Save Our Schools Arizona is clearly frustrated in its mission to stop families from having the freedom of school choice. For a few months now, the group has been gathering signatures throughout Arizona for a ballot initiative aimed at overturning universal Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA). You know…the law that was passed this summer to ensure every child gets the education they deserve. The one that even some Democrats and prominent black leaders like Pastor Drew Anderson fought for. The law that actually saves taxpayers moneyand was so popular that its launch overwhelmed the Arizona Department of Education’s website!
Not long after Save Our Schools started its signature gathering, an organic movement of parents, teachers, and community organizers led by Christine Accurso hit the streets and social media to combat the lies peacefully. With basically no funding, the group—known as Decline to Sign Arizona—has met Save Our Schools at every turn to help every petition signer understand the truth about what they are signing. They stood on street corners in 110-degree weather. They alerted business owners when their private property was being used by Save Our Schools without permission to collect signatures. And they mobilized to have a presence anywhere Save Our Schools showed up—all in the name of protecting school choice.
While we should know by the end of this week if Save Our Schools has the 118,823 valid signatures to get on the ballot, it’s clear that the Decline to Sign movement has left them frustrated. Just look at this weekend’s Twitter meltdown from Save Our Schools director Beth Lewis. It has all the usual signs of a group in desperation:
Calling the peaceful protestors MAGA extremists…check.
Accusing Decline to Sign of “interfering with democracy…” check.
Avoiding persuasive facts and continuing to peddle lies by falsely labeling ESAs as vouchers…check.
If Save our Schools’ ballot initiative was worthwhile, you would think its director could avoid the name-calling and simply sell her viewpoint. But instead, she pulls from the Left’s predictable playbook to work the “Trump” name into her rant in a Hail Mary attempt to get some attention.
Maybe it will work this time. Maybe Save Our Schools will wind up with enough signatures to get on the ballot. But regardless of the outcome, the Decline to Sign movement has become the perfect illustration of how to fight back against the Left.
It doesn’t take millions of dollars spent on consultants, advertising, and politicians to do your bidding. You get on the ground, hit the streets, and fight. You make them squirm. You make passionate and reasoned arguments based on facts until they expose themselves by abandoning their talking points and resorting to name-calling.
This is how you beat the Left.
Right now, it’s for school choice, which, as Pastor Drew says, is the civil rights issue of our generation. But the battles won’t stop there. Even if conservatives control the legislature and the executive branch, the Left will keep fighting. That’s why it’s critical that the people are there to meet them at every turn. We can’t sit back on the sidelines and expect our elected leaders to do it all. It’s time for conservatives to step up. Thankfully, Decline to Sign Arizona has given us the playbook.
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The Club’s 2022 legislative scorecard (View House of Representatives Scorecard and Senate Scorecard) included a thorough review of 22 bills in the House and 30 bills in the Senate, legislative actions and votes taken by lawmakers this session with an emphasis on the Club’s supported or opposed bills. The methodology included other issues important to our grassroots activists such as good governance reforms, school choice and parental rights, fighting Green New Deal policies, and rejecting corporate welfare.
Issues weighed heavily in the scorecard included bills relating to income tax policy and election integrity, both of which were prime issues for the Club’s agenda for 2022.
Not all legislation was weighted equally but ranked by Club priority. Highly prioritized were bad policies such as the “Build Back Broke” agenda which included bills such as the Maricopa County sales tax increase referral to fund transit projects and other Green New Deal infrastructure projects, the Hollywood tax credit program and other refundable tax credit programs such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and the R&D Tax Credit, and the statewide sales tax increase referral for fire districts.
Club President Scot Mussi expounded, “Our organization was founded to fight for the taxpayer of Arizona. The ability of ‘woke’ corporations to secure major tax carveouts, in some instances zeroing out all tax liability, is a serious threat to a broad-based, low-tax environment for every Arizona family and small business. Our lawmakers shouldn’t be picking winners and losers but representing all Arizona taxpayers.”
Ultimately, several bills became the focus of these efforts and were included in the overall methodology. Here is a sampling of some of the bad bills that were weighed in the 2022 legislative scorecard:
SB1708: (motion picture production; tax credit) establishes a refundable tax credit program for businesses and individuals to produce films in Arizona.
