Utah voters delivered a loud, strong message on Tuesday that they want their tax dollars reinvested in public schools, not private school tuition vouchers. By a 62 to 38 margin, Utahns rejected Referendum 1, which, if approved, would have created the most comprehensive education voucher program in the nation.

"Utahns today made history," declared Kim Campbell, president of the Utah Education Association (UEA), "and sent a clear message: We believe in our public schools and want them supported." Campbell also said that, with the Referendum 1 now in the past, UEA now looks forward to working with the legislature on a pro-public education agenda that invests in smaller class sizes, more teachers and better learning resources.

The vote followed months of a fierce public battle, energized by the historic efforts of an army of volunteers, part of a coalition known as Utahns for Public Schools, who educated the public about the flawed voucher law and gathered enough signatures - more than 124,000 in all - to put the Referendum 1 on the ballot. It had been 33 years since anyone succeeded in getting a referendum on the ballot in Utah.