After a record-long session, Washington Governor Jay Inslee and legislative leaders still aren’t done. They’ll resume talks on schools funding on Monday afternoon in SeaTac after an unprecedented ruling from the state Supreme Court.
Washington’s legislature is now on the hook for $100,000 each day the state goes without a plan to fully fund education.
Lawmakers boosted K-12 funding significantly this past session, but the court ruled it was not enough to meet the state’s constitutional obligation.
Inslee will now have to decide whether to call a special session. He’ll meet with legislative leaders to discuss options. In a statement, he said, “I will ask lawmakers to do that work as quickly as humanly possible.”
Still, it’s not clear whether lawmakers will allocate money to pay the fine, or where the money would come from. Some lawmakers have criticized the court for what they say is overstepping its authority.