SB1356: (transportation tax; election; Maricopa County) Referred to voters a half cent sales tax for 25 years to fund predominantly transit and other Green New Deal infrastructure projects in Maricopa County.
HB2862: (general appropriations act; 2022-2023) The “feed bill” which is the main appropriation bill for the budget. This year the Club scored this budget bill negatively as the budget turned into a Democrat spending spree with a 40% increase in spending from last year’s budget and was a part of a deal that included many of the “Build Back Broke” bills.
SB1018: (earned income; tax credit): Creates a state level refundable earned income tax credit.
Also included in the Club’s legislative priorities were several bills dealing with election integrity. Despite dozens of bills being introduced. these bills were top Club issues the entire session:
HB2492: (voter registration; verification; citizenship): bolster safeguards to ensure only legal citizens may register and vote in our elections.
HB2617: (voter registration; cancellations; causes): Creates a set of database check requirements for regular voter role maintenance.
SB1362: (early ballot on-site tabulation): Sets up a process for counties to allow voters to tabulate their mail-in ballots on election day.
SCR1012: (voter identification; voting): A referral to voters to requirement voter ID on mail-in ballots.
Given the rigorous criteria in the Club’s 2022 scorecard, the top performing legislators distinguished themselves as faithful conservatives in the caucus. These members consistently fight for limited government, free market principles, low, smart and fair taxes, and individual liberties. The Club Top performers in the Legislature who have earned an ‘A’ in 2022 included:
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Every American should be free to peacefully support causes they believe in without being harassed or intimidated.
Someone should tell that to Terry Goddard. For years, the former Attorney General of Arizona has been leading a campaign to “Stop Dark Money” in our state. Although the name sounds nefarious, it’s nothing more than clever messaging aimed to scare the average person.
But now Goddard’s new donor harassment initiative is set to file signatures in the coming days. And if it makes it onto the ballot and becomes law, it would be a devastating blow to donor privacy and free speech.
Known as the Voters’ Right to Know Act, the proposed ballot measure attempts to require any group or entity that spends over $50,000 in a statewide race (or $25,000 in any other race) to not only disclose their donors, but also the “original source” of any funds received. That applies to both candidate expenditures and ballot measures. While on the surface, that may not concern someone who doesn’t give to election races, this is just the start.
To say that this is a poorly drafted measure would be a severe understatement. Just take a look for yourself at the ballot language right here. There isn’t a nonprofit, PAC, or any other entity that spends funds supporting or opposing a candidate or ballot measure that could ever comply with this absurd initiative. But that’s just one of the many issues.
The Voters’ Right to Know Act is another attempt to silence free speech—and to target, harass, and dox private citizens. If you don’t think it will do just that, think again. You can ask former Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich about his experience. Back in 2010, California’s then-Attorney General Kamala Harris began ordering nonprofits that fundraised in the state to disclose the information of their major donors. And Eich was forced to step down from his position amid a flurry of backlash when it was made public that he donated money in support of California’s Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that aimed to define marriage as between one man and one woman. But the harassment didn’t stop with Eich.
Organizations like Thomas More Law Center and Americans for Prosperity Foundation faced similar intimidation. And some Thomas More Law Center donors, employees, and clients even faced death threats, hate mail, and an assassination plot from those who opposed them.
The Voters’ Right to Know Act in Arizona will only make it worse. But just to be sure you know exactly who this initiative is targeting, consider this. Corporate media, big tech, and other liberal institutions are exempt from the measure. And the way it is drafted would also exempt most labor unions. That means the disclosure requirements of this measure would disproportionately impact conservatives. They’re not even trying to hide it! They want to dox conservatives, intimidate them, and harass anyone who doesn’t believe what the Left wants them to believe or say what the Left wants them to say.
And if the ballot language isn’t proof enough, take a look and see if the Voters’ Right to Know Committee is even willing to follow its own advice. Here’s the group’s campaign finance report from Quarter 2 of 2021, and here’s their campaign finance report from Quarter 1 of 2022. Do you see the hypocrisy? They have received money from corporations and out-of-state PACs and have not disclosed the “original source” of the funds!
This isn’t about “stopping dark money.” It’s about scaring people—especially conservatives—into complete submission to the liberal agenda.
