We were at the Supreme Court yesterday for oral arguments in the Gannon case. We look forward to seeing the Court’s opinion.

“Justices appeared willing to accept the state’s position that getting close to the safe harbor target is good enough. Justice Dan Biles told Rupe the court has never said the state’s target was the minimum amount of money needed to satisfy constitutional standards. The difference between the Legislature’s plan and what the schools want is $260 million on a $3.4 billion budget…

“Biles, who was appointed in 2009 to the Supreme Court after successfully defending the state’s earlier school finance plan, told Crouse he didn’t ‘have a lot of sympathy for the idea of dismissing this lawsuit.’

“’Part of it may be based on the fact that 13, 14 or 15 years ago, I stood in exactly the same spot that you’re standing right now, probably on the same carpet, and made the same argument, and the Legislature reneged on the deal,’ Biles said.

“If the court releases the case, Biles said, lawmakers could come back next year and adopt a funding plan they know is unconstitutional. Schools would then have to file a new lawsuit, starting at the district court level, ‘and we’re off to the races,’ Biles said.”
https://www.cjonline.com/…/kansas-supreme-court-presses-for…

Originally posted to Facebook on 05/10/2019.