Controversial Ruling Against School Tax Amendment
By: Christa Spencer
Updated: December 10, 2012
A recent Supreme Court decision sending shockwaves through Arkansas and drawing criticism from top state officials.
It's a complicated case, but a simple concept: should school districts with more money be forced to share with those who have less?
Arkansas' Supreme Court says no. The Attorney General's office has sent someone to brief lawmakers in hopes the Supreme Court will reconsider the decision.
In 1996, Arkansas voters passed a property tax for schools, but the court says the "school-tax" amendment doesn't let the state take money from districts who have more and give it to others who have less.
Some lawmakers say the state should accept the court's ruling. Senator Bryan King says, "The reality is, the governor needs to accept, he was part of writing the decision, he needs to abide by the rules he wrote."
King also says people need to hear both sides of the story, for example, the Eureka Springs district is building a new $11 million dollar high school without any money from the state.
