Victor Riches, President and CEO of the Goldwater Institute, joins Sean Noble to discuss a major legal challenge that could determine the future of Arizona’s nationally recognized Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program.
Victor explains why the Goldwater Institute believes a union-backed ballot effort to roll back school choice should be removed from the ballot, alleging widespread problems with the signature collection process, including duplicate signatures, fraudulent signatures, and significant out-of-state funding.
Sean and Victor also discuss why Arizona has become the national model for school choice, how other states have followed its lead, and why the outcome of this fight could have implications far beyond Arizona.
The conversation then turns to education funding, classroom spending, teacher pay, and the growing size of school district administrations. Victor outlines a new Goldwater Institute ballot measure aimed at requiring a greater share of education dollars to reach classrooms instead of bureaucracy.
They also examine transparency in state government, Governor Katie Hobbs’ administration, Arizona’s housing and water policies, and what to expect as the 2026 governor’s race begins to take shape.
Victor Riches has served as President and CEO of the Goldwater Institute since 2017 after previously serving as the Institute’s Vice President for Litigation. Learn more about Victor and the Goldwater Institute here: https://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/our-team/victor-riches/

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