Arizona lawmakers move closer to lifting school spending cap

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- State lawmakers took a major step Tuesday toward avoiding a potential crisis in public schools. The House voted 54-15 to give school districts across Arizona all the money they were promised in last year’s budget.

However, the work isn’t done. The Senate has until March 1 to follow the House’s lead and lift a cap on education spending. Schools have been prohibited from spending an additional $1.3 billion this year because of the cap approved by voters in 1980.

The Senate needs a two-thirds majority. If it fails to get the votes, teachers could get laid off, and some schools could close. However, getting the required votes in the House wasn’t a foregone conclusion. Nearly half of the Republicans who control the chamber voted no, even though the money was already allocated.

Many members who opposed lifting the cap are aligned with the conservative Arizona Freedom Caucus. They’re calling for more education reforms, accountability and transparency from Arizona’s public schools.

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