Another Question with my answer for the Journal World: Education funding: Although the Kansas Supreme Court has addressed the issue of equity in the school finance formula, the question of adequacy – whether the state is making “suitable provision” overall for financing public schools – is still before a three-judge panel. If that panel rules that the state must increase spending, how do you think the Legislature should respond? There are two parts to the question: first the level of school funding, secondly the question of whether the legislature, or the Governor, should always let the court lead in the dance of budgets. In the constitution, the legislature is given the responsibility of setting and creating budgets—not the courts. We already spend about $6,000,000,000 a year in Kansas on public education—which is 63% of the total state budget. We spend more on public education right now than we ever have before. Would spending 68%, or 73% of the state budget for public education be much better? Seriously, the legislature should not allow the court to dictate how budgets are created and funded. The court system is supposed to be a check on the other branches of government—not the final authority on everything. Are we to be ruled by a Tribunal? (Sponsored by Doug for Kansas House, Bill Frenzel, Treasurer)
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 04:22:49 +0000
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