Utah School Voucher Referendum (2007)

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The Utah School Voucher Referendum, also known as "Referendum One", appeared on the November 6, 2007 general election ballot in Utah. In that election, Utah voters rejected a school voucher bill, HB 148, [1] that had been passed by the Utah legislature, and signed by the governor on February 12, 2007.

62% of voters rejected the school voucher program.[2],[3] The referendum failed in every county.[4]

There have been 11 state referenda on various voucher programs since 1972, all of them unsuccessful.[5]

See 2007 Ballot Measure Guide.

Petition drive

Once the bill had been signed into law, opponents of the legislation had forty-five days to collect approximately 92,000 valid signatures, including signatures equalling 10% of registered voters in 20 of the 29 Utah counties.

The petition drive began on March 1, 2007 and ended on April 12, when voucher opponents turned in their signatures. When the signatures were scrutinized by elections officials, it was determined that 124,218 signatures were valid. Lt. Governor Gary Herbert declared the sufficiency of the signatures on April 30.[6]

Those opposed to school vouchers

The primary impetus for overturning the school voucher plan comes from the Utah Education Association and the National Education Association, which has chipped in $3 million to overturn the voucher plan.[7]

The name of the official group supporting the referendum (opposing school vouchers) is Utahns for Public Schools.

The slogan of the campaign against vouchers is "Flawed Law. Wrong for Utah Familes".

Those in favor of keeping the school voucher law

The official group running the campaign to persuade Utah voters to keep the voucher law is "Parents for Choice in Education". Patrick Byrne was a major financial supporter of the campaign for school vouchers. After the measure was defeated, the outspoken Byrne said, "I'm ashamed of Utah voters that this could even be a close vote".[8]

Organizations such as the Heritage Foundation and Heartland Institute [9] have hailed the initiative passing, calling it "revolutionary."[10]

Controversies

Both sides have complained that their opponents are receiving out-of-state money.[11] Over $2.6 million has been spent on the initiative from both sides.[12]

Election results

failed || 303,251 or 62.19% || 184,374 or 37.81%[13]

External links

References

  1. ↑ H.B. 148 Education Vouchers, Utah State Legislature
  2. ↑ Utah Voters Defeat Measure to Create U.S. First Statewide School Voucher Program
  3. ↑ Official Utah election results
  4. ↑ Vouchers Go Down in Crushing Defeat
  5. ↑ Voters Reject Slew of Ballot Measures
  6. ↑ Sufficiency Listing, Office of the Lieutenant Governor
  7. ↑ Voucher Showdown, Wall Street Journal
  8. ↑ Vouchers killed
  9. ↑ Heartland Insitute
  10. ↑ Hertitage Foundation, Issues
  11. ↑ http://www.sltrib.com/ci_6757430
  12. ↑ Salt Lake City Tribune, Utah School school vouchers bill is battleground for out-of-state donors
  13. ↑ Official Utah election results
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