An initiative that would have raised taxes on the wealthy in Arizona will not be on the November ballot. It was kicked off because of problems with its description on petitions signed by Arizona voters. Joshua Buckley of the Invest in Ed initiative will talk about what’s next for educators who want more money for schools.
JOSE CARDENAS: THE SCHOOL SAYS THE STUDENTS CHOSE TO BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT AND STAND WITNESS TO HONOR CATHOLIC TRADITION.
TAKING A STEP BACK NOW FROM THE MEMORIALS TO SENATOR McCAIN TO TAKE A LOOK AT OTHER NEWS. LATE YESTERDAY, THE ARIZONA SUPREME COURT ANNOUNCED IT WAS NOT ALLOWING THE INVEST IN ED INITIATIVE ON THE ARIZONA BALLOT, THE MEASURE WOULD HAVE RAISED INCOME TAXES ON THOSE MAKING MORE THAN $250,000 A YEAR. THE JUSTICES RULED THAT PETITION SIGNERS WERE NOT TOLD THAT THE MEASURE WOULD ELIMINATE THE ADJUSTMENT OF INCOME TAX BRACKETS TO ACCOUNT FOR INFLATION. THAT PART OF THE INITIATIVE WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN TAX INCREASES FOR SOME MAKING LESS THAN $250,000 ANNUALLY. HERE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE COURT AND SAID WHAT'S NEXT IN TRYING TO SECURE DOLLARS FOR EDUCATION IN ARIZONA IS JOSHUA BUCKLEY, CHAIRMAN OF THE INVEST IN ED INITIATIVE AND A MESA TEACHER. JOSHUA, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON "ARIZONA HORIZON". IT WAS A VERY SHORT ORDER, OPINION TO FOLLOW. NOT MUCH IN THERE. TELL US WHAT YOU UNDERSTOOD TO BE THE BASIS FOR THE COURT'S RULING?
JOSHUA BUCKLEY: WE BELIEVE THAT THE COURT'S RULING- FIST WE BELIEVE THE COURTS RULING IS UNPRECEDENTED. THEY HAVE NOT RULED ON A BALLOT INITIATIVE LIKE THIS. 100 WORD SUMMARY AND THROWN IT OUT IN OVER 100 YEARS FOR THE REASONS WE BELIEVE THEY'VE THROWN IT OUT. ONLY ONE OTHER INITIATIVE THAT'S BEEN TOSSED OUT BASED ON THE HUNDRED-WORD SUMMARY, AND THAT WAS INITIATIVE THAT HAD NO ETAL LANGUAGE WHAT THE INITIATIVE WAS GOING TO BE.
JOSE CARDENAS: WHEN YOU SAY THE HUNDRED-WORD SUMMARY, THE LANGUAGE ON THE BALLOT, THE PETITIONS AND TELLS PEOPLE.
JOSHUA BUCKLEY : CORRECT. THE HUNDRED-WORD SUMMARY GOES ON THE PETITION, WHEN FOLKS SIGN IT TO SEE WHAT THE LANGUAGE IS, TWO OF THE REASONS THAT WERE IN THERE IS HOW WE WORDED THE TAX INCREASE, THAT WE WENT FROM A POINT INCREASE, FROM THIS PERCENTAGE POINT TO THIS PERCENTAGE POINT, AND THE ARGUMENT FROM OUR OPPONENTS ON IT WHO TOOK IT TO THE COURT WAS THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN -- SHOULD HAVE EXPLAINED BETTER WHAT THE INCREASE LOOKS LIKE. WE SHOULD HAVE SAID IT WAS WHATEVER THE FULL PERCENTAGE INCREASE WAS, INSTEAD OF GOING FROM POINT TO POINT, FROM GOING FROM 4 TO 8%, WE SHOULD HAVE SAID WHAT THE ACTUAL PERCENTAGE INCREASE WAS.
JOSE CARDENAS: WHICH WAS WHAT? ABOUT 98% ?
JOSHUA BUCKLEY : YES, 98% ON ONE, 70 SOMETHING % ON THE OTHER. AND THEN THE OTHER ARGUMENT WAS THIS IDEA OF, THE TAX BRACKET INFLATION GOING AWAY, WE BELIEVE THAT THE LANGUAGE WE WROTE CLEARLY REFERRED BACK TO AND MADE THESE NEW TAX BRACKETS SUBJECT TO INFLATION.
