The attorney representing a coalition of parents and education groups that sued the state over school funding told the Washington Supreme Court on Monday that it's time for the justices to get tough with lawmakers.

In a filing to the court, attorney Thomas Ahearne asks the justices to warn elected state officials they face sanctions, a holding of contempt or some other appropriate judicial enforcement if they don't stop dragging their feet on spending more state dollars on education.

The filing follows an update from the Legislature in August on its progress toward fulfilling a court order in the case known as the McCleary decision to fix the way Washington pays for K-12 education.

In January 2012, the Supreme Court ruled the state isn't meeting its constitutional obligation to amply pay for basic education. The Legislature added about $1 billion to education funding this year.