Governor Sam Brownback has a new fire he has to address in the state house after this morning’s ruling by the Kansas Supreme Court.
The ruling, text available here, provides a unanimous decision that the state does not adequately fund education per our state constitution. A prior ruling on the matter, which related to equity, came out last year, noting that schools were not funded in an equitable way and that there were significant disadvantages in some school districts.
The ruling today puts the Brownback administration in a bind — where do they come up with the money?
In an attempt to put the state on more financially solvent ground, legislators had put forward a plan to repeal various points of Governor Brownback’s tax experiment, but were quickly vetoed. While the veto faced a successful override in the house, the senate balked, and now the state is still without a solution to revenue problems.
The ruling in Gannon puts significantly more financial pressure on the state, as this will mean more money will have to be generated, in a year where the governor has already discussed cutting funding to education even more in order to make up the tax loss.
A senate panel had prior recommended more cuts to education, but that would seemingly be on hold in light of the ruling.
cjonline.com/…
A Senate panel moved Tuesday to cut $128 million from K-12 education and $23 million from higher education, reductions that would take effect this fiscal year to help fill a state budget shortfall.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee approved the cuts as part of a larger budget bill that also reduces funding to state agencies. The reductions would take place this fiscal year, with the state facing a budget shortfall of more than $310 million.
Now, the state will have to figure out a budget that puts that money — plus more — back in play for education by June 30. The ruling makes fairly clear the failure at hand here, meaning that continued cuts to education are not going to survive judicial review.
Democratic Senate Leader Anthony Hensley issued the following statement:
“Now, more than ever, Governor Brownback and Republican legislative leaders must stop playing political games and get serious about fully funding our children and grandchildren’s education.
“You’re only in first grade one time. You’re only a senior in high school one time. We have to get this right, and we have to do it right now. The future of Kansas children depends on it.”