By Walla Walla Union-Bulletin Editorial Board
The Washington state Legislature seems to have met its constituently mandated obligation to fully fund basic education.
That, of course, doesn’t mean everyone is pleased with how lawmakers allocated the additional billions or the way in which it raised the state property tax.
Nevertheless, it is the Legislature’s responsibility to make those decisions as its members represent the people.
Therefore, the Supreme Court should lift its oversight of the Legislature on this matter, which stems from the 2007 lawsuit filed in the McCleary case and a 2012 ruling.
Yet, the plaintiffs in the case won’t let it go.
While the state has added billions of extra dollars into basic education, the 2018-19 school year will be the first chance for the court to assess whether the amount is “constitutionally adequate,” said attorney Thomas Ahearne, who represents the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. He went on to say the court should allow the state to proceed “with school district experience being the judge of whether the state’s new funding levels prove adequate.”
Ahearne said the Supreme Court should reject the state’s request because this would essentially quash future efforts to litigate on the adequacy of funding in the future.
“The state’s demand for a pre-emptive factual finding of full constitutional compliance … asks the judicial branch to close the courthouse door, turn off the lights, and go to sleep,” he wrote.
But retaining perpetual oversight over the Legislature’s funding decision is not the role of the state Supreme Court.
That role is to intercede when lawmakers aren’t following the constitution. And when that occurs, the justices can only point out the problems — not determine the solutions.
The level of state funding education has risen from $13.4 billion in the 2011-13 biennium to $22.8 billion in the current two-year budget, and is projected to be $26.7 billion in the next budget, according to The (Everett) Herald. At this point, the Legislature has done what was asked. The Office of the Attorney General contend the state “has achieved full compliance” with the court’s 2012 decision.
It’s time to move on in regard to the state meeting its obligation to fully fund education — and that includes the plaintiffs in the McCleary case.
The above editorial appeared in Thursday’s Walla Walla Union-Bulletin.
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