On August 14, a unanimous decision of the Washington State Supreme Court fined the state $100,000 per day until the legislature expands state financing for public schools. Ever since 2012 the Court had been warning the executive and legislative branches that the State Constitution requires government to fund education. Because most education spending in Washington state is from local taxes and local government, not from the state, inevitably public schools in poor communities are underfunded compared to wealthy communities.
This New York Times story says the problem has been prolonged because the two houses of the legislature are controlled by different parties. The story says, “Washington’s House of Representatives is controlled by Democrats, while the Senate has a coalition majority caucus led by Republicans.”
Washington already needed three special sessions of the legislature this year to pass a budget, along with the regular session. Washington also needed three special legislative sessions in 2013. It is somewhat likely that 2015 will now see a fourth special session.
Washington and California are the two states that use a top-two system. Independent Voting, a group composed primarily of former activists of the New Alliance Party, is well-funded and has an extensive advertising campaign which teaches that top-two systems promote harmony and good government in state legislatures. In truth, whether a state uses top-two, open primaries, semi-closed primaries, blanket primaries, or closed primaries, makes little difference. State legislatures, and Congress, generally run smoothly when one party controls all branches of the government, and generally suffer gridlock under divided government. Independent Voting literature does not mention Washington state’s experience with top-two. Washington has been using top-two starting in 2008. In California, the Democratic Party controls all branches of state government, and the budget no longer needs a two-thirds vote in each house of the legislature, so there is no gridlock. Independent Voting talks a great deal about California, but never mentions that California’s gridlock was solved in November 2010 when the voters passed Proposition 25, ending the two-thirds rule for the budget.
ANTI-Democracy minority rule gerrymanders in all 99 houses of all 50 State legislatures —
1/2 or less votes x 1/2 pack/crack gerrymander districts = 1/4 or less CONTROL — since the 1964 SCOTUS gerrymander cases.
Much worse primary math – with or without any top 2 stuff.
—
NO primaries.
ONE house legislatures – with ONE year terms.
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
“On August 14, a unanimous decision of the Washington State Supreme Court fined the state $100,000 per day until the legislature expands state financing for public schools.”
Now how does this work? The Treasurer of the State of Washington writes a $100,000 check to who? The judge?
Winger writes: “Actually both houses of the legislature have a majority of Democrats. But in the Senate, a few conservative Democrats vote with the Republicans to organize the body.”
This is not true. There are 25 Republicans, and 24 Democrats.
The Republican Caucus has 25 members.
The Majority Coalition Caucus has 26 members.
The Democratic Caucus has 23 members.
One Democrat is a member of the Majority Coalition Caucus, but not the Democratic Caucus.
It would be best if the Court fined each member of the Legislature $100,000 a day, and I guarantee you that both Democrats and Republicans would suddenly start learning how to work together instead of being partisan on every issue.
I wish the Courts in Alabama would do some of this same type of ruling, as the schools in Alabama are so under-funded, and as a result we get a generation of graduates who hardly know how to add and multiply. Common sense tell us that unless we have an well educated, physically healthy, and well rounded generation of youth to guide our state and nation in the decades ahead, that it will only get worse. Even the Whigs of the 1840’s realized that public education was important.
More money ALWAYS guarantees better outcomes!
One result of the borrow to prosperity MORON education nonsence since 1914—
USA Federal, State and Local fixed debt now about a mere 30 TRILLION — NOT counting coming future UN-funded liabilities.
Makes Greece seem totally solvent.
@Casual
“More money ALWAYS guarantees better outcomes!”
That is why the Washington constitution declares that it is of paramount importance to provide ample. funding for education.
You are correct about the composition of the Washington Senate, Jim. Thank you. I have corrected the post. Before the 2014 election there were a majority of Democrats but Republicans still controlled the Senate because some Democrats voted with the Republicans. But since the 2014 election, as you say, there are 25 Republicans and 24 Democrats, one of whom votes to organize the Senate under Republican control.
Incidentally, the Republicans may pick up a seat in the House in a special election. Currently, LD-30 has one Republican and one Democratic representative. A previous Democratic representative died just before the 2014 election, and was elected posthumously. Under Washington’s goofy replacement system a Democrat was appointed for the 2015 session, but a special election is held in the fall of the odd year. The primary was two weeks ago, and a Republican led by a narrow margin.