But before Goddard and his group go any further with this measure, they may want to review the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Americans for Prosperity v. Bonta from last year. The high court struck down the California law we mentioned earlier because the First Amendment protects the freedom to support organizations and nonprofits anonymously. That means this initiative is likely unconstitutional and would probably get struck down as well. And if it gets that far, it should. Because donors deserve privacy, and not protecting that right is dangerous.
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The overwhelming majority of people are done with COVID restrictions. Just look at the reaction when mask mandates were put to an end on airplanes last month. Cheering. Celebration. Throwing masks away. There’s nothing surprising about this—unless of course you’re a member of the liberal media.
With a desire to tackle COVID overreach head on, our own state lawmakers got to work last year. And through a series of Budget Reconciliation Bills, they took important steps to protect Arizonans from more COVID mandates.
But then in November, some of the protections were thrown out in court on procedural grounds. Thankfully, the Arizona legislature didn’t ignore the problem and got back to work this year. Now, they have passed several significant bills that are officially signed into law to protect against future COVID and government overreach.
Vaccines should always be voluntary and never be forced. That’s why Representative Jake Hoffman introduced HB2498. This bill prohibits governments from mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for any Arizonan, and it was signed into law by Governor Ducey late last month.
During the early part of the pandemic, many churches and religious services were shut down and considered non-essential. But the U.S. Constitution protects the free exercise of religion, including the right to hold beliefs inwardly as well as the right to act on those beliefs publicly. That’s why House Republican Majority Leader Ben Toma sponsored HB2507.
This critical piece of legislation defines a religious service as an essential service during a declared state of emergency. And it protects the fundamental right of the people of Arizona to exercise their religion freely during a time of crisis. Finally, it also protects religious organizations from discrimination when they seek to operate during a state of emergency. HB2507 was signed into law by Governor Ducey in April.
One of the most heartbreaking parts of the pandemic was watching children be forced to wear masks with no study to back this up. That’s why Representative Joseph Chaplik sponsored HB2616. This bill puts the final say on masks in the hands of parents rather than school officials or other bureaucrats. Just like with the bills above, Governor Ducey signed it into law last month.
Wearing a mask shouldn’t be a prerequisite for having access to the government. That’s why Representative Neal Carter introduced HB2453. This bill prohibits government properties from requiring masks, with the exception of areas with workplace safety and infection control measures that are unrelated to COVID-19. Governor Ducey signed HB2453 into law earlier this month.
As you may recall, at times it felt like that the state of emergency due to COVID would last forever. It was only until this past March that Governor Ducey ended it—over two years after he originally issued it.
That’s why Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita introduced SB1009. This bill ensures that governors only have the authority to issue a state of emergency for public health emergencies for 30 days. After that, the governor is limited to extending that state of emergency for 30 days at a time with a limit of 120 days. From there, the state legislature has to consent to any new state of emergency.
Governor Ducey signed SB1009 into law at the beginning of May.
In addition to signing each of these bills into law, Governor Ducey also took immediate action at the beginning of January to protect students and parents from more school shutdowns. As students headed back to school after their winter break, he made up to $7,000 available for families who may face financial or educational barriers due to unexpected school closures. This was a step in the right direction to make sure that families who met the income requirements had access to funds for childcare, school-coordinated transportation, online tutoring, and school tuition if their school was shutdown.
It’s certainly too bad that it ever came to this. While there’s no doubt that COVID was an issue that warranted some action, it never should have included trampling on the rights of the people—especially children. Thankfully, state lawmakers didn’t waste any time after last November’s court decision. And now, the people of Arizona are protected by law against schools, mayors, governors, and more who want to further restrict our freedoms due to COVID.
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If there’s one entity that specializes in giving people something they don’t need—or aren’t even asking for—it’s the government. So, naturally, while the country faces sky-high inflation and Arizonans make sacrifices in their family budgets, the Town of Gilbert saw fit to discuss a potential…commuter rail.
That’s right. At the end of April, the Gilbert Town Council announced that it’s considering a $289,000 consulting contract for a feasibility study on establishing a commuter rail. What this would accomplish—and why anyone thinks this would be good for Gilbert—remains a mystery.
Even before COVID, public transit usage has been on the decline. And that’s only worsened since. The federal Government Accountability Office reported that suburban commuter rails across the U.S. have seen a 79% drop from pre-pandemic levels. But if you don’t believe the data, then just take a look with your eyes. Next time you’re driving around in the East Valley and see a Valley Metro bus, count the number of people you see inside. It won’t take you long…because there’s nobody on it!
