sailingaway
03-24-2013, 10:12 AM
OLYMPIA — There are three functions of government that courts are never supposed to touch, state Rep. Matt Manweller told a legislative panel this month: spending money, collecting money and going to war.
The Washington Supreme Court crossed the first line last year by ordering the state to spend more on education — and vowing to oversee the effort — argued Manweller, an Ellensburg Republican and political-science professor at Central Washington University.
The court breached the second last month by striking down a voter-imposed two-thirds requirement for lawmakers to raise taxes, Manweller asserted.
What’s next, he wondered aloud. A decree to attack Oregon?
Manweller is among many conservatives who, after losing major cases in consecutive years, are taking up the time-honored tradition of accusing judges of judicial activism.
“If they wanted to set appropriations, they should have run for the Legislature,” said state Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale. “I think it’s just a confused court right now that is attempting to inject itself into the legislative arena instead of the constitutional arena.”
The conservatives, irritated mostly about the court’s continued monitoring of the education-funding effort but inflamed to vocal criticism by the tax ruling, are especially unhappy because the decisions make it harder to achieve their goal of balancing the budget without raising taxes.
Fully funding K-12 education, which the state constitution requires, is estimated to cost at least $3.5 billion per biennium above the $13.6 billion the state spends. The two-thirds requirement was seen as a key protection against taxes.
Chief Justice Barbara Madsen said the court impartially decides constitutional cases that come before it, “regardless of political pressure or disfavor.”
“The law is complex and cases are complex,” Madsen wrote in an email. “Disagreements are predictable.”
more: http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020628808_supremecourtxml.html#.UU8kYyLCkvc.twitt er
The Washington Supreme Court crossed the first line last year by ordering the state to spend more on education — and vowing to oversee the effort — argued Manweller, an Ellensburg Republican and political-science professor at Central Washington University.
The court breached the second last month by striking down a voter-imposed two-thirds requirement for lawmakers to raise taxes, Manweller asserted.
What’s next, he wondered aloud. A decree to attack Oregon?
Manweller is among many conservatives who, after losing major cases in consecutive years, are taking up the time-honored tradition of accusing judges of judicial activism.
“If they wanted to set appropriations, they should have run for the Legislature,” said state Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale. “I think it’s just a confused court right now that is attempting to inject itself into the legislative arena instead of the constitutional arena.”
The conservatives, irritated mostly about the court’s continued monitoring of the education-funding effort but inflamed to vocal criticism by the tax ruling, are especially unhappy because the decisions make it harder to achieve their goal of balancing the budget without raising taxes.
Fully funding K-12 education, which the state constitution requires, is estimated to cost at least $3.5 billion per biennium above the $13.6 billion the state spends. The two-thirds requirement was seen as a key protection against taxes.
Chief Justice Barbara Madsen said the court impartially decides constitutional cases that come before it, “regardless of political pressure or disfavor.”
“The law is complex and cases are complex,” Madsen wrote in an email. “Disagreements are predictable.”
more: http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020628808_supremecourtxml.html#.UU8kYyLCkvc.twitt er