Governor renews push to limit judicial oversight over education funding. The move comes two days after lawmakers adopted a new proposal. Benson lobbied for plan, but unsure about signing it.
In what his office billed "a significant announcement" Governor Benson reiterated his longstanding support for placing the legislature in full control of school funding. The move comes 2 days after lawmakers reached agreement on a controversial new school funding plan. Benson lobbied for the plan's passage, but still doesn't know if he will sign it.
"I did ask people to vote for it so maybe it makes sense for me to sign it. I'm still debating exactly what I want to do."
The governor's is far less diffident when it comes to what he calls the school funding pledge -- a promise to push for a education funding constitutional amendment.
"This is an opportunity for every citizen in his state to weigh in on the most important issue we face -- that of doing a great job for our children. And I think it's very important we get this done in a short period of time."
Procedurally, the absolute earliest an amendment could reach the ballot would by 2006. To get there it would first need 3/5th support in both bodies of the legislature. Earlier this year, the republican dominated house strongly rejected a Benson-backed ed funding amendment. And 15 similar proposals failed to make it out of the legislature since 1998. Manchester state senator Lou D'Allesandro says they've failed for good reason.
"A constitutional amendment has never been the answer. I mean the answer is right here in this legislature. And it's a question of the desire to solve the problem."
Governor Benson insists his desire is strong. When he ran in 2002, Benson promised to eliminate donor towns. The legislature has since passed two school funding plans -- the latest contains 53 donor towns. The Governor insists that's not his fault.
"When I said we were eliminating donor towns I meant it, but we had to do it over a time that allowed us to work through the situation as we transition from a system that I didn't like to begin with never had any say in to one that allowed more targeting, at the end of my five year plan we were targeting over 100 million dollars to towns that needed it. "
Benson adds that he will rally support for his proposed amendment through a task force led by former Governor John Sununu. Skeptics say the appointment of Sununu's telling. It was under Sununu's Governorship that NH promised to fully fund the Augenblick education funding formula. The state's failure to do so led directly to the Claremont lawsuit. House democratic whip Ray Buckley.
"So the pyromanic who caused the fire is now being brought in with the bucket…..It's just absurd."
The Governor's office says it hopes to get as many lawmakers as possible to sign the constitutional amendment pledge. Meanwhile, plaintiff attorneys in the Claremont lawsuit are considering a return to court over the latest education funding plan.
