Are school directors willing to “compromise”?
School board members adopted a permanent position in 1989 which supports amending the state constitution to allow school levies and bonds to be approved by a simple majority of those voting. Period. Every year since, board members attending WSSDA’s Legislative Assembly rate this as one of their highest priorities. However, the discussion continues as to the best means by which to accomplish this goal. The principle is clear; the method to implement that principle is a question of political strategy. The dilemma is that amending the constitution is a two-part process: it first requires two-thirds approval by the Legislature, and then (simple) approval by the state’s voters. Legislators tend to like detailed and complex measures, while the general voters prefer simple questions. This issue embodies one of the very principles of our nation’s creation: the rule of the majority… with protections for the minority.