JOSE CARDENAS: TO THE INDEXING?
JOSHUA BUCKLEY : TO THE INDEXING. BUT THE COURT THOUGHT OTHERWISE, THAT THEY DIDN'T THINK OUR LANGUAGE WAS CLEAR ENOUGH, AND REGARDLESS, THE HUNDRED WORD SUMMARY IS SUPPOSED TO HOLD PRINCIPLE PROVISIONS, AND SO IT'S SUPPOSED TO ESSENTIALLY SUMMARIZE PRINCIPAL PROVISIONS OF THE BALLOT. THE LOWER COURT, THE TRIAL COURT SIDED WITH US, WE WON THE CASE SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T DECIDE WHETHER IT WOULD AFFECT INFLATION INDEXING, BUT THE LOWER COURT SAID THAT IT'S NOT -- EVEN IF IT DID, IT'S NOT A PRIMARY PRINCIPAL PROVISION OF THE HUNDRED-WORD SUMMARY.
JOSE CARDENAS: ON THE HUNDRED-WORD SUMMARY AS IT RELATES TO INDEXING, THE ISSUE WAS MORE WITH THE BALLOT INITIATIVE LANGUAGE ITSELF, RIGHT? DIDN'T THE COURT DECIDE WHETHER INADVERTENTLY OR NOT, IT GOT RID OF INDEXING?
JOSHUA BUCKLEY : SO THEY WENT -- THEY ARGUED -- THE DECISION WAS ON THE HUNDRED-WORD SUMMARY, NOT THE INITIATIVE ITSELF. THEIR DECISION WAS THAT IF THAT IS THE CASE, IF IT DID, IN FACT, BRING BACK, IF IT GOT RID OF INFLATION INDEXING, THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE SUMMARY, THAT IT SHOULD BE DESCRIBED AS A PRINCIPAL PROVISION. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME, LIKE I SAID, THAT THE SUPREME COURT HAS SIDED THAT WAY IN A CASE WHERE THEY'VE DECIDED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO NITPICK A HUNDRED-WORD SUMMARY ON THIS AND GOING TO DECIDE WHAT THEY BELIEVE A PRINCIPAL PROVISION IS COMPARED TO WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN OVER 100 YEARS OF INITIATIVES IN ARIZONA.
JOSE CARDENAS: KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE COURT AND THE INDICATIONS AND ORDER THERE WAS I SPLIT DECISION, IT WAS NOT A UNANIMOUS.
JOSHUA BUCKLEY : RIGHT.
JOSE CARDENAS: SO IS THE NEXT STEP PERHAPS MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION, ONCE YOU SEE WHAT THE REASON IS?
JOSHUA BUCKLEY : YOU KNOW I THINK THE TIMELINE ON THIS I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE RECONSIDERATION. I DON'T KNOW THE TIME LINE IS THERE. RIGHT NOW AS A CAMPAIGN, THE SUPREME COURT HAS TAKEN US OFF THE BALLOT JUST LIKE OUTLAW DIRTY MONEY WAS REMOVED FROM THE BALLOT. SO WE'RE IN THAT BOAT OF NOT BEING ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT AND DON'T SEE A PATH TO CHANGE THAT FOR THE INITIATIVE.
JOSE CARDENAS: WHAT DO YOU INTEND TO DO?
JOSHUA BUCKLEY : I THINK AS A COMMITTEE, WE'RE A GROUP OF FOLKS WHETHER EDUCATORS, WE HAVE FAITH GROUPS WITH US, PARENT GROUPS WITH US THAT WERE ON AND INVEST IN ED COMMITTEE THAT ARE PART OF THE PROCESS. WE HAVE THE GRASSROOTS GROUP WHO GATHERED SIGNATURES IN 110--DEGREE HEAT ACROSS THE STATE OF ARIZONA, AND SO I THINK OUR FOCUS HAS TO BE ON MAKING SURE THAT THE FOLKS THAT ARE ELECTED IN NOVEMBER, THAT ARE GOING TO DECIDE ON SCHOOL FUNDING, THAT ARE GOING DECIDE WHETHER MY SON, MY SON WHO'S IN SECOND GRADE, WILL HAVE THE RESOURCES IN HIS CLASSROOM HE NEEDS? THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT PRO-PUBLIC EDUCATION CANDIDATES, WHETHER DEMOCRATS OR REPUBLICANS OR INDEPENDENTS THAT THEY GET ELECTED.
