Education Activists Across Arizona Gather Petition Signatures to Save Voter Approved Invest in Ed-Proposition 208

Across Arizona, today (July 17, 2021,) Education Activists set up petition signature sites across the state to save voter-approved public education funding increases from the flat tax-cutting-anti democratic efforts of Governor Doug Ducey and the Republicans in the State Legislature.

Saying “Arizonans have been loud and consistent in their support for public education funding” with the Red for Ed and Invest in Ed movements, Arizona Education Association President Joe Thomas stated at the kickoff event this morning in Phoenix that the “Invest in Arizona coalition is launching a referral effort against tax-cutting schemes for millionaires that, if enacted, will damage our state for a generation.”  

The three legislative measures that activists are gathering petition signatures to repeal at the ballot box in the 2022 elections are:

• Doing away with the Flat Tax (SB1828) passed in the last days of the Arizona Legislative Session. This flat tax would if allowed to remain, give the ultra-wealthy a tax cut of hundreds of thousands of dollars they do not need and damage the long-term economic prosperity of the state during slow fiscal activity and when demographic increases in the Grand Canyon State halt.
• Eliminating the 4.5 percent tax cap on people making over $500,000 or more (SB1827.) This could reduce $800 million annually from state revenues.
• Making it possible for wealthy families to declare themselves small businesses so they can avoid paying the Proposition 208-Invest in Ed tax surcharge (SB1783.)

If the petitioners are successful and these regressive tax-cutting and anti-democratic measures are defeated at the ballot box in 2022:

• Hundreds of millions of dollars would be restored to education, vital social justice programs, and infrastructure areas.
• The will of the people and their vote to approve Prop 208-Invest in Ed will be protected and upheld.
• The economic stability of Arizona will be secured as it does not go through an experience like Kansas did several years ago when their Governor and legislature attempted the same failed fiscal policies.

Volunteers Gathered at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe

Shortly after 10:00 a.m. today (July 17, 2021,) three volunteers showed up at the Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe to start collecting petition signatures to repeal SB 1783, SB 1827, and SB 1828.

They were Save Our Schools East Valley Coordinator Rachel Clawson, Arizona Education Association Member, Arizona Educators United Organizer, and Mesa Public Schools Special Education Teacher Judy Robbins, and Save Our Schools Volunteer and Gilbert Special Education Instructor Heather Schlemmer.

All three are dedicated educators who want to undo the unwise measures Governor Ducey and the Republicans in the State Legislature are doing to children, public schools, and the long-term economic viability of the state.

In why was it important to gather these petitions and stop the three regressive measures from becoming enacted, Ms. Clawson said:

“The voters passed 208 in November and the legislature passed these bills to take Prop 208 apart. Referring all three to the ballot will hopefully save Arizona Schools a billion dollars.”

Ms. Robbins maintained that “the flat tax is bad for Arizona because it will take out much-needed revenue from our general fund and starve the already weak services Arizona already has like schools and health care. This will never be reversed if this goes through because it takes two-thirds of the legislature to vote to reverse it. If implemented, it is a permanent tax cut. Kansas did this in the early 2010s and they reversed it because it devasted their economy. We do not want what happened in Kansas in Arizona.”

Ms. Schlemmer stated she was there “because I am an educator and mom of school-age children (a seven and 11-year-old.) I have never worked in a fully-funded school and my children never attended one. My children and students deserve better.”

To sum up, this is what is at stake:

• Our Democracy and the will of the people who already voted for higher public school funding.
• The long-term economic viability of Arizona.
• Being able to increase funding for public schools, other social justice areas, and infrastructure needs.

For more information on how you can either help gather petitions or go and sign one, please click on the Invest in Arizona site here. 

There is a little more than two months to act.

Please help save Arizona’s Democracy, ensure its economic viability, and restore public school funding.