Statement from Rep. Jay Rodne on the state Supreme Court decision on McCleary v. State
The state Supreme Court released its decision on McCleary v. State today, a case that challenged the adequacy of state funding for K-12 education under article IX, section 1 of the Washington State Constitution. The decision can be found at this link. The court said, in short:
- the state has not complied with its constitutional duty to make ample provision for education;
- reforms enacted by the Legislature in 2009 and 2010, House Bill 2261 and House Bill 2776, will, if fully funded, remedy state funding deficiencies; and
- it will retain jurisdiction over the case to monitor the implementation of these bills.
Rep. Jay Rodne, R-North Bend, released this statement following the decision:
“I am supportive of our Supreme Court’s decision and believe it will be the necessary catalyst to ensure the Legislature gets serious about this critical issue. It is clear to me, and the court agrees, that our state is not adequately funding basic education. Our students and schools deserve better than this, and state lawmakers must now deliver on the court’s expectations.
“Over the years, spending for our K-12 schools has become a smaller part of the state budget pie. Thirty years ago, it was 46 percent of general fund spending. Today, this number is less than 43 percent. Not only do we need to increase this percentage, but the Legislature must understand that other state programs do not rise to the level of importance as education. We need to restructure our state budget and prioritize education funding.
“The Legislature passed important legislation in 2009 that created a new blueprint to define and fund basic education in our state. I voted for House Bill 2261, and now it is time to follow through on its promises.”