JOSE CARDENAS: YOU ARE ENDORSING CANDIDATES?
JOSHUA BUCKLEY : AS A CAMPAIGN, WE'RE NOT ENDORSING CANDIDATES. IT'S NOT OUR JOB. IT'S TO WORK ON THE INITIATIVE. COALITION PARTNERS WHO ARE PART OF IT WILL GO BACK TO WHAT THEY DO, WHETHER IT WAS ARIZONA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION OR AZ SCHOOLS NOW IS A GROUP THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH.
JOSE CARDENAS: LET ME ASK YOU THIS… SO DOES THIS MEAN, IN YOUR JUDGMENT, THAT THIS WILL MEAN MORE SUPPORT FOR DAVID GARCIA, THE DEMOCRAT, AS OPPOSED TO GOVERNOR DUCEY?
JOSHUA BUCKLEY : I GUESS THAT'S UP FOR VOTERS TO DECIDE AND WHO THEY THINK IS GOING TO DO A BETTER JOB FUNDING ARIZONA SCHOOLS, WHO THEY THINK HAS EDUCATION AS A PRIORITY FOR ARIZONA SCHOOLS. WE CAN -- I DON'T THINK EDUCATION FUNDING SHOULD BE PARTISAN. I THINK THAT IT'S IN THE ARIZONA STATE CONSTITUTION THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT'S FUNDED, AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE JOB OF ANYBODY WHO'S IN EITHER THE LEGISLATIVE BODY OR THE GOVERNOR, SO I THINK THAT'S UP FOR INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE THE DECISION WHO THEY THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE. EACH OF THOSE GROUPS THAT'S BEEN INVOLVED WILL LEAD THEIR COALITION GROUP OR THEIR ACTIVISTS OR JUST THEIR MEMBERS TO DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WHO'S GOING TO BE BEST FOR ARIZONA SCHOOLS?
JOSE CARDENAS: THE ISSUE IS DECIDED FOR NOW?
JOSHUA BUCKLEY : THE ISSUE IS DECIDED FOR NOW, YEAH.
JOSE CARDENAS: THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON "ARIZONA HORIZON."
JOIN US TOMORROW FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR SENATOR McCAIN. TED SIMONS WILL BE IN WASHINGTON WITH LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY. AND WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER SPECIAL HOUR-LONG "HORIZON" TOMORROW AT 5:00 P.M. WE END TONIGHT'S SHOW WITH MORE FROM SENATOR McCAIN'S MEMORIAL SERVICE IN PHOENIX. FORMER ARIZONA ATTORNEY GENERAL GRANT WOODS SERVE AS SENATOR McCAIN'S FIRST CONGRESSIONAL CHIEF OF STAFF WAS A SUPPORTER OF HIS CAMPAIGN THROUGHOUT THE SENATE. HE ADDED MOMENTS OF LEVITY TO THE SERVICE TODAY AS HE RECOUNTED FUNNY STORIES TRAVELING WITH THE SENATOR.
