STATEMENT: AFPI Praises Arizona’s Budget Defending America First Policies

Washington, D.C. – Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Dr. Laurie Todd-Smith, Director of the Center for Education Opportunity at AFPI, applauding the Arizona legislature for passing a budget that delivers for the people of Arizona despite executive challenges: 

“Arizona’s proposed $17.8 billion budget deal is an undoubted win for Arizonans. Despite Governor Hobbs calling the school choice program that provides vouchers for kids and parents a ‘drain,' families in the Grand Canyon state will reap the benefits thanks to the $260 million set aside for family tax credits. House Speaker Ben Toma and the state’s conservative legislators should feel most proud that they saved the state’s universal school voucher program despite promises by their leftist Governor to defund it. 

Since last summer, Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account Program has delivered education freedom for more than 50,000 students. Those students deserve the education opportunities that these scholarships provide. And now, those opportunities are here to stay. Arizona may not have a Governor who puts education freedom first, but they have a state legislature that certainly does.” 

To learn more about AFPI’s Center for Education Opportunity, click here.