State education funding is under the legal spotlight

From a legal perspective in the U.S., education is a state function. But individuals and advocacy groups have the right to question the state's fulfillment of this responsibility in court, and many have. Courts generally find that State constitutions afford all children an opportunity to acquire a minimum level of education. A case in Washington State poses what could become a groundbreaking ruling. In an unprecedented recent move, the state's Supreme Court has imposed sanctions on the state legislature, fining them $100,000 a day until they adopt legislation that adequately funds that state's public schools. What makes this case so important right now is that most states have reduced their support to public education.