Bitter, angry personal attack in the court's decision overshadows the decision itself.

Supreme Court berates Kline while ruling in his favor

Documents collected by Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline during an investigation of alleged crimes at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Overland Park can be retained by Kline's office, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The evidence may be used in criminal proceedings against the abortion provider either by Kline or by his successor, Johnson County DA-elect Steve Howe.

Planned Parenthood had sought to remove from Kline's custody all records relating to the investigation, and had urged the court to hold the outgoing Johnson County DA in contempt.

The court denied Planned Parenthood's demand to recover the evidence and also found Kline had not committed contempt. In a brief statement Friday to a gathering of reporters at his Olathe office, Kline said: “We’re very pleased the prosecution can go forward.”

However, local and state media headlined the decision as a defeat for Kline apparently because of the angry tone of Justice Carol A. Beier's written decision and because the court "sanctioned" Kline by demanding that he give a set of copies of the documents to the state Attorney General's office - something he had already done. The "sanctions" had not been sought by Planned Parenthood.  [Read more...]

HOLCOMB: Six's office claims federal courts have no jurisdiction in the case.

Kansas AG seeks dismissal of federal lawsuit by Sunflower Electric

The Kansas attorney general’s office asked a federal judge Tuesday to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Sunflower Electric Power Corp. that seeks to overturn the denial of an air quality permit needed to proceed with a coal plant expansion in Holcomb.

In the response to Sunflower’s complaint, the attorney general’s office argues that the U.S. court does not have jurisdiction over the case.

The response further points out that the denial of the air quality permit is the subject of a legal challenge filed by Sunflower with the Kansas Department of Administrative Hearings that is still pending. [ Read more...]

LEGISLATURE: Neufeld defeated after a term marred by failure to override Sebelius' vetoes of a power plant expansion and passage of new gaming legislation.

O'Neal captures House speakership

A new House speaker will be at the helm when the Kansas Legislature kicks off its session in January.

Rep. Mike O’Neal of Hutchinson unseated Rep. Melvin Neufeld of Ingalls to seize the top post in the Republican-dominated House during leadership elections Monday in Topeka.

O’Neal - like Neufeld, a conservative - won the votes of 41 lawmakers in the 77-member Republican caucus. The full House will vote to confirm the leadership team in January in what is usually a formality. [ Read more...]

Liberal Republicans hold off challenges by Wagle, others. Hensley to continue to lead Senate Democrats.

Morris, Vratil easily defeat challengers in Senate leadership contest

Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius was breathing a little easier Monday night after Senate Republicans voted 18-13 to return Hugoton's Steve Morris to the Senate presidency.

"The difference was experience and education," Morris told Kansas Liberty in explaining his victory. He charged "ultra-conservatives" with an unwillingness to support sufficiently high education spending levels in the past.

Although nominally a Republican, Morris is a close ally of Kansas' Democratic governor and often works with Democrats in the House and Senate to outmaneuver conservative Republicans in both houses. [ Read more...]

STATE ECONOMY: Legislators from both parties say raising taxes is a bad idea. But beyond that, there's no consensus.

Lawmakers start looking for ways to meet deficit

The Kansas Legislature and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will be making some serious decisions in the near future on how to offset the $136 million deficit the Kansas government is facing.

So far Sebelius has asked agencies to cut 3 percent from their budgets.

But some legislators from both parties are pointing out that these cuts will not be enough and they say they're getting concerned about where the rest of the money will be coming from.

In fact, some lawmakers may look to taxpayers. Both Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, and Vice-President John Vratil, R-Leawood, have not ruled out raising taxes. [Read more...]

Sebelius leads call for hand-outs from the new Obama administration.

Bailout-mania spreads to the states

Following in the footsteps of financial institutions and automakers, the nation’s Governors, represented by Kansas’ Kathleen Sebelius, asked President-elect Obama last week to provide a bailout of states.

Sebelius , a Democrat and vigorous Obama supporter who is rumored to be a candidate for a cabinet appointment, formally presented Obama with a request on behalf of the National Governors Association for $40 billion to help fund health care assistance for the poor.

“President-Elect Obama made it clear that he wanted input and ideas from governors about the focus and size of the stimulus package which he plans to propose to help get the economy back on track,” Sebelius said in a statement issued after the meeting. [ Read more...]

Predictions are mixed, but one Democrat says don't count on gaming revenues for help.

The recession's official, but Kansas still fares better than other states

The United States has now been in a recession for one full year, the Business Cycle Dating Committee said Monday.

The committee, which tracks recessions, made this report after meeting via conference call last Friday and determining that figures for December 2007 signified a decline in economic activity large enough to label a recession.

In the wake of the committee's announcement, the Dow dropped 680 points, and the Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 138 points. [ Read more...]

GAMING: Another casino operator asks to get their money back, leaving only one small casino standing.

Game's almost over for state's big bet on gambling

The proposed Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has announced that it is withdrawing its Gaming Application for consideration, with a promise to try again if economic indicators improve.

The estimated $705 million project had been scheduled for its final approval Friday.

But on Thursday, the casino's operator, Kansas Entertainment, warned it was reconsidering, and on Friday, the company asked for its $25 million application fee back.

“As you are aware, in the three months since the decision of the Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board, there has been an unprecedented crisis and disruption in the global financial and economic markets,” Joseph S. Weinberg, president of Kansas Entertainment said in a letter sent to the Kansas Lottery. [ Read more...]

HIGHER ED: Report intended to bolster argument for hiking higher-ed funding?

Kansas, along with 48 other states, flunks in college affordability

Kansas scored an “F” in the affordability category in a report issued today by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.

The report, titled “Measuring Up 2008,” said that higher education has become less affordable to students in Kansas with poor and working-class families having to devote 40 percent of their income to pay for college costs at public four-year colleges.

The results of the report suggest it may have been intended to serve as an advocacy piece, since it also gave out “F” grades to 48 other states. The exception: California which received a “C” in the affordability category. [ Read more...]

COMMENT: When Uncle Sam got into the auctioneering business, the rest of us lost our shirts. Bill Wyckoff explains how.

The U.S. Treasury's farm sale

In New York, you can buy fine art at auction, and in Palm Beach, you can buy cars the same way. In fact, lots of other parts of the country have auctions.

But a farm sale is unique - a truly American phenomenon, where all the mechanics of the market are in play, so long as the auctioneer follows all the rules.

An auction veteran will tell you almost all the sales are divided into two categories. (1) Someone died or their health failed to the extent they had to move to town, or, (2) someone is in financial trouble. [ Read more...]

MORE COMMENT: Sebelius: She coulda been, like, Secretary of Contenders! | The Pitch whiffs the Star | Green pride in Georgia, thanks to Kansas

The Week on the Web

Who do you love? Gov. Kathleen Sebelius or Rep. Jerry Moran or Rep. Todd Tiahrt? Kansans may get to decide in 2010, since, as Politico reports, it's now official that Sebelius will not be any of the following: vice-president of the United States, secretary of labor, EPA chief, secretary of agriculture, energy secretary, secretary of commerce, host of Saturday Night Live.

Obama's number-one gal even came out second behind Obama's number-one enemy, Hillary Clinton, who may have lost the primary campaign, but won the US State Department. [Read more...]

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