The state of Maine is violating its own Constitution concerning the funding of schools. We are told constantly that our taxes must be raised to “fund the schools,” but the Maine Constitution is clear: It is not lawful to fund local schools with taxes from the citizens of other towns.

Article VIII, Part 1, Section 1 of the Maine Constitution says,

“A general diffusion of the advantages of education being essential to the preservation of the rights and liberties of the people; to promote this important object, the Legislature are authorized, and it shall be their duty to require, the several towns to make suitable provision, at their own expense, for the support and maintenance of public schools.”

As you can see, the last part of the sentence says the Legislature must require the individual towns to make provision at their own expense for public schools. The current system of taxing people of Washington County, for example, to fund schools in Augusta is unconstitutional and illegal.

We must demand that our public servants obey the Constitution that they swore by oath to protect.

We must end the statewide taxation for funding of local schools. It doesn’t matter if we are forced to change the entire public school system in Maine. It is the law, and the law must be obeyed.

Jeremy Hiltz

Chelsea

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