Kansas violating state constitution in school funding, court says

(Reuters) - Kansas is violating the state constitution in its funding of public schools, a duty that is mandatory and not to be left to the whims of state legislators, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled on Friday.

The court has given the Kansas legislature until July 1 to fully fund its obligations for state school funding for the next year. That amounts to at least $129.1 million, according to plaintiffs in the case.

SNIP

The lower court ruling, issued in January 2013, found Kansas was short-changing its students, and rejected as illogical a state argument that it could not afford increases in school funding at a time when the state was cutting taxes.(emphasis mine)

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback and Republican lawmakers have argued that school funding levels should not be determined by courts but by legislators.
The Kansas high court rejected that position, pointing to Article 6 of the state constitution, which says "the legislature shall make suitable provision for finance of the educational interests" of the state.

"The intent of the people of Kansas is unmistakable," the supreme court said. "The Kansas constitutional command envisions something more than funding public schools by legislative fiat."

Continued at Link:http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/07/us-usa-education-kansas-idUSBREA261AH20140307

AYFKM? The state's argument was that the state couldn't fund the schools while they were cutting taxes?