Sonia Chang-Díaz's statement on the MA Supreme Court's decision to block the Fair Share Amendment
Jun 18, 2018
If anyone tells you that today’s Supreme Court decision means the end of the Foundation Budget Review Commission (FBRC) bill, they haven’t read the bill. The FBRC gave us the blueprint we need today – to accurately understand the problems facing our classrooms and to establish a process to flexibly address them over time. We currently have a nearly $900 million surplus and the Legislature has already taken some incremental steps toward filling the gaps. But right now we are doing this ad hoc, without a plan, and without ensuring the funds are going to the schools that most need relief.
We can’t only support public education when it’s easy. This isn’t a fair-weather enterprise. There is no magical revenue stream coming any time soon. Yet, we still have a constitutional and moral responsibility to provide every single child in Massachusetts with a quality education, regardless of zip code. We’re currently failing to do that. It’s on the Legislature and the Governor to act on the sensible roadmap that they asked for and that the commission delivered three years ago.
- Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz, Second Suffolk District
