Arizona lawmakers could ban the use of tax dollars in funding associations aimed at helping school boards after the state’s association didn’t rebuke its national version for referring activist parents as domestic terrorists.
State Rep. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, filed Senate Bill 1011 that says a public school district “may not use tax monies to pay for membership in a state school board association or a national school board association.”
The legislation comes as state school board districts around the country pull their affiliation with the National School Boards Association.
The organization has since apologized for sending a request to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to use the Patriot Act’s surveillance authorization to investigate parents protesting school boards over COVID-19 mitigation policies and inclusion of critical race theory in curriculum.
“I don’t want the taxpayers of Arizona to have to blindly support these agencies who are labeling concerned parents as ‘domestic terrorists.’ These parents and citizens are exercising their first amendment rights and fighting to have a say in their children’s future,” Townsend told The Center Square. “I am appalled by the National School Board Association’s request of federal intervention, as well as with the response by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in asking the FBI to investigate. This is just another glimpse into the Biden Administration’s communist-like regime.”
To date, 17 state school board associations have withdrawn affiliation with NSBA, amounting to what Axios estimates as 40% of the organization’s annual revenue.
Should SB 1011 become law, it would pull any school district dues from the Arizona School Boards Association, which offers workshops, conferences, events, and publications to help local board members in their roles. It’s also a powerful voice in the Arizona Legislature, often consulted in debates over educational law proposals.
“It’s unfortunate that lawmakers seem to think that the free market isn’t going to work in this situation,” the ASBA said in a statement. “If districts don’t see value, they’ll leave. If they do, they’ll stay. It’s simple. This isn’t something the Legislature needs to be involved in unless it’s for purely political reasons.”
Townsend also hinted that state laws might have been challenged using taxpayer funds sent to the association.
“I would hate to know the dues this organization receives from school boards are being used to pay attorneys to sue our state and overturn legislation we’re crafting on behalf of these constituents. This is completely inappropriate, and I will be looking into whether or not taxpayer money has been used in this fashion to undo our laws,” said Townsend.
Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene on January 11.
Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
