New lawsuit aims to knock voucher reform off Arizona's ballot

Supporters of Arizona’s universal school voucher program have filed a lawsuit seeking to keep a measure limiting the program off the November ballot. The Goldwater Institute filed the case Monday on behalf of four people, arguing that too few petition signatures are valid.

The initiative, backed by the Arizona Education Association and Save Our Schools, would tighten rules for Empowerment Scholarship Accounts. It would require more review of reimbursement requests, bar purchases of certain items and limit universal vouchers to children from families earning $150,000 or less.

Organizers submitted more than 421,000 signatures and need 259,949 valid ones to qualify. Election officials will review a sample, but opponents can challenge individual signatures in court.

Goldwater attorney Kory Langhofer said many signatures may be invalid because petition circulators failed to register, provide required information or meet eligibility rules. He said more than 65,000 signatures already fall into those categories. No hearing date has been set. The campaign supporting the initiative called the lawsuit predictable, while Goldwater leaders said the measure would undermine school choice.