With the demand for public transportation at an all-time low, it seems the only thing commuter rails may be good for at this point is increasing crime. Transit crime rates have reached an all-time high in areas where they have the most use like New York City, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. You’d have to be taking crazy pills if you think the people in the East Valley want to be a part of that list.
And that’s if the residents of Gilbert even realize this is being discussed. Councilwoman Yung Koprowski, who just so happens to own a transportation planning and civil engineering firm, insists that the community knows about this potential project because the town published it in documents it made available to residents. That’s probably how most people spend their time, right? Sitting around reading government planning documents they weren’t involved in.
The reality is, until AZ Free Newscovered the story and the Gilbert Sun Newsfollowed several days later, only those in the inner bubble knew about it. And that’s by design. The goal of this $289,000 study isn’t about establishing feasibility. It’s a scheme to whip up something with pretty pictures that distracts from the facts behind commuter rails and inspires public support. After all, that’s the only way to try to squeeze even more money from taxpayers who will be forced to foot the bill for this boondoggle.
Rest assured that Gilbert residents aren’t the only ones who will be on the hook. Commuter rails often require a local sales tax in addition to state subsidies. And you can be certain that Build Back Bankruptcy dollars from the federal government will also be in the mix. That means every taxpayer in the state will be affected in some way.
If the goal is to turn Arizona into the next California, this is a good place to start. But we’ll go ahead and save Gilbert $289,000. A commuter rail in the East Valley is unfeasible—and it would be a complete nightmare.
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Once upon a time, teachers were measured by their ability to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic. And schools did everything they could to ensure that the teachers they hired were trained properly in these critical subjects.
But now, too many school districts have refocused their priorities, opting to indoctrinate our kids with diversity, equity, and inclusion. We’ve certainly seen it with the cleverly disguised Marxism inherent to Critical Race Theory. But this isn’t the only avenue the left is using to come after students.
Pushing gender and sexual identity have also become popular. One Arizona school district has even gone so far as to encourage children to replace their “deadname”—the birth name that individuals reject upon transitioning genders—with their preferred name on their school ID. And now, a school in that same district, Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD), has required middle school teachers to attend grooming training.
As reported by AZ Free News, Cocopah Middle School Principal Nick Noonan required teachers at the school to attend a training on how to affirm LGBTQ+ ideologies in children. The two-hour training, called “Safe Spaces,” was conducted by the Phoenix chapter of the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) for a fee of $500. (Your tax dollars hard at work…)
Asks teachers to assess their personal beliefs to dismantle internalized homophobia and transphobia.
Teaches educators to ignore science in favor of concepts like “gender identity” and the idea that sex is fluid.
Instructs educators to make it known that they support LGBTQ+ children by posting LGBTQ+ materials like stickers and posters in their classroom or office or wearing LGBTQ+ buttons or wristbands.
Encourages teachers to avoid using proper English pronouns like “he” or “she” in favor of the word “they” to describe a singular person.
Recommends educators incorporate LGBTQ+ ideologies in their curriculum and activities.
Instructs teachers to hide the information a student discloses to them about their sexual orientation or gender identity from that students’ parents.
None of this belongs in our schools. And it certainly doesn’t belong as part of a training for teachers who instruct students ages 12-14. But as concerning as every aspect of this training is, that last one in particular is outrageous. Schools should never be working to actively hide information from a student’s parents—especially when it comes to issues of sexuality. That is the very definition of “grooming.” GLSEN and Cocopah Middle School are literally instructing teachers to build trust, dependency, and other emotional connections with students on issues of sexuality while keeping it from their parents! This can’t be allowed.
Thankfully, the Arizona legislature took a step in the right direction by passing HB2161. The bill prohibits state employees, political subdivisions, governmental entities, or any other institution from withholding a minor’s records from parents, and it currently awaits Governor Ducey’s signature before becoming law. In the meantime, schools like Cocopah must be held accountable for requiring teachers to attend grooming training. Issues of sexuality are matters that should be handled between a parent and child. And teachers should be focused on teaching the three Rs—along with proper English and actual science.
Help Protect Freedom in Arizona by Joining Our Grassroots Network
Arizona needs to have a unified voice promoting economic freedom and prosperity, and the Free Enterprise Club is committed to making that happen. But we can’t do it alone. We need YOU!
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