Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is suing the Biden administration in the latest escalation over school funding and public health measures.
Last summer, Ducey created a school grant program with $163 million in federal COVID-19 relief money, but only promised the money to schools that didn’t require masks or who stayed open during COVID-19 outbreaks.
Ducey’s promise came despite recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that schools implement universal indoor mask requirements to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Earlier this month, the US Treasury Department ordered Ducey to reverse course on his program or repay the federal COVID money.
“By discouraging families and school districts from following this guidance, the conditions referenced above undermine efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19,” the Treasury Department wrote in a letter to Ducey’s office.
But in a lawsuit filed Friday in US District Court, Ducey said the restrictions the Treasury Department was attempting to impose on the money were arbitrary and unconstitutional.
“The Biden administration is attempting to hold Congressionally-appropriated funds hostage and is trying to bully Arizona into complying with this power-grabbing move,” Ducey said in a statement Friday. “Make no mistake, we will always support families and kids, while protecting their right to choose an education that best fits their needs.”
Looking for the latest Arizona news? Sign up for our FREE daily newsletter.
Politics
Supreme Court hears oral arguments in major abortion access case
The Supreme Court on Tuesday heard oral arguments on a case that will ultimately decide the future of mifepristone access in the United States. ...
VIDEO: Arizona Rep. Lorena Austin explains why ‘SB1166 is a dangerous bill’
@coppercourier Rep. Lorena Austin commanded the floor when they spoke about SB1166. The bill would require parents to be notified no more than five...
Local News
Prescription drugs are getting cheaper for seniors thanks to Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act
Prescription drug costs are falling by the thousands this year for more than a million American seniors due to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction...
VIDEO: This is why Right to Counsel is necessary for housing equality
@coppercourier A right to counsel has been proven to help tenants win eviction cases and stay in their homes, and it can soften the blow when...