Democratic critics of CACR 12, the constitutional amendment on education funding, claim that it would allow the state to stop funding public education. The claim is without merit.

These critics focus on the words, “the Legislature shall have the full power and authority to make reasonable standards for elementary and secondary public education and standards of accountability and to determine the amount of, and the methods of raising and distributing, state funding for public education.”

They knowingly ignore the preceding language: “the Legislature shall have the responsibility to maintain a system of public elementary and secondary education and to mitigate local disparities in educational opportunity and fiscal capacity.”

As it would be an impossibility to “maintain” a public education system without funding it, these critics' claims are plainly false. CACR 12 allows legislators — who are directly accountable to the people — to use state funds to give more money to property-poor towns and less money to property-rich towns. If this amendment does not pass, rich towns will continue to get state money that poor towns need, and disparities will continue. If it passes, the state can finally help property-poor communities close the gap with property-rich ones.