Court Holding Lawmakers In Contempt For Lack Of Education Money

SEATTLE (AP) — The Washington Supreme Court is holding the Legislature in contempt for its lack of progress on fixing the way the state pays for public education.

The court said in an order issued Thursday it would hold off on punishing the Legislature until after the 2015 session. If lawmakers do not complete their plan for fixing the way the state pays for public schools by the end of that legislative session, the court promises to reconvene and impose sanctions and other remedial measures.

The order was issued just a week after the court held a hearing in Olympia on the state's lack of progress toward paying all the costs of basic education. The court ruled in the McCleary lawsuit in January 2012 that the Washington's system of education funding was unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court gave the Legislature until the 2017-18 school year to fix the problem.