Letter: Legislature has obligation to fully fund public schools

Washington State’s Constitution has governed us for 127 years. It obligates our state Legislature to fully fund our public schools. For several years now, our Legislature has ignored this responsibility.

Our legislators’ allegiance is to the Republican Party’s national strategy to abolish public schools. This is part of their “smaller government” agenda. Currently, Ohio’s Gov. John Kasich is leading the pack, with the most public schools closed or privatized.

Such anti-American ideology violates our legislators’ oath of office, when they committed to uphold our state’s Constitution. They also betray the public’s trust. Thus, they disqualify themselves from their elected office. Either they will restore full public school funding immediately, or they are honor-bound to resign from their positions before the next general election.

This story was originally published May 4, 2016 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Letter: Legislature has obligation to fully fund public schools."