GRANT WOODS: I WAS 28 YEARS OLD, AND I'D ONLY BEEN A PUBLIC DEFENDER, A FEW YEARS OUT OF LAW SCHOOL, AND FOR SOME REASON JOHN McCAIN ASKED ME TO BE HIS CHIEF OF STAFF WHEN HE GOT ELECTED. SO MY FIRST DAY, AT 7:00 A.M., JOHN McCAIN PICKED ME UP AT MY HOUSE. I WENT TO THE CAR, I SAID, WELL, YOU WANT ME TO DRIVE? HE GOES, NO, I'M GOING TO DRIVE. I SAID WELL, I'M GOING TO SIT IN THE BACK SEAT. [LAUGHTER]
GRANT WOODS: I'M NO EXPERT ON THIS, BUT I THOUGHT THE STAFF DROVE. HE SAYS GET IN THE CAR, BOY. GET IN THE CAR. FOR THE NEXT HALF HOUR WE TALKED ABOUT THE FOOTBALL GAMES THE DAY BEFORE AND WHATEVER IS IN THE NEWS AND POLITICS AND TOLD A FEW JOKES, AND IT WAS AT THE SAME TIME, REALLY A LOT OF FUN AND ALSO QUITE TERRIFYING BECAUSE OF HIS RIDICULOUSLY BAD DRIVING. [LAUGHTER]
GRANT WOODS: SO HE'D GET EXCITED, HE WOULD KIND OF -- HE DROVE LIKE THIS ANYWAY, AND GET EXCITED AND JUST START DRIFTING OFF. HELLO OVER THERE! SO WE FINALLY GOT WHERE WE WERE GOING, AND I SAID BY THE WAY, WHAT ARE WE DOING? HE GOES, OH, I HIRED THE WHOLE STAFF AND I WANT YOU TO MEET THEM. OH, OKAY, THAT'S GOOD. [LAUGHTER] SO WE MET THE STAFF AND WENT TO THE CAR. GOT IN THE CAR ALL AND THE STAFF CAME OUT AND THEY WERE WAVING AND THINGS. THEY SEEM TO BE VERY NICE. HE SAID YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIRE HALF OF THEM. [LAUGHTER] WHAT- WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? AND HE JUST SPED OFF AND THE STAFF WAS WAVING AND ABOUT ONE MINUTE LATER, WE WENT RIGHT BACK BY BECAUSE HE'D GONE THE WRONG WAY, OF COURSE. [LAUGHTER] WAVED AGAIN. AND I JUST SAY THAT TWO HOURS EPITOMIZED THE NEXT 35 YEARS FOR ME WITH JOHN McCAIN. IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARROWING, A LITTLE WILD, A LITTLE CRAZY, BUT A LOT OF FUN AND THE GREATEST HONOR OF MY LIFE.
GRANT WOODS: IF JOHN McCAIN FELL IN LOVE WITH ARIZONA, ARIZONA FELL IN LOVE WITH JOHN McCAIN. WE RAN A LOT OF RACES HERE. A LOT OF ELECTIONS. HE NEVER LOST. NEVER REALLY VERY CLOSE. ARIZONA LOVED HIM. WE HAD ONE LITTLE BLIP ONE TIME WHEN HE RAN FOR THE SENATE THE FIRST TIME. HE CALLED ME ON THE PHONE AND SAID, WELL, BOY, I THINK I MIGHT HAVE SCREWED UP. WHY? I WAS TALKING TO THE STUDENTS AT U OF A AND THEY SAID HOW COME YOU'RE THE ONLY POLITICIAN WHO COMES DOWN HERE? THEY ONLY GO TO THE RETIREMENT PLACES. HE SAID WELL, IT'S BECAUSE YOU GUYS DON'T VOTE. [LAUGHTER] THOSE OTHER DUDES VOTE 100%, YOU KNOW? SO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO COME DOWN HERE, YOU NEED TO VOTE LIKE THEY VOTE OUT AT SEIZURE WORLD. [LAUGHTER] I SAID, YOU DIDN'T SAY THAT, DID YOU? BECAUSE THERE WAS THIS BIG RETIREMENT COMMUNITY CALLED LEISURE WORLD IN THE EAST VALLEY. [LAUGHTER]
AND THEY WEREN'T REALLY HAPPY WITH THEIR NEW NICKNAME OUT THERE. [LAUGHTER]
SO JOHN SAID LIKE HE ALWAYS DOES, OKAY, I SCREWED UP, LET'S GO. WE GOT TO GO OUT THERE. WE. [LAUGHTER]
