This New York Times article explains that a constitutional crisis is looming in Washington state. The State Supreme Court has ordered the legislature to substantially increase education funding, but the legislature seems disinclined to follow the court order. As background, the Washington state legislature is the fourth most polarized between the Democratic and Republican Parties in the nation, according to recent data from political scientist Boris Shor.
Washington has used the top-two system starting in 2008. California supporters of the top-two system, especially journalists George Skelton and Thomas Elias, never tire of telling their readers that top-two systems reduce polarization and partisanship, but neither Skelton nor Elias has written about Washington state’s experience with that system.
Will the WA State Gov become a blatant TYRANT and remove the offending WA legislators on the orders of the WA SCT tyrants ???
Will the WA legislators impeach all offending judges and executive officers ???
History note – see Spirit of the Laws by the *celebrated* Montesquieu — for his MAJOR role in getting separation of powers into the 1776 era State Consts and the later 1787 USA Const.
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P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
ALL 99 houses of ALL 50 State legislatures have ANTI-Democracy minority rule gerrymander governments.
1. UNEQUAL votes for each pack/crack gerrymander district winner.
2. UNEQUAL total votes in each crack/pack gerrymander district.
3. 1/2 or less votes x 1/2 pack/crack gerrymander districts = 1/4 or less CONTROL.
Democracy Remedy = Proportional Representation
Party Seats = Total Seats X Party Votes / Total Votes
Each Seat Winner to have a Voting Power equal to the direct votes that he/she gets plus moved votes from losers.
Both Majority Rule and Minority Representation.
The article mentions the paramount clause in state constitution. The court ought to make that stand up or force members to propose a striking amendment.
The legislature told the court a week back not to give the usual words to the joint session. The court as seen on the state public affairs channel sponsored legislative-like pomp with the new and returning justices. Welcome Mary Yu.
I guess not quite the same Phil Tallmadge court that invalidated the voter’s initiative on term limits for so many Grateful carter legislators.
I hope the court is brave and acts with resolve.
Auto correct, ick. Grateful career legislators.