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Arizona Governor Doug Ducey said the statewide protest led by the #RedforEd movement was not about teacher’s pay. He believes that the main objective of the group is to put the tax increase initiative on the November ballot.

On Saturday, Gov. Ducey said, “For the activists, for the government union, it was never about teacher pay.  The governor noted that before the #RedforED school walkout, he announced his plan to increase teachers’ salary by 20%. According to him, the movement should have canceled the strike because he agreed to give their demand.

#RedforEd was about tax increase ballot initiative

“What is was truly about is what will likely be in the ballot this November, which is tax increase, said Gov. Ducey. He made the comments to the Fountain Republican Club.

The governor was referring to the Invest in Education Act, a ballot initiative seeking to raise income tax rates to high-wage earners. The revenue from the tax increase will be used to fund public education.

Under the ballot initiave, the income tax rate for individuals (earning over $250,000) or households (earning over $500,000) will increase to 8%. The tax rate for individuals (with income over $500,000) or households (with income above $1million) will increase to 9%.

Currently, the tax rate is 4.54% for both income brackets in Arizona. Gov. Ducey was vocal about his opposition to the iniative. He made a promise that he will not raise taxes because it will stall the state’s economic growth.

The #RedforEd supported the ballot initiative after the school walkout. The leaders of the movement decided to end their protest after the Arizona Legislature passed a bill boosting teachers’ wages and school funding.

#RedforEd is about investing in schools

Noah Karvelis, one of the organizers of the #RedforEd denied the governor’s comments. In a tweet, Karvelis said their movement has always been about “investing in schools and communities.”

Huh?? A month ago, Ducey said it was ONLY about teacher pay. But we’ve been crystal clear since day one- This is about our students. This is about our educators. This is about investing in our schools and communities! https://t.co/7goVhoY8cE

— Noah Karvelis (@Noah__Karvelis) July 8, 2018