Even as Washington lawmakers take time off from legislating or busy themselves with re-election campaigns, the specter of the McCleary v. Washington decision looms over them.
In 2012, the state Supreme Court ruled that the Legislature had failed its constitutionally mandated “paramount duty” of providing for basic K-12 education in the state. Since then, there has been a not-so-merry-go-round of recriminations between lawmakers and the court, with the justices last year imposing a $100,000-a-day fine until the state lives up to its duty.
Now, as the Supreme Court prepares to weigh in on the Legislature’s most recent efforts regarding school funding, lawmakers should expect another ruler-rap across the knuckles. Yes, they increased funding during both the 2013 and 2015 budget-writing sessions; no, they did not demonstrate progress this year while accomplishing little more than planning to make a plan. Along the way, they have kicked the can of figuring out how to ease school districts’ reliance upon local property taxes to pay for such basic items as teacher salaries.
Justices are expected to release in the next couple weeks a report card on the Legislature’s progress, and that assessment should include an even more forceful push to get lawmakers going in the right direction. The Seattle Times has editorially recommended the appointment of a mediator to help hammer out an agreement, even suggesting former Gov. Chris Gregoire as the right person for the job.