Category: Kansas state government
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Kansas Supreme Court Bypasses Voters Right to Representation
Following is a press release from Kansas House Member Frank Miller, Republican from Independence. I think he assesses the situation accurately. Kansas Supreme Court By-Passes Voters Right to Representation I am shocked and very alarmed that the Kansas Supreme Court by a unanimous decision would so boldly by-pass the authority of the legislature and directly…
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Disgraceful decision will hurt Kansas
The Kansas Supreme Court’s school finance decision is deeply flawed both in substance and in procedure. This five page judicial edict (www.kscourts.org see case no. 92,032) announced January 3 is designed to pressure the legislature into voting for more spending for public schools without saying by how much. Many tax and spend advocates are now…
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Ethics Require Two Recusals In School Finance Lawsuit
Would you want to go to court and face a judge who used to serve as legal counsel for your courtroom opponent? That is one of the ethics challenges facing the state in trying to fight off the $1 billion school finance lawsuit in front of the Kansas Supreme Court. This court heard oral arguments…
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What’s the Matter with Kansas?
By Alan Cobb, State Director of Americans For Prosperity, Kansas Many would describe that much of Kansas is in decline. Over 75 percent of the counties in Kansas have lost population just since 2000. Over half of Kansas’ counties have fewer residents today than 1900. Recently, the Associated Press reported that Kansas is in real…
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Ethics Require Recusal in School Finance Lawsuit
The Kansas Supreme Court’s second canon of rules requires that its members, “shall respect and comply with the law and shall act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.” This rule goes on to state, “A judge shall not allow family, social, political or…
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The Decline of Kansas Documented By Census
By Karl Peterjohn, Kansas Taxpayers Network Kansas is in a decline. This state is shrinking relative to its peers in the other 49 states. However, some might say, and with some degree of accuracy, that this trend is nothing new. It is clear that the size and impact of this decline is likely to shape…
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Kansas Faces Challenges for Growth
By Alan Cobb, Americans For Prosperity Kansas State Director Many would describe that much of rural Kansas is in decline. Nearly 60 percent of the counties in Kansas have lost population just since 1990. Over half of Kansas’ counties have fewer residents today than 1900. Just this week the Associated Press reported that stated Kansas…
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Democrats dominate in top Kansas court
There are three numbers that everyone at the statehouse knows who follows Kansas government: 63, 21, and one. You must have 63 votes to pass a bill out of the Kansas House of Representatives, 21 votes to pass a bill out of the Kansas Senate, and the governor’s signature to turn a bill into law.
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Taxed Out of Business
From the Junction City Daily Union, March 24, 2005 By Kay Blanken Special to The Daily Union Friday evening, many of us in Junction City opened our newspaper to the headline, “Local Alco Closing Its Doors.” The Kansas City Star reported that 20 Alco stores across Kansas were closing their doors. This is a Kansas…
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Clunker law epealed, surliness not
I received this message from someone who applied for the refund of overpaid sales tax that many in Kansas paid as part of the “clunker law.” That law attempted to prevent cheating on sales tax by those who self-reported the price they paid for a car. Some people lied and paid less sales tax than…
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Senator Ruth Teichman, Republican in Name Only?
This is an interesting analysis that I received from Karl Peterjohn, Executive Director Kansas Taxpayers Network. What Karl doesn’t mention is that Senator Teichman is a Republican. Bob, This response is so interesting and the timing is so remarkable that I want to submit it for Wichita Liberty. Sen. Teichman responds to my mid-February email…
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A better way to pick judges
Election of judges invites corruption because attorneys and other special-interest groups contribute money to judges’ election campaigns. It is doubtful whether one voter in 10 could even name two of the 25 judges currently on the court. And if they could name two judges, would they have any idea regarding their job performance? Thus it…