State Senator Joe Fain (R- Kent) has released this 4-minute video in which he explains the state supreme court ruling to close charter schools and what the legislature can do to fix it.  He describes the errors in the ruling, and legal objections voiced by five Washington attorneys general, past and present, and by Democratic and Republican lawmakers.

My favorite part is his explanation of the voter-approved charter school law’s severability clause, which should have saved charter schools if the judges had applied it accurately.  I also like the image showing the court’s message that “The General Fund has been corrupted!” It reveals the absurdity of the court’s logic that any funds spent on non-common schools taints all spending in the state budget.

Senator Fain ends with his assessment that “the votes are there” in the legislature to fix this court ruling, adding, “It is now up to the legislature and the governor to act to ensure these kids can stay in their classrooms and that public charter schools remain an option for students and families in our state.”

This report is part of WPC’s Charter School Follow-up Project