Coming to the rescue of Planned Parenthood? 

The fate of a criminal prosecution of Planned Parenthood filed in a Kansas District Court is now in the hands of the Kansas Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments in the case Thursday.

The high court hearing is unusual because the district court case has yet to be tried. Nevertheless, Planned Parenthood attorneys asked the court to decide whether Johnson County DA Phill Kline lawfully obtained evidence - redacted late-term abortion reports - that are key to the case.

Planned Parenthood faces 107 misdemeanor and felony counts for allegedly performing late term abortions and "manufacturing" falsified abortion reports at a clinic it operates in Overland Park. [ Read more...]

Underdog JoCo DA says local press downplays successes in fighting crime

Kline files for full term despite fierce opposition

Acknowledging it will be an uphill battle, Republican Phill Kline last week announced his intention to run for a full term as Johnson County District Attorney.

He will oppose fellow Republican Steve Howe, a former Johnson County prosecutor, in the August primary. The victor will face off against Democrat Rick Guinn, also a former Johnson County prosecutor, in the November general election.

And during an interview on the Shanin & Parks radio show after making his announcement Tuesday, Kline said he also counted the traditional media, specifically the Kansas City Star and The Johnson County Sun, as election opponents. Both papers often have been accused of biased reporting by Republican conservatives. [ Read more...]

Statehouse dispute over identity verification system doomed Kansas' immigration bill

Bush executive order requires E-Verify for federal government

An on-line method for verifying the citizenship of prospective employees, cited by Kansas legislators as a reason for killing the state's proposed immigration bill, has been adopted by the federal government. 

As the state legislative session waned, members of a conference committee opted to remove a requirement for the E-Verify system from the bill, arguing that it would impose an unfair burden on small businesses. Some members also argued that the system was based on sometimes flawed Social Security records. 

While E-Verify was apparently not up to snuff to some Kansas legislators, apparently it’s good enough for the nation's government. [ Read more...]

Bookies losing faith, but her chances are still better than Dennis Kucinich's

Sebelius as Veep? Wanna bet?

The likelihood that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will be Barack Obama’s running mate is decreasing.

That’s not according to polls or pundits. It’s according to gamblers.

Political prognosticators who want to put their money where their mouths are can get odds of 9 to 1 that Sebelius, an early and enthusiastic supporter of Obama, will be tabbed as his running mate. So, anyone willing to wager $1 today would get a return of $9. [ Read more...]

Q & A: GOPAC chair campaigns with Nick Jordan in Kansas City area

Michael Steele: 'To call people "RINOs" is a lie'

Michael Steele, chairman of GOPAC, a national grassroots organization that trains and supports Republican candidates, campaigned Friday with State Sen. Nick Jordan, R-Shawnee, who is seeking to unseat Third District Democratic incumbent Rep. Dennis Moore.

A former lieutenant governor of Maryland, Steele is the first African-American to win statewide office in that state and is also a commentator for the Fox News Channel.

Steele accompanied Jordan when the candidate came to talk with workers at a manufacturing plant, Innovative Adhesives, in Kansas City, Kan. Steele also spoke to local Republicans at a fundraising luncheon at Indian Hills Country Club in Mission Hills, Kan.

During the visit to the manufacturing plant, Steele and Jordan spoke with Kansas Liberty about this year’s local and national campaigns. [ Read more...]

Analysis and comment: A way to increase revenues and grow wealth? Sounds foreign to us, but not to Jonathan Williams and Catherine Bray. A view from Mount Sunflower

Europe’s Flat Tax Revolution

It is well known that the flat tax is the “holy grail” for fiscal conservatives. While our lawmakers in Washington, D.C., continue to only contemplate fundamental tax reform, Europe has been road testing it since the 1990s.

Most recently, Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, has come out in support of a single-rate flat tax on personal income by 2010.

Additionally, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Cyprus have all recently lowered their corporate tax rates to 10 percent. [ Read more...]

The Week on the Web

The Kansas Meadowlark, part of our Kansas News Alliance, explains how Sebelius' veto of voter ID has enabled a Kansas City Star staffer to vote in either Kansas or Missouri - or both - bringing a new meaning to the term "motor voter."

More on Sebelius. The blog chatter about Sebelius' vice-presidential ambitions grew a little louder this week. The Hill reports Sebelius used her visit to twister-stricken Chapman as an opportunity to promote herself on MSNBC, while The Washington Post explains why Obama-supporters might think that's a lousy idea - other than the fact that she probably wouldn't even be able to deliver Kansas. (Hat-tip: Trunkline.)

Landscape and memory. How beautiful is Kansas? Really beautiful, and for those of you who live in Kansas City and don't get out much, there's proof at The Nature Conservancy's site, where you'll find a dazzling preview of Kevin Sink's forthcoming book on the Flint Hills.

News round-up. Don't forget to bookmark Kansas Liberty's list of links to current state news stories!

A Preview of the Coming Week

Our usual assortment of comment, columns and breaking state news as it happens.