Republican lawmakers target Arizona school boards group

By BOB CHRISTIE
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona School Boards Association successfully sued the Arizona Legislature to invalidate key parts of the state budget last year. It’s now being targeted by Republican lawmakers who have long opposed its efforts to lobby for local school boards. A Republican-controlled state Senate committee on Tuesday advanced a bill that would ban the more than 200 school boards that are association members from using state funds to pay their yearly membership fees. Sponsor Republican Sen. Kelly Townsend said it is just wrong for tax dollars to be spent lobbying for partisan issues at the Legislature. But backers of the group said it’s wrong to target it because GOP lawmakers oppose its positions.