Anti-voucher group denies hiring firm

Despite accusations by voucher advocates that the newly formed Utahns for Public Schools is hiring a firm to recruit 92,000 signatures to place the question of vouchers on the state ballot, leaders from the group say that, so far, it's going to be a volunteer effort.

Though the petitions won't be available until the middle of next week, organization leaders say they have about 800 volunteers poised to start collecting signatures.

Friday, leaders of Parents for Choice in Education, the group behind the voucher law, said Utahns for Public Schools has hired a California firm to recruit signatures, using money contributed by the National Education Association.

"As far as I'm concerned, they are just spreading rumors. It's not true," said Pat Rusk, spokesman for Utahns for Public Schools. She added the group currently doesn't have the money to hire anyone or even open a bank account. "It's going to be a lot of work. But never underestimate the power of a small group of people."

"It's entirely false," said Vik Arnold, government relations specialist for the Utah Education Association, regarding statements of the pro-voucher group. "The NEA has not contributed a dime to this effort."

Thursday, Utahns for Public Schools applied for a referendum petition that could land a final decision on vouchers in the hands of voters during the general election in 2008. Leaders said the referendum is only the first move in possibly a series of efforts to thwart the new voucher law, including possible legal action focused on allegations that the voucher law is unconstitutional. To use public money to further private education violates constitutional provisions, this camp claims.

The voucher initiative, referred to as the Parents for Choice in Education Act, provides Utah families a private school tuition voucher ranging from $500 to $3,000 per student and was signed into law last month.

Now Utahns for Public Schools must gather 92,000 signatures — 10 percent of the votes cast for governor in the last election — and they have only 40 days to do that. The lieutenant governor's office then has 15 days to verify the signatures and then five days to declare whether there are sufficient valid names to warrant a referendum on the ballot.

But Rusk, who is also the former UEA president, said she hopes to have gathered about 140,000 signatures when it is all said and done, with or without financial backing of outside organizations.