Corey DeAngelis of The Heritage Foundation said on April 13 that Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed legislation that would have opted the state into President Trump’s new school choice program, drawing renewed attention to the fact that she attended a private school. The bill had cleared the state House 33–26 and the Senate 16–11 before reaching her desk.
“Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs just vetoed a bill to opt the state into Trump’s new school choice program,” DeAngelis wrote in an April 13 social media post on X. “It passed the House 33–26. It passed the Senate 16–11. Katie Hobbs went to a private school.”
The veto comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Arizona’s education spending priorities. According to an analysis by the Arizona Auditor General, school districts in the state allocated 52.1 percent of their budgets to instruction in fiscal year 2025—the lowest share in two decades—while overall education spending rose to $13.4 billion.
Lawmakers backing related proposals have pointed to that shift as justification for requiring larger districts to dedicate a higher share of funding directly to classroom instruction. According to Tucson.com, one measure, SCR 1032, would mandate that certain districts meet a 60 percent instructional spending threshold if approved by voters. The proposal has advanced through the Legislature, with supporters arguing it would increase teacher pay and classroom resources, while opponents warn it could strain districts with higher fixed costs.
The policy debate unfolds alongside rapid growth in Arizona’s school choice programs. State data show more than 101,000 students are now enrolled in Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, a program that allows families to use state education funds for a range of learning options, including private schooling and homeschooling expenses, according to the Arizona Department of Education.
DeAngelis serves as a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, focusing on school choice and education policy. He has built a national reputation as an advocate for parental rights and education reform and regularly appears in media outlets discussing ways to improve America’s schools. He has held roles with several organizations promoting educational freedom, according to his professional profile.
