The ongoing battle between two Arizona campaigns over school voucher reforms intensifies as allegations of misconduct and unethical practices surface amidst their effort to sway voter opinion.
Two factions, Protect Education Now and Fortify AZ, are at the forefront of the debate, each pushing for their version of reform to make it to the November ballot. Protect Education Now, supported by the Arizona Education Association and Save Our Schools Arizona, proposes stricter regulations on the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, including an income cap of $150,000 for participating families and requiring private schools to adhere to standards applied to public schools.
Conversely, Fortify AZ, funded by the American Federation for Children, seeks similar voter approval but omits key elements such as the income cap, which was previously supported by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs but failed to pass.
The Allegations
As both groups aim to collect the necessary 256,000 voter signatures, tensions have risen. Protect Education Now has accused Fortify AZ of disruptive tactics. A cease-and-desist letter, as reported by KJZZ, describes incidents where Fortify AZ’s signature gatherers allegedly obstructed those working for Protect Education Now and spread misinformation.
Jim Barton, the attorney for Protect Education Now, stated, “We’re seeing amped up, physically moving between the signer and the petition gatherer, you know, sort of very loudly, trying to interrupt the things that are going on.” Barton claims these actions might breach state laws prohibiting coercion to deter petition signings.
Furthermore, the letter accuses Fortify AZ of using misleading language, making their petition appear similar to that of Protect Education Now’s, despite significant differences like the income cap.
Fortify AZ has refuted these accusations, dismissing them as baseless and labeling Protect Education Now as a “failing campaign.” The campaign emphasized its commitment to installing necessary guardrails for the voucher program.
Signature Poaching Allegations
Controversy also involves the signature gathering companies employed by both campaigns. Protect Education Now claims that AZ Petition Partners, working for Fortify AZ, attempted to lure away Fieldworks employees (contracted by Protect Education Now) by offering higher wages, reportedly $45 per hour compared to the $22-$25 offered by Fieldworks.
Barton suggested that these actions were intended to disrupt Protect Education Now’s efforts, alleging, “When they’re trying to lure someone away, they’re trying to say to that person, ‘Hey, break your contract, violate your non-compete, and come work for us.’”
While Barton did not reveal whether legal action would be pursued, he indicated that the campaign might consider further steps should the alleged behavior persist.
