The Arizona Guardian reported on Friday that Rep. Jerry Weiers (LD 12) was part of a group of legislators who fought against the continued funding of the corporate welfare, slush fund known as the 21st Century Fund. Saturday the Arizona Republic reported that Rep. Sam Crump (LD 6) and 4 freshman legislators also stood against the system and made sure that the $22.5 million went toward education instead of special interests and large corporations. The Republic did not state who they were but this blog has learned that at least 5 freshmen possibly one more stood their ground.

The comment section of Seeing Red AZ had some details but this blog has uncovered more of the story. The five new Representatives who stayed strong in opposing corporate welfare were Carl Seel (LD 6,) Steve Montenegro (LD 12,) David Stevens (LD 25,) Frank Antenori (LD 30,) and David Gowan (LD 30.) Seel, Montenegro, Stevens, and Antenori were summoned to the governor’s office for some one on one time. They all stood firm. Montenegro was in there the longest and was clearly affected by the experience. None the less he held firm. Gowan was not hauled in to see the governor but was spoken to by another influential figure in the process. An e-mail sent out on Thursday by a tax policy group named 12 House members but in the end it was the two veterans named in the press, the five freshman above and maybe one or two more who stuck together on principle.

The supporters of the 21st Century (Slush) Fund thought they had the rebels beat because of a supreme court ruling about targeting specific agencies so the freshman came up with the idea of leaving $1 dollar in the 21st Century account. That meant they were technically just sweeping funds and not eliminating a program and would not run into trouble with court rulings. Not only is this group of new legislators tough, they are smart and tenacious.

According to a Thursday story in the Arizona Guardian The 21st Century Fund is a pet project left over from the Napolitano administration. The fund sends the cash to the Science Foundation Arizona. Despite the having the name Arizona in the title the board has several members who are not even from Arizona and one person who is not even from the U.S. The foundation also seems pretty top heavy with staff, it is surprising that there was much left over for corporate largess. Some of the companies receiving public funding are already quite well off and earn billions of dollars in profit each year. Even the budget alternative offered by the House Democrats cut off the money for the fund according to Robert Robb at the Republic.

The group fighting against this corporate welfare was not just doing it in ideological opposition to backdoor funding of special interests. They were trying to use the $22.5 million from the fund to lessen the hit to public schools in Arizona. The taxpayers and families of Arizona should be proud of these members who help firm against heavy pressure and did what was right for the average people of their districts and in the state. A big thank you to all of them.