News 10 Mins Ago Kansas lawmakers pass school funding fix to avert shutdown
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Category Archives: Kansas
Legislature passes school finance plan to wrap special session
Rep. Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, along with the House Appropriations Committee, looks over the new school finance plan Friday afternoon at the statehouse. The bill would direct some profits from the sale of the Kansas Bioscience Authority to the State General Fund so that it may be used for school equity.
Kansas legislators struggle with passing school funding plan
Top Republicans were forced Friday to rewrite an education funding plan in hopes of pushing it through the Kansas Legislature, satisfying a court mandate and ending a looming threat that public schools across the state may shut down.
Advocates: $2.1 million cut to Senior Care Act will force more elderly Kansans out of homes
Panning as "penny wise and pound foolish" a recent $2.1 million cut to the state's Senior Care Act, 11 agencies that implement the program said the setback will force more elderly Kansans out of their homes and into expensive nursing facilities. "How does this make sense? This cut takes more than $2 million from a $7 million budget," said Janis DeBoer, executive director of the Kansas Association of Area Agencies on Aging and Disabilities, or K4AD, during a news conference Friday.
Brownback not bragging about state borrowing now
The state government borrowed $300 million internally in 2013 to help with its cash flow. Gov. Sam Brownback noted at the time that when he came into office in 2011 , the state had been borrowing about $700 million.
Kansas to borrow $900 million to cover next fiscal year
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and legislative leaders on Wednesday authorized a record $900 million in temporary borrowing to cover the state's expenses through June 2017. The State Finance Council, which is led by the Republican governor, voted 8-1 to loan the state's main bank account the money from other, idle funds.
Ed groups oppose changing Kansas Constitution
Education groups in Kansas oppose proposals to amend the state constitution to prevent the courts from threatening to close schools in funding lawsuits. Representatives of the Kansas Association of School Boards, Game on for Kansas Schools and Kansas Families for Education testified Thursday against proposed amendments during a joint hearing of the state House and Senate Judiciary committees.
School closing threat spurs move to cut Kansas courts’ power
In this June 1, 2016 file photo, Kansas' Vice President of the Senate Jeff King swings the gavel down to end the 2016 legislative session at the Kansas statehouse in Topeka, Kan. King is drafting a proposed constitutional amendment to prevent Kansas courts from shutting down public schools in lawsuits over education funding.
Brownback sets school finance special session a week before deadline
During a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Sam Brownback discusses his frustrations of being forced to call a special session to prevent schools from being closed due to the supreme court's ruling in the Gannon case. During a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Sam Brownback discusses his frustrations of being forced to call a special session to prevent schools from being closed due to the supreme court's ruling in the Gannon case.
Gov. Sam Brownback sets June 23 as start of school finance special session
Gov. Sam Brownback on Wednesday set Thursday, June 23 as the date for the special session to address school finance. Lawmakers will return with limited time to work before running up against a court-imposed deadline to enact a constitutional school funding system.
Top Kansas education official predicts resolution to funding dispute without school closure
The state's top education official predicted Friday the Legislature and governor will resolve an impasse with the Supreme Court over education funding ahead of a deadline that could result in the closure of schools. Still, Education Commissioner Randy Watson told educators the Kansas State Department of Education will work to provide information to school districts and he acknowledged the fear among teachers and administrators.
Kansas views on legislative elections, budget troubles, welfare restrictions, earthquakes
The ultraconservatives in charge have sabotaged the state economy, transferred the burden of paying for what's left of state government from businesses and well-off residents to those without resources to pay for anything additional, and without remorse are seeking re-election. How any of them can look at us with a straight face, let alone ask for our votes, is beyond the pale.
Where’s the blame in school funding?
A relatively or somewhat, or maybe just not, clever plan by the Kansas Legislature this spring to meet the increasing funding needs of Kansas public schools by shuffling money within the school finance budget law was declared, well, not clever and not constitutional by the Kansas Supreme Court last week.
Governor Sam Brownback takes action to balance Kansas budget Vetoes two provisions; signs SB 249
Governor Sam Brownback today took action to balance the budget for Fiscal Years 2017 and 2018, subsequently signing Senate Bill 249 - the budget bill. The Governor announced allotments of $97 million creating a projected ending balance in FY 2017 of $87.5 million.
Brownback signs judicial transparency bill
Gov. Sam Brownback has signed a bill that will make the special commission that nominates Kansas Supreme Court justices subject to the state's open records and meetings laws, his office said Wednesday. SB 128 will also require Brownback to disclose the names of applicants for the Kansas Court of Appeals, something he repeatedly refused to do when making appointments to the court.
Brexit Due To Failure Of Elites, Not Bigotry Of Masses
Bigotry! Nativism! Racism! That's what elites in Britain, Europe and here have been howling, explanations for why 52 percent of a higher-than-general-election turnout of British voters voted for their nation to leave the European Union. But there is plenty of bigotry, condescension and snobbery in the accusations and the people making them.