Arizona lawmakers adjourned the 2026 legislative session shortly after 4 a.m. Friday, ending one of the longest and most contentious sessions in recent memory.
Lawmakers spent the final weeks of session debating spending, tax policy, public safety, and education. Republicans scored one of their biggest victories by preserving Arizona’s universal Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program despite renewed efforts to limit eligibility.
Lawmakers focused much of the debate on proposals that would have imposed new restrictions on the ESA program. Republicans argued those changes would roll back universal school choice and reduce educational options for Arizona families. By the time lawmakers gaveled out, they had kept the program intact and protected one of Arizona’s signature conservative policy achievements.
The ESA fight defined the closing weeks of the legislative session. Supporters of school choice argued that parents, not government officials, should decide where and how their children receive an education. Opponents pushed lawmakers to add new restrictions and oversight requirements to the program.
The debate grew increasingly heated as lawmakers worked through the final hours of session. In an X post, Senate President Warren Petersen said law enforcement removed opponents of school choice from the Capitol during demonstrations surrounding the ESA debate.
Representative Matt Gress highlighted what Republicans viewed as the session’s accomplishments after lawmakers adjourned.
“This year, we delivered real results: more money into classrooms, continued progress on paying teachers first, protecting educational freedom, delivered historic tax relief for hardworking families, stronger public safety, and safety net reforms that will help Arizona remain the best state in the nation to live, work, and raise a family,” Gress wrote on X.
Republicans ended the session with victories on several priorities, but many will likely point to the preservation of Arizona’s universal ESA program as one of the session’s most important achievements. After months of debate and negotiations that stretched into the early morning, supporters of school choice left the Capitol with the program intact and positioned to remain a major issue in Arizona politics moving forward.
