The ongoing disagreement between Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne over the state’s school voucher program, specifically the Empowerment Scholarship Account ESA program, is intensifying in 2024.
Hobbs, in her 2025 State of the State address, argued that the ESA program has strayed from its original purpose, which was to support children with special needs and military families. She criticized it as unchecked and a billion-dollar boondoggle, calling for overdue accountability.
Hobbs proposed measures like instituting income caps and ensuring taxpayer money is spent responsibly.
On the other hand, Horne has defended the program, stating that his office has implemented new oversight measures, including hiring an auditor and an investigator, and using risk-based auditing for expenses.
He also pointed out that the automatic reimbursement method for small ESA expenditures was a process approved by Hobbs herself, criticizing her for not understanding the budget legislation she signed.
The two have clashed before, including over delays in teacher certifications, which Horne attributed to a new computer system, and Hobbs’s opposition to automatic ESA reimbursements for small amounts. The battle over the ESA program remains a contentious issue in Arizona’s education and fiscal policy debates.