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District 10 House candidates hold similar views on a host of issues, but their position on education funding is where they differ.
The Republican candidates — Rep. Jim Weiers, former Rep. Doug Quelland, Bill Adams and Kimberly Yee — all support education funding.
But when asked how they voted — or would have voted — on proposed cuts to education, the differences were in stark display during the Clean Elections debate on July 14.
Weiers said he voted for cuts to education because it was the largest component of the budget.
Since fiscal 2008, the Legislature has made more than $800 million in ongoing reductions to education, including cuts to K-12 and higher education. This figure does not include rollovers, stimulus money and baseline changes.
“When you are looking at deficits that are approaching $3 and $4 billion,” he said, “you can’t take from somewhere where you don’t have.”
But Weiers emphasized that the cuts to education were small compared to the percentage of the cuts that other programs or agencies received.
“There’s not a lot you can do,” he said. “When you don’t have money, you can’t spend money.”
Yee said she would have “absolutely paused before cutting the excessive amounts of money to K-12 education.”
Indeed, Yee made quite clear throughout the debate that she would have come to a different conclusion than what the Legislature did.
“We have got to fund K-12 education in order to create the jobs that we need here to bring the economy back to recovery,” she said, adding she would also like to see a higher salary for teachers.
In 2004, Yee served as deputy Cabinet secretary in California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration, advising him in the areas of K-12, and vocational and higher education.
Adams, a business owner, said he, too, advocates for proper funding.
But he’s frustrated at the lack of flexibility being given to school boards to determine how education money should be best spent.
“What I would propose is that we take a look at the laws that govern the governing boards and allow them to truly self-govern,” he said.
Quelland touted his vote against education cuts, saying he was one of only a few Republicans who balked at their caucus’ proposed cuts to education.
“I believe in ASU West. I believe in education and I put my vote where my heart is,” he said, adding the reductions were wrong for children and teachers.
But Quelland said what he wants to do to make sure that the money is spent in the classroom and not for administrative costs.
The debate was civil, and the candidates mostly refrained from attacking each other.
There was also no mention of Quelland’s Clean Elections woes.
Quelland fought to keep his seat after the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission found last year that he violated campaign finance rules during his 2008 campaign for the House by paying a consultant to do political work with money from his business. The expenditures, the commission argued, violated rules for publicly funded candidates.
Quelland denied the allegations, arguing that any political work done by the consultant was made on a volunteer basis and that he paid only for work done for his business.
He also said he was denied due process when his office was declared vacant.
Quelland’s attorney asked the court in June to suspend a May ruling that affirmed the findings of the Clean Elections Commission that Quelland be removed from office.
But Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Crane McClennen denied that request on June 22.
Quelland is also running as a Clean Elections candidate this year.