SO WE WENT OUT AND I REMEMBER WE DROVE IN, AND THERE WAS ABOUT A 90-YEAR-OLD GUY IN A GOLF CART, RIGHT THERE, AND HE'S GIVING US THE FINGER. LITTLE DID HE KNOW, WE BOTH SAID THAT'S GREAT. JOHN WAS LIKE, GOOD TO SEE YOU, GOOD TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. SO HE WENT IN, SORRY ABOUT THAT AND WENT TO WORK, AND GUESS WHAT? I THINK HE WON THAT ABOUT 85/15 IN THAT ELECTION, THAT PRECINCT. SO WE'RE GOING TO MISS SO MANY THINGS ABOUT HIM HERE IN OUR STATE. HIS LEADERSHIP HERE ON THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES. WE'RE GOING TO MISS HIS SENSE OF HUMOR. WE'RE GOING TO MISS HIS LOVE OF SPORTS. HE LOVED THE TEAMS. ALL OF OUR TEAMS. BY LOVE THEM, I MEAN LOVE THEM, LIKE NONSTOP, OKAY? AND HE LOVED YOU GUYS. BIDS AND GONZO AND SHANE. HE REALLY DID. NOT A COINCIDENCE. HE DIDN'T BECOME FRIENDS JUST WITH THE BEST PLAYERS BUT WITH THE BEST PEOPLE. AND HE LOVED YOU GUYS. BUT I THINK WE ALSO WORRY HERE IN ARIZONA ABOUT A BIGGER PICTURE, AND I HOPE THAT WHAT HE STOOD FOR WILL MAYBE GET RENEWED LOOK IN OUR COUNTRY. THAT'S WHAT HE WOULD WANT. HE WOULD WANT US TO -- OKAY, WE RECOGNIZE HIM NOW BUT NOW LET'S GET TO WORK, AND I'M SURE THE VICE PRESIDENT WILL TALK ABOUT JOHN AND BIPARTISANSHIP, BUT HE BELIEVES SO MUCH THAT IN, IN THE END, WHEN IT'S SAID AND DONE, THIS REPUBLICAN/DEMOCRAT THING IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT, IS IT? WE'RE ALL AMERICANS, YOU GOT TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN WORK TOGETHER AS AMERICANS. HIS SUPPORT OF THE MILITARY, I HOPE YOU MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WILL KEEP THAT STRONG, IT WAS SO IMPORTANT THAT HE HAD THEIR BACKS. AND ONE OTHER THING, JOHN McCAIN BELIEVED IN OUR CONSTITUTION, AND HE STOOD UP FOR IT. HE FOUGHT FOR IT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. HE WOULD NOT STAND BY AS PEOPLE TRIED TO TRAMPLE THE CONSTITUTION, OR THE BILL THE RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT, AND YOU KNOW WHAT? HE BELIEVED IN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. WHEN WE PROCLAIMED TO THE WORLD THAT EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING IS IMPORTANT, EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING IS PRECIOUS, EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THIS WORLD HAS THE RIGHT TO LIVE FREE. NOT BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT SAYS SO, BUT BECAUSE GOD GAVE US THAT RIGHT. SO JOHN McCAIN, HIS ENTIRE LIFE, STOOD BY THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS ACROSS THE WORLD. HE WAS THERE. HE WAS THERE FIGURATIVELY AND LITERALLY, BY THEIR SIDE, WHEREVER THEY WERE. ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR RIGHT TO LIVE FREE. IT'S A LONG AND WINDING ROAD THAT TOOK HIM FROM THAT DIRT YARD IN HANOI TO THE DIRT BACK ROADS OF HIDDEN VALLEY, BUT THROUGH IT ALL, HE WAS RESOLUTE. HE WAS COURAGEOUS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. AND IN ARIZONA, HE WAS OUR HERO. I THINK YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT AND LOVE FOR JOHN McCAIN, THAT HE WAS AMERICA'S HERO. SENATOR JOHN McCAIN FROM ARIZONA. HE SERVED HIS COUNTRY WITH HONOR. HE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT. HE FINISHED THE RACE. ♪ I LOVE YOU ARIZONA ♪ ♪ YOUR MOUNTAINS, DESERTS AND STREAMS ♪ ♪ ♪ I LOVE YOU ARIZONA ♪ ♪ SUPERSTITION AND ALL ♪ ♪ THE WARMTHS YOU GIVE AT SUNRISE ♪ ♪ YOUR SUNSET PUTS MUSIC IN US ALL ♪ ♪ OOH ARIZONA ♪ ♪ YOUR THE MAGIC IN ME ♪ ♪ OOH ARIZONA ♪ ♪ . ANNOUNCER: "ARIZONA HORIZON" IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF ARIZONA HIGHWAY’S MAGAZINE… FOR PEOPLE INSPIRED TO ENJOY ARIZONA’S UNIQUE OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE… AND BY APS, WORKING 24/7 TO KEEP ARIZONA ON.
Joshua Buckley of the Invest in Ed initiative
