Washington State Schools Chief Boycotts Inslee Speech

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — State schools chief Randy Dorn is boycotting the governor's state of the state speech. The superintendent of public instruction says he's not happy with Gov. Jay Inslee's budget or legislative plans for education.

The state Supreme Court has given lawmakers until 2018 to fix the way the state pays for public schools. The most difficult challenge remaining is ending the state's overreliance on local school levies.

Dorn says the governor's budget proposal could force school districts to be even more dependent on local levies.

In his speech, Inslee spoke about progress by the Legislature on school funding. But Dorn believes lawmakers are not making enough progress. He says he will keep making a fuss and encouraging the Supreme Court to increase the sanctions against the Legislature until lawmakers finish their work.