The Barefoot Schoolboy Act

On this date back in 1895, the State Legislature passed a bill, the so called "Barefoot Schoolboy Act."  Sarcastically this post could commemorate the feat.  Instead it is mostly about using property taxes to fund schools and John Rodgers.  The bill was the brainchild of a future Populist Governor John Rodgers.  Rodgers used the bill as a springboard to get into the Governor's Mansion in Olympia.  Rodgers would go onto be the darling of the progressive movement in the State, winning the governorship twice, dying in office a year into his second term.  As governor he championed further eduction reforms and advocated for a strong central government.  As for the Barefoot Schoolboy Act, it tied eduction to taxation of real property. Thus ensuring our children are in the middle of the ideological fight between the left and the right.