Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn Friday expressed strong support for a motion filed by the plaintiffs in theMcCleary v. Washington case Wednesday, and said his office expects to file papers with the Supreme Court in support of the motion.

This new motion is an effort by the plaintiffs to encourage the Court to tell the Legislature now what sanctions the Court will order in the likely event the Legislature doesn’t come up with a plan to fully fund schools in the next session.

“The plaintiffs are right,” said Dorn. “The sanctions the Court imposed in August did not get the State’s attention. It is time to force the Governor and Legislature to act.”

The plaintiffs argue that the upcoming short session will be the Legislature’s last meaningful chance to put together a funding plan that will meet full constitutional compliance by the start of the 2017-18 school year. So the Court needs to tell the Legislature before January what will happen if the Legislature doesn’t come up with a funding plan during the short session.

The motion is very similar to briefs Dorn filed with the Court in August 2014 and July 2015, in which he urged the Court would enjoin funding for nonessential state services if the Legislature did not make meaningful progress on a funding plan.

Dorn supports multiple strategies to force the state to meet its constitutional obligations. Earlier this month he asked Attorney General Bob Ferguson for a formal opinion on whether local levy money can be used to pay the salaries of staff who provide basic education services.

“The constitution is clear, and the Court has been clear,” said Dorn. “What is also clear is the fact that Governor Inslee and the legislature are not taking their constitutional obligations seriously. It’s time to compel action.”