Wow.
In 2003, the Nevada legislature enacted a budget which did not include education funding, on the theory that they would take up a second bill which ensured that the public schools could remain open when the school year began. Because the Nevada Constitution requires both a balanced budget and the state to fund education, this second bill would include a combination of tax increases and education spending.
The two bill strategy broke down, however, when a minority of the state Assembly — led by Sharron Angle — refused to enact any bill which raised the new revenue required to reopen the public schools. Because a two-thirds majority is necessary to enact any tax increases, Angle’s minority was on the verge of shutting down all public education in the state of Nevada.
Eventually, the Nevada Supreme Court thwarted Angle’s plans.
Angle is already enthusiastically opposed to the Department of Education, and would love to see it eliminated. Now, we find out that she fought tooth and nail to use state funds to fund public education. As Think Progress notes:
In other words, Angle supports a two-step process to reform education in the United States:
Phase One: Eliminate all federal funding of education.
Phase Two: Eliminate all other funding of education.