Today's Education Hero: Rep. Joel Kretz of the 7th LD

Rep. Kretz is a Republican who represents the 7th LD, which covers everything north of Spokane to the Canadian border, and from Idaho to the Okanogan Valley. Geographically the largest in Washington, it's also a district where any cuts to levy equalization (LEA) would be the most profoundly felt, and Rep. Kretz has been leading the charge to preserve this vital funding for small school districts.

As exhibit 1, check out his 2009 session newsletter (which I hope to be able to link to shortly). Fully half of it is devoted to HB1776 and levy equalization, including a list of every school district he represents and what the Governor's proposed cuts to LEA would have meant for them.

Exhibit 2, this editorial published in the Pend O'Reille Miner on levy equalization, which gets to the heart of the issue in as clear and succinct a way as you're ever going to find. It was also published in the Davenport Times, which is where I first encountered it.

If there is a special session in October where levy equalization is attacked, again, it's good to know that we have people like Joel Kretz fighting the good fight.

Read more here, if any.

The Mitch and Shelly Short Story Concludes

Rich Roesler of the Spokesman-Review has really been hitting it out of the park lately, and this post on the guilty plea that Mitch Short entered into court recently is must-read for anyone who has followed the story.

I like Shelly. I think she can do a good job representing the 7th, where I live, and I look forward to visiting with her about education issues. It would be hard to argue, though, that she isn't going into the office with a cloud over her head, and she's going to have to work awfully hard to overcome that stigma. Can the House Republicans give her leadership positions? Can Rep. Joel Kretz, the new #2 in the caucus, be her rabbi and make sure she gets a fair shake? Will she get challenged in two years, the way that Kretz wasn't this year?

It's a seat to watch.

Read more here, if any.