The Arizona Court of Appeals says state lawmakers erred in not fully increasing funding for public schools, based on inflation. From Phoenix, KJZZ’s Mark Brodie has more.
MARK BRODIE: Arizona voters in 2000 approved Proposition 301. Among other things, it required the state to increase funding for education, to account for inflation. But, a few years ago, state lawmakers decided to only partially fund those increases. A lower court judge had ruled the legislature was allowed to do that, but the appeals court, while acknowledging “substantial challenges” in preparing the state budget, nonetheless says the state constitution “does not permit the legislature to change the meaning of voter-approved statutes by shifting funds to meet other budgeting priorities.” The state Attorney General's office says it plans to file an appeal.