This is the first time in 20 years that all three state supreme court justices up for re-election are facing opponents. To be honest I usually do not vote in that election because I simply do not know enough. This year I have decided to vote for Greg Zempel for Position 5 on the WASTATE Supreme Court.
I have chosen Mr. Zempel because he has spoken out against the politicization of recent decisions. He was especially critical about the ruling that charter schools, though publicly funded and regulated under rules and standards set by elected school boards, are not “public” because they have some independence from local school. boards on such matter as curriculum an in school budget.
That decision was heavily influenced by the teachers unions because they have so much power over elected boards. In effect it deprives parent groups and teacher groups of the ability to create and govern schools in a big district like Seattle that do not tow the line set by heavily politicized board governed by a majority of citizens living in the district rather than by the parents whose kids are in the public schools.
After being elected Kittitas County Prosecutor at age 32, Greg Zempel has served for 22 years. He was elected in 1994, at the age of 32, making him one of the youngest elected prosecutors in the state. During that time he has focused on offender accountability, victims’ rights, and development of an actual civil division to take legal matters that had been farmed out to private outside attorneys.
His opponent, is current Chief Justice Barbara Madsen has served as Justice for the same time Mr. Zempel has served as a county prosecutor. Ms. Madsen is seen as as strong feminist and much needed opponent of Tim Eyman initiatives. She is good people too, but in my opinion the decision on charter schools reflected too great an influence by the unions.
you made some good pts. Glad I don’t live there. I’d probably make a wrong choice.