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Election results turn up 'Yes'

Posted 5/25/16

It looks like Arizona voters have decided to pass both propositions making up the May 17 special election, with Prop 124 meeting with approval by a sound margin and Prop 123 squeaking past by a …

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Election results turn up 'Yes'

Posted

It looks like Arizona voters have decided to pass both propositions making up the May 17 special election, with Prop 124 meeting with approval by a sound margin and Prop 123 squeaking past by a narrow degree.

Results were still unofficial as of press time and may be subject to change.

Prop 123

Relating to education finance, Proposition 123 would increase annual distributions from the State Land Trust Permanent Endowment Fund, moving from 2.5 percent to 6.9 percent in order to benefit Arizona schools K-12, colleges and “other beneficiary institutions,” according to the ballot language.

Those in support of the proposition saw it as a way to get more money into the pockets of Arizona schools and educators without raising taxes, while those against tend to see it as a quick fix that will both cap future education funding and have a negative impact on the future of state trust land.

Prop 123 was clearly a divisive one, with the results just shy of being split down the middle.

As of the most recent tally, the vote stood at 535,782 voting for passage with 516,299 voting against. It appears that the yes votes have it by a difference of just a single percent.

Prop 124

As for Prop 124, this measure would allow the state to adjust certain benefits in the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System in order to “alleviate system underfunding, including the replacement of the current permanent benefit increase structure,” according to ballot language. This would include a cost of living adjustment that is indexed for inflation and capped at 2 percent per year.

If Prop 123 was a close call, Prop 124 was the exact opposite. Yes votes were at 718,739 as of the last count, with only 301,838 opposing. Leading by a difference of 70 percent of the votes to about 30, it looks like Prop 124 has met with a clear success.