North Carolina high court backs move forcing school spending

By GARY D. ROBERTSON
Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s Supreme Court has ruled that a local judge had the power to transfer taxpayer dollars from government coffers to state agencies to carry out a plan to address longstanding education inequities. The 4-3 decision on Friday marks another landmark decision in school funding litigation that began three decades ago. Associate Justice Robin Hudson wrote the majority opinion. She says that legislators had repeatedly refused to use their constitutional powers to appropriate funds to ensure that every child has an “opportunity for a sound basic education.” Republican legislative leaders argued that only the General Assembly has authority to appropriate money.