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Borrelli’s bluster hides truth about bill: bad education policy
I was disappointed to see Mr. (Sonny) Borrelli misrepresenting information about First Things First as a means of getting support for his latest bill to sweep the early childhood education funds, allegedly to help K-12 schools remediate kids not reading well in first and second grade.
First Things First money should be given to public schools
In 2006, Arizona voters passed a cigarette tax based on the promise of funding early childhood development programs through a newly created organization named “First Things First.” Taxpayers have become the victim of this promise, which was a great idea that has been misshapen and lost its way and original mission.
Biggs succeeds in getting audit of First Things First
Rebuffed in his efforts to sweep dollars from First Things First as a part of K-12 funding plans, Senate President Andy Biggs will still get an audit of the early... […]
Biggs calls for First Things First audit after agency opposes sweep
Just one day after the First Things First board formally opposed legislative leadership’s plan to sweep some of its funding for K-12 education, Senate President Andy Biggs called for an audit of the early childhood development and health program.
Early childhood development leaders fight attempt to raid funds
Board members of a voter-approved organization that funds programs to promote early childhood development are fighting a plan by legislative leaders to raid its dollars to instead increase aid for K-12 education.
Past elections a bad omen for First Things First sweep
An early childhood development program is back in the Legislature’s crosshairs, five years after lawmakers and former Gov. Jan Brewer tried and failed to convince voters to abolish the program and use its funding to balance the state’s precarious budget.
Transfer from KidsCare left 14,000 Arizona children in an insurance gap
Finding stable and affordable health care insurance remains a struggle for working poor Arizona families who make too much to qualify for the state’s Medicaid program, but too little to afford private insurance.
Lawmaker targets early childhood education money to fund CPS
A senior Republican legislator wants to use tobacco-tax dollars to help fund the embattled Child Protective Services, which was recently rocked by revelations that it ignored more than 6,000 cases of abuse and neglect over several years.
Fresh out of budget solutions, lawmakers warm up to trickery
Weary of scrounging for solutions to a relentless financial mess, some Arizona lawmakers have changed from criticizing budget gimmicks to shrugging and accepting probably the most blatant one of all.
Early childhood agency amenable to Brewer’s loan proposal
Officials at the state agency devoted to early childhood development are studying the governor’s proposal to borrow $330 million for one day and use the money to balance the state’s budget shortfall.
Antenori: Don’t think I forgot about APS
Kavanagh isn’t the only legislator with a bone to pick with a group that opposed the Prop 302 repeal of First Things First. To read more on this item plus... […]
Could you spare a billion dimes?
Ninth Floor staff and First Things First are quietly kicking around ideas for how the agency can help alleviate the budget crunch. The options, however, appear limited.
