from the American Federation of Teachers
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School Vouchers Fail in Utah


Utah voters on Tuesday soundly rejected a proposal that would have created the nation's first universal school voucher program. The statewide ballot measure, known as Referendum 1, asked voters to vote for or against the program, which would have provided private school vouchers to all families, regardless of income. The law squeaked by the state Legislature earlier this year but had not yet been implemented.

The referendum failed in every county, including the "conservative bastion of Utah County," reported The Salt Lake Tribune. With about 95 percent of the state's precincts reporting final election results, more than 60 percent of votes had been cast against the voucher program.

"Utah voters have underscored America's unwavering support for public education," said AFT president Edward J. McElroy. "Vouchers weaken the public schools, which serve the vast majority of our nation's children. Clearly, Utah's voters took a look at the facts and chose to support the success of their students over the misleading claims of voucher proponents."

The Utah voucher vote was also significant in that it was the first "citizen's veto" referendum in the state in 30 years, a process that allows voters to endorse or rescind a measure that has become law. Education groups quickly gathered 120,000 signatures to put the referendum on the ballot.