Oral Arguments Over School Vouchers Heard In Maricopa County Superior Court

By Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services
Published: Friday, December 1, 2017 - 5:47pm
Maricopa County Superior Court

Foes of universal school vouchers told Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Margaret Mahoney on Friday afternoon that she cannot consider a challenge brought by those who want to keep voters from getting the last word on the plan.

Roopali Desai, representing Save Our Schools Arizona, argued the lawsuit to kill the referendum is based on claims that there are a variety of flaws in the petitions and the signatures leave circulators without sufficient signatures to put the issue on the 2018 ballot.

However, Attorney Kory Langhofer, representing those who support universal vouchers — and who do not want a public vote — urged Mahoney to read the law to say that the law that applies is the one in effect on Aug. 23, the day the challenge was filed.

And by that point, there was once again a right of individuals to sue on that date.

"We think that if you say to a voter, 'this measure's going to take $24 million out of your public schools' — and that's just false, it's not going to — and you're inducing people to sign your petition sheets that way, that's fraud," Langhofer said.

A ruling on the matter is expected within 60 days.