School funding is enough

The Sept. 11 ruling by the Washington Supreme Court, which found the Legislature in contempt of court because the court’s self-determined meaning of “ample” was not met in regard to the state providing education, is an outrageous judicial overreach crossing the line of separation between branches of government.

The 1828 Webster’s Dictionary definition of ample is as follows:

1. Large; wide; spacious; extended; as ample room.

2. Great in bulk, or size; as an ample tear.

3. Liberal; unrestrained; without parsimony; fully sufficient; as, ample provision for the table; ample justice.

4. Liberal; magnificent; as ample promise.

5. Diffusive; not brief or contracted; as an ample narrative.

Can any rational person believe the original intent in the Washington Constitution for ample meant school funding was unrestrained? The state education budget is currently ample: 2013-15 K-12 at $15.2 billion, with approximately 1 million K-12 students.

The judicial branch is now directly legislating from the bench.

Provide parents with a school choice via a voucher system close to current state funding of $7,279 per student and let the free markets work. Competition will improve education. Government interference is the problem and additional meddling and spending is not the solution.

Judy Crowder

Colbert