Stand for Children Has $725,100 Ready to Unseat Charter-unfriendly Judge
On September 4, 2015, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that the state’s law regarding charter schools was unconstitutional because it depended upon funding meant for the state’s common schools.
The Court upheld its opinion in November 2015.
The author of the ruling is WA Supreme Court Justice Barbara Madsen, who happens to be up for reelection in 2016.
Of course, those who support charter schools would like to see her gone.
Her opponent, Greg Zempel, is an apparent supporter of charter schools– and it is Greg Zempel who has the backing of Stand for Children WA PAC as an independent expenditure committee led by Stand’s national finance director, Dan Soltesz.
According to Ballotpedia, Zempel is running because the WA Supreme Court is “unpredictable”:
Greg Zempel is the prosecutor in Kittitas County, Washington, and a 2016candidate for the Washington State Supreme Court. He is running against incumbent Chief Justice Barbara Madsen.[1]Zempel stated that he is running because the state supreme court is “unpredictable.”[2] He said, “[The court is] highly politicized and they are not deferential to other branches of the government or citizens.”[2] Zempel said that he had decided to challenge Chief Justice Madsen rather than a justice who had been on the court for less time because the chief justice is “more responsible” for the tone of the court.[2]
Another contender for Madsen’s seat, John Scannell, has no funding. A primary is Stand for Children Has $725,100 Ready to Unseat Charter-unfriendly Judge | deutsch29:
