His predecessor spent eight years pushing property tax relief. Now, Governor Jim Pillen wants to clearly tie said property tax relief to school finance. It’s up to the Legislature to figure out how to make that work.
Lawmakers are used to people complaining about their property taxes. Now, throw in some school districts that say a proposed distribution of state aid isn’t fair and equitable.What do you have? A real mess or a problem begging for a solution?
Pillen is behind three priority measures carried by three senators to implement the plan. He said the bills would increase the state’s investment in education and reduce school reliance on property taxes, calling them the culmination of great teamwork from groups representing statewide stakeholders One bill introduced by Senator Rita Sanders of Bellevue calls on the state to allocate $1,500 annually for every K-12 public school student through the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act (TEEOSA). The increase amounts to nearly $113 million in state aid.
