Do the Voters Matter?
So, what is it about political power in our state? Republicans, specifically one out of our district in Southern Arizona, wants more government control by taking power away from the people of Arizona. In the Capitol Times article “Fit to be tied: Republican lawmakers say Prop. 105 too restrictive,” Rep. David Stevens, R-Sierra Vista (District 25), said he is vying to put legislation back on the agenda next year to limit voters’ decision-making power.
Specifically, Stevens wants to alter Prop. 105, the 1998 ballot measure that strictly limits the Legislature’s ability to tamper with voter-approved measures. Translation: he wants to take power away from Arizona voters.
As voters, we approved things like First Things First and Growing Smarter, early childhood education initiatives that would help kids get a jump start on their future so they can compete in a global economy. We approved these initiatives so that our money would be protected from legislative power grabs.
Unfortunately, those power grabs have already happened. Republicans promised that receipts from last year’s sales tax increase by way of Prop. 100 would be used to protect education. But Gov. Jan Brewer and Republicans massively cut education again this year by hundreds of millions of dollars. Meanwhile, they gave away tax breaks to big corporations and the rich instead of making them pay their fair share. And, remember, two years ago they eliminated all-day Kindergarten.
Yet again, here is another attack on early childhood education. Stevens wants to make another hit on our kids’ schools. That’s especially devastating to Southern Arizona where rural school districts suffer from cuts the most.
It’s also just an outright insult to voters. There’s a reason Prop. 105 exists – voters have a hard time trusting politicians at the capitol, and why shouldn’t they, when theses legislators are slashing funding for our kids schools and pushing Arizona down the wrong track, again?
Prop. 105 holds government accountable, but Stevens and Republicans don’t want that, and after their actions this session, it’s easy to see why.