Tag: Kansas state government
-
Earthjustice meddles in Kansas again
The radical environmentalist group Earthjustice is again meddling in Kansas energy policy. They’ve sent a “warning letter” to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
-
Kansas open records law needs an overhaul
“An open and transparent government is essential to the democratic process. Under Kansas law, citizens have the right to access public records and observe many meetings where decisions are made that affect our state.” That quote is taken from the Kansas Attorney General’s web site. Unfortunately, the second sentence isn’t really true. Kansans may technically…
-
Kansas loses private sector jobs as government grows
Today the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy reports on the rapid growth in government jobs in Kansas. This is taking place at a time when the private sector is rapidly shedding jobs. “Kansas continues to lose jobs in the private sector as the number of government employees grows. According to the U.S. Bureau of…
-
Oklahoma tinkers with petition law; Kansas has none
Sometimes we in Kansas like to poke fun at our neighbors to the south in Oklahoma. I’m sure they do the same to us. But one way in which Oklahoma has Kansas beat is in Oklahoma citizens’ ability to petition their government through the process of initiative and referendum. It’s not possible to do this…
-
Kansas historic tax credits should end
The Wichita Business Journal reports that without historic tax credits, some redevelopment projects might stop. In other words — the Business Journal isn’t quite so blunt — if taxpayers don’t give developers money, some of their projects might not be economically feasible. Or so the developers say.
-
Budget battles in Topeka
The following analysis by Flint Hills Center for Public Policy Fellow Jonathan Williams provides a useful summary of the past legislative session in Kansas regarding the budget. Now that lawmakers have left Topeka after adjourning the 2009 legislative session, we have some time to reflect on their actions.
-
Update on 2009 Kansas legislature
Here’s a summary of the 2009 Kansas legislative session prepared for Sedgwick County Commissioners by the county’s lobbyist.
-
Kansas open records, not quite
The Flint Hills Center for Public Policy has produced another important investigative report, this time looking at the difficulty citizens and journalists can encounter when requesting records covered under the Kansas Open Records Act. “What started out as research into property valuations in Kansas has turned into a frustrating protracted battle over differing perspectives on…
-
Watkins addresses Kansas budget, Republicans, schools
Speaking at at the regular weekly meeting of the Wichita Pachyderm Club on May 22, 2009, Kansas House of Representatives member Jason Watkins addressed the Kansas budget, Kansas Republicans, and school spending. Regarding the budget during the past legislative session, which ended in May: Watkins felt there was an opportunity for reform that the legislature…
-
Special: Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission in need of reform
James Meier of Lawrence tells of the trouble (that’s an understatement) he had trying to file an ethics complaint, and of a catch-22 that needs fixing. This story has been told on a Kansas conservative mailing list. Meier prepared this version as a special for Voice For Liberty in Wichita readers.
-
Kris Kobach campaign in Wichita
Republican Kris Kobach stopped by Wichita yesterday afternoon in his trip across Kansas supporting his candidacy for the Kansas Secretary of State. Kobach’s main reason for running, he says, is ACORN and the voter fraud it spreads. “It is a political organization, but it is also a criminal enterprise. It’s a criminal enterprise that is…