Looming large in the three Washington Supreme Court races are two rulings: One on basic education funding; the other on charter schools. Two of the incumbents, Chief Justice Barbara Madsen and Justice Charles Wiggins, sided with the majority in the 2012 McCleary ruling, which said the state was not meeting its constitutional obligation to provide ample funding for basic education. Justice Mary Yu was appointed in 2014 and was elected to a two-year term later that year. Position 1: Retired Gonzaga Law Professor David DeWolf is challenging Justice Yu. He says the court ruled incorrectly on McCleary and in the charter school case. He claims the state constitution doesn’t offer a “positive right” on education funding, calling the “ample funding” provision a preamble not a mandate. He says the entire issue should be left to legislators.
