Influential Arizona Republican lawmaker wants to expand ESA vouchers as questions grow over taxpayer spending

PHOENIX — For nearly two decades, John Kavanagh has been a constant presence at the Arizona Legislature, helping shape how billions of taxpayer dollars are spent. 

Now, as Senate Majority Leader, the influential Republican lawmaker is pushing to expand one of the state’s most controversial education programs—despite a 12News investigation of mounting questionable spending and growing calls for reform.

Kavanagh is a longtime champion of Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, or ESAs, a school voucher-style program that allows families to use public education dollars for private schooling, homeschooling expenses, and other education-related costs. 

The program has grown rapidly and is nearing 100,000 students, with a price tag approaching $1 billion.

Kavanagh is now backing legislation that would further expand the program by requiring public school districts to allow ESA students to participate in sports teams and extracurricular activities. Under his proposal, families would reimburse districts for the prorated cost of participation.

“This bill would extend the ability to those students,” Kavanagh explained. “The parent would have to reimburse the school for the prorated cost of the program. In other words, whatever it cost per student at the school for the football team or chess club, they would charge that to the parent.”

But that’s only part of the strategy.

Kavanagh and other Republican lawmakers who control the Legislature are also seeking to tie the future of the ESA program to teacher pay raises by linking both issues to the renewal of Proposition 123, a voter-approved measure passed in 2016. 

The proposition, which expires in June, draws roughly $300 million annually from the State Land Trust to fund public education. 

If extended in its current form, it would provide teachers with a 4 percent raise, while others have called for tapping more money from the trust for larger pay hikes.

“The issue is will there be some provisions in there that also provide protections to ESAs,” Kavanagh said. “That seems to be the stumbling block. So, we’ll negotiate with the governor and see what happens.”

Gov. Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes — both Democrats — have joined Democrats in the Legislature and called for reining in the program by providing additional financial accountability. 

State Representative Nancy Gutierrez of Tucson says expanding ESAs—or using teacher pay as leverage to protect them—is unacceptable.

“I find it just appalling that anyone would want to expand this out-of-control, ridiculous spending of a billion-dollar program in any way, shape, or form,” Gutierrez said. “I think that our efforts need to be made to rein in this program.”

Gutierrez also said Democrats want an audit of the program and a prohibition of ESA funds on luxury items.

“We don’t think families should be able to pay for ski trips,” she said.

Neither of Kavanagh’s ESA-related proposals passed during the 2025 legislative session.

The 12News I-Team all year has been investigating the scope and impact of the ESA experiment. 

The reporting has shown how the program has helped families of children with special needs access customized education and life-skills training that might otherwise be out of reach.

But the investigation also uncovered examples of questionable spending. 

In thousands of cases, 12News found parents used ESA funds to purchase items with little or no clear educational value—including diamond rings, flat-screen televisions, luxury clothing, appliances, vacations, and even lingerie.

Despite those findings, Kavanagh insists the program is working as intended.

“People who oppose the ESAs are misconstruing what’s happening to make it look like there’s all this fraud,” he said. 

He added that the Department of Education, which has oversight of the program, along with the Treasurer’s office, will eventually catch those who are misusing tax dollars.

The governor is expected to address the issue during her State of the State address on Jan. 12, the first day of the 2026 legislative session—setting the stage for another high-stakes showdown over school choice, public funding, and how Arizona educates its children.

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