Voices
Signed editorial and advocacy pieces from contributors to Advocates for School Trust Lands. Different voice from the booklet — sharper, more present-tense, often a direct response to what trustees, legislators, or courts just did.
Voices articles originate at schooltrustlands.org/astl-voices and are reproduced here as part of the library's evidentiary archive. Each article is signed by its author and dated.
Recent
The Seed Corn Crisis: Protecting Nebraska's 159-Year Promise
When the budget gets tight, the trust gets targeted. LB1072 would sweep $40 million from the Permanent School Fund to fill a one-time hole. The Nebraska Constitution says the fund "shall be perpetual." The 1897 Sheldon Act, and Arizona's modern cautionary tale, both say the same thing.
Oregon Legal Standing
In a landmark decision, the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed a lower-court dismissal in OASTL's lawsuit, handing advocates a major victory. Three significant points the court confirmed — and what they mean for trust-breach litigation generally.
Punctilio of Honor Award: Roy Andes
The first annual Punctilio of Honor Award goes to Montana attorney Roy Andes — for decades of trust litigation, including the landmark Montanans for Responsible Use of School Trust, that defined what fiduciary loyalty actually requires.
Wyoming Lease Reversal
The Wyoming State Board of Land Commissioners flipped on the Focus Clean Energy wind leases — 4–1 to grant, then 3–2 to rescind. ASTL's question for the board: is political difficulty now a guiding principle, or is fiduciary duty?
Arizona Fiscal Cliff: The Sunset of Prop 123
A decade ago, Arizona raised its trust distribution to 6.9% to plug a budget hole. Today, the Permanent Fund is $1.4 billion smaller than it should be and schools face a $285 million annual gap. The math was foreseeable — and still is, for Nebraska.
Utah's $134M Distribution
Utah announced a record $134 million distribution for 2026–2027, fueled by the voter-approved Amendment B. The principal continues to grow toward $4.1 billion. School Community Councils — parents, teachers, principal — decide locally how the funds are used.
To submit a Voices article, contact ASTL via schooltrustlands.org. The library reproduces ASTL Voices articles by permission of the parent organization.
