisan,'' the governor said. "We are going to have to give some things up, the Republicans are going to have to give some things up.''

Epstein remains unconvinced that keeping universal vouchers in place is a good deal.

"We want all our kids to go to their dream school,'' she said.

"But we can't do it with a hole in the budget,'' Epstein said.

"And right now, we have a hole we have to address,'' she said, regardless of philosophical arguments of who should be able to get state funds to go to private schools.

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.