The governor says this amendment will preserve the state's obligation to fund education but give it the flexibility to target funds.
Here's the text of Lynch's amendment:
"In fulfillment of its duties with respect to education set forth in part II, article 83, the legislature shall have the authority and responsibility to define reasonable standards for elementary and secondary public education, to establish reasonable standards of accountability, and to mitigate local disparities in educational opportunity and fiscal capacity Further, in the exercise thereof, the legislature shall have full discretion to determine the amount of, and methods of raising and distributing, state funding for public education."
House Speaker William O'Brien responded with a press release, saying it's disappointing to hear about this through the press and not from Lynch himself.
"this appears to be more of a publicity stunt than an actual concrete proposal to resolve the education funding problem created by the courts," wrote O'Brien.
But Hooksett Republican, David Hess said the proposed language has substance.
"At first blush, it goes a long way, maybe as far as any of us would want, to address the issue in a responsible way," Hess said.
Hess particularly likes the use of the word "reasonable" to define the obligation the state has to funding education.
