Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt this evening filed with the Kansas Supreme Court the state’s brief in Gannon v. Kansas.
The brief argues that Senate Substitute for House Bill 2655, a school-finance bill signed into law last week by Gov. Sam Brownback, satisfies the requirements of the prior Supreme Court order regarding the equitable funding of public schools.
The brief argues that the court’s threat to close schools should be withdrawn because the new law meets the Kansas Constitution’s requirement for equitable funding.
According to the brief, even if the court remains dissatisfied with the Legislature’s work, the new law makes clear the court should sever and strike down only those parts of the law that violate the Constitution rather than striking down the state’s entire school-funding system.
Oral arguments are expected in the case at 9 a.m. May 10.
A copy of the brief is available at http://1.usa.gov/1W5763A.