Arizona Republicans have taken steps to protect the state’s universal school-choice program and limit the power of teachers unions. In the closing hours of the legislative session, lawmakers advanced two constitutional amendments to the November ballot that defend parental choice and limit the ability of unions to tap taxpayer resources for their operations.

Protecting Parental Choice

The Arizona Education Association union is actively circulating petitions for its Protect Education Act, which would impose regulations and restrictions on Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program. However, the union’s efforts have been met with resistance from Republicans, who have passed measures to protect the scholarship program.

House Concurrent Resolution 2048 proposes a constitutional amendment for voters to consider on the ballot in November. The amendment protects scholarship accounts for children of military families and prohibits the state from confiscating or redirecting funds from those accounts. If voters approve the constitutional amendment in November, the entire Protect Education Act would be invalidated because it would conflict with the new protection for military families.

Limiting Union Power

Lawmakers also passed a second constitutional amendment to the November ballot, which would prohibit the state from using its payroll system to collect dues or other payments for teachers unions. This measure would treat union financing like any other political or advocacy activity that does not automatically receive state collection assistance.

These measures prioritize families over union demands and give Arizona families clear choices on the November ballot. One path preserves education freedom and choice for all students, while the other path returns power to the same organizations that have fought parental empowerment every step of the way.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.