Gov. Doug Ducey signed a $3.5 billion funding plan for K-12 public schools into law Friday. The 10-year plan puts to rest a long-standing lawsuit over whether the state shorted schools more than $1 billion in inflation payments.
Voters will have to approve the plan in a May special election before any of the new dollars are spent in classrooms.
Arizona Week Friday looks at the consequences of the deal for schools and the state’s finances.
On the program:
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Luige del Puerto, an assistant editor at the Arizona Capitol Times, breaks down the origins of the education funding lawsuit.
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Arizona Treasurer Jeff DeWit says the plan to tap into the State Land Trust is not fiscally responsible.
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House Minority Leader Eric Meyer discusses why many Democrats agreed to the plan, even as they had concerns about how it could influence Arizona’s future finances.
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Senate Finance Chair Debbie Lesko was one of the Republican leaders who helped broker the plan.
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Tapping into the State Land Trust requires voter approval. Howard Fischer, of Capitol Media Services, explains what that means.
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