House Republican leader says Dem. education plan short on reforms

February 8, 2017

An education funding plan by state House Democrats is drawing sharp criticism from legislative Republicans. John Sattgast reports from Olympia.

SATTGAST: House Republican Leader Dan Kristiansen says the Democrats’ bill is a wish list – not a measure of real reform – that would require billions of new and increased taxes. Even Democrats, he said, are unwilling to pass a tax bill to pay for their own policy wish list.

KRISTIANSEN: “It’s a policy bill. It’s going to be passed out of Appropriations with no money attached to it. No plan. There’s not going to be any fiscal anything that’s going to be voted on to implement that plan.”

SATTGAST: Kristiansen said the state is under court order to end its over-reliance on local levies to fund education. He said the Democrat plan falls short of that order.

KRISTIANSEN: “And if you look at that plan, there’s nothing in it that solves that. So what does that mean? It means that okay, your plan says that we’re going to throw billions of dollars more into this. But you haven’t solved the root of the problem. You haven’t changed what got us here in the first place.”

SATTGAST: A Senate Republican plan would implement a statewide flat property tax and provide $12-thousand 500 dollars per student in every district. Democrats complain that’s still not enough.

The House Appropriations Committee could take action as soon as Thursday on the Democrats’ plan.

John Sattgast, Olympia