Lawmakers Vow Voucher Caps Will Stay: Report

The ink isn't even dry on legislation greatly expanding Arizona's school voucher program and there is already controversy. Republican legislators found themselves Monday pushing back against a claim that caps on how many students would be eligible for the program would be lifted. The caps had been a key point to get some lawmakers to vote for the plan.

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The legislation - approved last week and signed by Governor Ducey - makes all 1.1 million K-12 students in the state eligible to apply for the program but puts a cap on the number who can participate. The law states only 5,000 new students each year can take part with the total being limited to 30,000 in 2022.

The Arizona Republic reported that one hour after the legislation passed, the CEO of the Goldwater Institute, Darcy Olsen, sent a note to donors stating the caps are temporary.

"Fifty years in the making, and tonight we closed the deal!" the note said. "Universal education savings accounts. There is a cap at 5,000 new kids per year; we will get it lifted."

The note left some Republicans feeling it made them look like they had negotiated in bad faith.

The paper reports that the institute has apologized for the note, saying that their message was just that they work to get the caps lifted.