School funding: Arizona must get federal approval to take from land trust again
An Arizona superior court judge has put up a roadblock if Gov. Doug Ducey and state lawmakers, or their successors, seek to bolster education funding and avoid tax increases by pulling money from the state land trust.
The ruling comes after five years of legal back-and-forth, dueling court decisions and Congressional involvement over an issue that dates back to Arizona's establishment as a state. The governor is weighing an appeal, meaning a final outcome may still take more time to decide.
First, a bit of Arizona history: When the federal government granted Arizona statehood — via the 1910 Enabling Act — it set aside 10.9 million acres of land to fund public priorities including K-12 education. A percentage of the sale of land or income from its use, like from leases, was earmarked to pay for those priorities.
In 2016, following a state Supreme Court decision that found Arizona wasn't putting enough money into education, Ducey asked voters to allow him to draw a higher percentage from the land trust to help meet the shortfall.
Read more: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2021/10/21/taking-arizona-land-trust-requires-ok-congress-judge-rules/6113310001/
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