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Expect wailing and gnashing of teeth if the Kansas Supreme Court orders the state to increase funding to K-12 public schools - perhaps by more than $500 million. But the blame for such a ruling should fall squarely on Gov. Sam Brownback and state lawmakers, who put cutting taxes before adequately funding schools.
In this Jan. 23, 2015, file photo, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt talks to lawmakers at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. Schmidt released a document Thursday, Sept.
Two members of the Kansas State Board of Education believe Gov. Sam Brownback needs to take an active leadership role in crafting of the state's next school finance funding formula. Board chairman Jim McNiece said Wednesday during the second day of the board's monthly meeting that he's heartened Brownback recently asked for input from Kansans by the end of November about what should be part of the next funding formula.
Four Kansas Supreme Court justices targeted for ouster in this year's election face anti-incumbent sentiment and a backlash over rulings that overturned death sentences for two brothers convicted of infamous multiple murders. Conservative Republicans hope to give term-limited GOP Gov. Sam Brownback a chance to remake a seven-member court they view as too liberal.
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback announces that his administration is working on a new education funding system proposal and calls on leaders in Kansas and the education community to assist in developing the proposal during a press conference Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016, at the Kansas Statehouse, in Topeka, Kan. TOPEKA, Kan.
Members of the Seaman Unified School District 345 board of education approved the 2016-17 school year teachers' contract during a special meeting Thursday but not without one dissenting vote. Board member Rich Eckert said he voted against this year's negotiated agreement because he doesn't agree with the formation of a committee made up of teachers and administration officials, who in the coming months will review the potential of combining the current annual two days of vacation leave with 10 days of sick leave into one pot for certified staff.
The day after his administration canceled five public meetings aimed at gathering reaction to the imposition of a 4 percent cut to Medicaid providers, Gov. Sam Brownback announced last week that he wants to reverse the cut. Instead, he wants to increase a provider tax on hospitals.
I do not know if American democracy will survive this bizarre election year, but if it does not make it, I can predict the cause of death. The smoking gun will be the growing, highly toxic, self-serving, and baseless belief that whenever one's favored candidate, party or issue loses an election, it must be because "the system" was "rigged" by the winning side.
From the Wichita Pachyderm Club this week: Martin Hawver briefed members and guests on the state of Kansas politics. Judge Phil Journey provided the introduction.
For Kansas' elected officials, the message is clear: Your commitment to investing in public health is fundamental to our pursuit of stronger, healthier communities. It happens every day.
A Kansas waterslide billed as the world's tallest remained off-limits as authorities pressed to figure out how a state lawmaker's 10-year-old son died of a neck injury while riding it. Details remained murky about what happened Sunday to Caleb Thomas Schwab on the 168-foot-tall "Verruckt" - German for "insane" - that since its debut two years ago has been the top draw at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kansas.
Gov. Sam Brownback had for years assured the public that the income-tax cuts he championed would stimulate the Kansas economy, supply plenty of money for schools and give other states a "pro-growth" policy model to follow. But voters, including many Republicans, appear to have rejected that idea in the face of budget woes and court battles over education funding.
Kansas Senate District 15 residents will have someone new to the capitol representing them next year as Republican Dan Goddard of Parsons beat his opponent Tuesday to win the right to face fellow newcomer Chuck Schmidt, a Democrat from Independence. Goddard defeated State Rep. Virgil Peck of Tyro 3,469 to 3,301 in the Republican primary.
Moderate Republicans were making the Kansas primary a referendum on the state's budget problems and education funding as they tried Tuesday to oust conservative incumbents. More than two dozen GOP legislators faced primary opponents, and most were allies of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback who continued to support his experiment in cutting state income taxes to stimulate the economy.
Kansas' tax collections fell nearly $13 million short of expectations in July, and the report of the shortfall Monday came on the eve of a primary election in which Republican Gov. Sam Brownback's critics hoped to oust some of his legislative allies. The state Department of Revenue reported that Kansas collected $425 million in taxes last month.
Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton appears on a large monitor to thank delegates during the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Tuesday, July 26, 2016.
Sen. Bernie Sanders made a surprise visit Tuesday to the Kansas and Missouri delegations at the Democratic National Convention. To thunderous applause, Sanders thanked Kansas Democrats for backing his candidacy.
A federal judge has told Kansas that for three more years he will monitor its compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court's historic decision legalizing gay marriage across the nation. U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree issued a permanent order Friday barring the state from treating same-sex couples differently than opposite-sex couples in allowing them to marry or extending the benefits of marriage to them.