Republicans don’t care what the Constitution says

There must have been a vote to change the state Constitution. Right?

Why else would Arizona’s schools be so poorly funded?

Why else would our state be barreling down the road to a two-tier, have-andhave-not school system?

How else could the conservative officeholders of Arizona — who vow to uphold the state Constitution — so blithely flout the spirit and text of that document?

So there must have been a vote. And we all missed it.

This is the only explanation for what’s going on — unless, of course, our fearless leaders are pursuing a different agenda.

Consider that Gov. Doug Ducey’s proposed (minuscule) funding increases for K-12 public schools were offered in the context of current revenues. It’s all we can afford, we were told, given fiscal realities.

Like the little guy in the top hat emptying out his pockets in the Monopoly game: We’re broke.

Sure we are. We’re broke because of years of serial tax cuts and an unconstitutional aversion to raising taxes.

Competing to have the worst funded public schools in the nation is the choice of Arizona’s elected officials.

Traditional public schools remain the choice of most Arizona parents. Guess who’s winning? The Constitution is on the side of the people.

It mandates a “system of common schools” that are “open to all pupils” and are “as nearly free as possible.” (Article XI, Section 6)

The Constitution also says: “(T)he Legislature shall provide by law for an annual tax sufficient, with other sources of revenue, to defray the necessary ordinary expenses of the state . . . “(Article IX, Section 3)

Article XI, Section 10 calls for “tax-