Republican Arizona lawmakers on Thursday dramatically expanded a school voucher program by extending eligibility to all 1.1 million state schoolchildren despite vehement opposition from Democrats who believe it will undercut public education and cost taxpayers untold millions of dollars. Republican backers call the measure a needed school choice expansion, but opponents argued it will benefit the wealthy, who they say will use state money to pay for private education they would fund anyway. "We need to properly fund public schools before we send dollars elsewhere," Republican Rep. Michelle Udall said. The billionaire is a vocal supporter of school choice and voucher programs, putting the nation's top education official firmly behind the Arizona proposal. "I was really surprised to hear that the governor was making this a priority," said Joe Thomas, president of the Arizona Education Association, which represents public school teachers.

Source: ABC News April 07, 2017 00:33 UTC