Letter to the Editor: Who pays when court fines legislature? Taxpayers do.

The state supreme court fined the state for not amply funding education as required by the state constitution.

I had hoped the state supreme court would have fined the legislators themselves $100,000 a day – but the court fined the state, which means the taxpayers have to pay this cost. Of course!

Now, if the court had fined the legislators personally, each one, taking money out of their pockets, then they all would have reached an immediate agreement yesterday when the court order was publicized.

However, since it is out of taxpayers’ pockets – well, there is more money where that comes from. We all know that too well.

Rep. Tom Dent has already said that the state supreme court cannot tell the legislators what to do and that he would go to jail over this if needed. I hope he does go to jail. If you or I defied a court order, we know the outcome of that.

Dent also noted that the state legislature had no plan to amply or fully fund education. With this attitude in Olympia, I hope that when the governor and legislators meet on Monday, August 17, that they decide not to comply with the court order so the court can then fine the legislators individually the $100,000 out of their own pockets and/or jail them all until they comply with the court order.

It is past time for them to be held accountable to their oath of office and the state constitution.

Duane Pitts

Moses Lake