Pictured left to right are PebbleCreek Democratic Club President Vicki Barber, Representative Stephanie Stahl-Hamilton, Representative Marianna Sandoval, and PebbleCreek Democratic Club Vice President John Moore.
J. Kirk Brown
Up to $1 billion a year of Arizona taxpayers’ money is now being paid to wealthy Arizona families who were already able to afford paying for their children’s education in private schools before the Arizona school voucher program was enacted. That is a billion dollars a year that is no longer available to educate the over 90% of Arizona’s children who still attend and rely upon Arizona’s public schools.
This sobering information was provided at the April meeting of the PebbleCreek Democratic Club by the ranking Democrat on the Arizona House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, Stephanie Stahl-Hamilton (23rd Legislative District). Representative Stahl-Hamilton was introduced by Arizona House of Representatives member Marianna Sandoval of the 21st Legislative District.
To balance that billion-dollar outflow of tax dollars to wealthy Arizona families, Republicans are proposing to cut funding to other state programs that directly benefit Arizona’s middle-income and lower-income families, Representative Stahl-Hamilton explained.
The May meeting of the PebbleCreek Democratic Club will be addressed by Dr. Teresa Ruiz, seeking election as Arizona’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction. A native Arizonan, Dr. Ruiz received her Doctor of Education from ASU, and has dedicated 35 years to Arizona’s classrooms, as a math teacher, an administrator, and ultimately as the president of Glendale Community College.
Also speaking will be Francesca Martin, co-founder of Keep Arizona Blue, which is an organization that focuses on engaging young voters across the state.