LAW: Sometimes the language used by a Supreme Court justice can say much more about the judge than it does about the law. Carol Beier's rant in Planned Parenthood vs. Kline is a prime example. Analysis by James O'Connell.

The Kansas Supreme Court's empty words

The extraordinarily personal language used by Kansas Supreme Court Justice Carol Beier in a decision concerning the long legal effort by Planned Parenthood to avoid prosecution for allegedly performing illegal abortions and falsifying records has drawn a great deal of attention and created confusion, since, although the petition by Planned Parenthood was denied, Beier's language excoriated Kline, who emerged victorious.

Kansas Liberty asked James O'Connell - former CEO of Providence-St. Margaret Health Center, former Kansas Secretary of Health and Environment and, for several years, a practicing attorney in the Kansas City area - to analyze the decision, and especially the controversial language in which it was written. [ Read more...]

FINANCIAL CRISIS: The school district that helped start the funding spree now says it needs more money

Salina comes back for more education money

As lawmakers and the governor struggled to deal with the state's spiraling deficit, Robert Winter, superintendent for Salina schools, told the Salina Board of Education last week that he plans to ask the Kansas Legislature for more school funding.

Winter's district is USD 305, one of the two school districts to file a case early in Montoy vs. Kansas. The suit gave the Kansas Supreme Court the opportunity to order the Legislature to provide substantial funding increases for schools.

The increases are widely blamed for being the primary culprit in creating the state's growing financial crisis. Meanwhile, a recent University of Kansas study found there was "little evidence" that funding increases improved student test scores. [ Read more...]

Tax hikes aren't the answer to state's budget woes, economist says

Study: Kansas ranks 31st in business-friendliness

Granted, it’s not the nightlife capital of the world, and its climate leaves something to be desired, but Kansas still has many things that work in its favor in attracting new businesses and the jobs they bring.

Those qualities include a relatively low cost of living, a relatively highly educated work force, excellent highways, a very central geographic location and a low crime rate.

But, when you factor in state government regulation and taxation, Kansas loses some of its luster in the eyes of prospective corporate residents. [ Read more...]

Kansas now owes $550 million to itself - but at least it's interest-free. AFP says it's the consequence of 'years of overspending'

State council 'borrows' another $250 million from idle funds

A free market group today said a state council’s decision to “borrow” $250 million from idle state funds to make overdue payments to school districts was just a symptom of gross overspending in which the state has engaged.

In a statement issued after the meeting, Alan Cobb, state director of Americans for Prosperity-Kansas, said, “Today was the first of many days of reckoning for years of overspending."

“The political gamesmanship being played by the Governor is unfortunate but not surprising. She has the authority and ability to shore up the budget but refuses to do so, and wants the 2009 Legislature to do the heavy political lifting,” he said. [ Read more...]

Part of an 'overall slowdown,' economist says.

Kansas unemployment rate jumps

According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report released Friday, the Kansas unemployment rate increased from 4.0 to 4.9 between November 2007 and November 2008.

Inayat Noormohmad, labor economist at the Kansas Department of Labor said the increase should be considered significant, especially in the way it mirrors national economic problems.

Noormohmad said several factors contributed to the rise in unemployment including slowing activity in manufacturing, construction, trade, transportation and utilities sectors, and in information telecommunications which Noormohmad noted had been declining for awhile. [ Read more...]

Policies the government has adopted so far have worsened the recession, Hirschey says.

KU Prof says keep economy in historical perspective

A University of Kansas professor said the United States economic situation isn’t as dismal as some are speculating and predicts the United States’ recession will have ended by July 2009.

Mark Hirschey, the Anderson W. Chandler Professor of Business at KU, said he made the prediction by examining and utilizing information from the United States’ economic history.

“If you go into history and look at what the averages look like over time the typical recession lasts anywhere between six months and 18 months,” Hirschey told Kansas Liberty. “The typical experience is that by the time they announce a recession has started the economy is well on the way to recovering.” [ Read more...]

ABORTION IN KANSAS: State 'forked over' $550,000 to abortion provider in last two years

Kansas Senator says Planned Parenthood should be defunded

State Sen. Tim Huelskamp called on Kansas lawmakers Tuesday to defund Planned Parenthood.

The Fowler Republican cited the organization's status as a criminal defendant as the basis for his demand.

Huelskamp, who has announced his intention to run for Jerry Moran's seat in the U.S. House in two years, said it was offensive that, over the past two years alone, Kansas taxpayers have “forked over” more than $550,000 to the abortion provider. [ Read more...]

MEDIA: It's the same problem everywhere: no money, no readers, no ads: what's bad for the Eagle is bad for The New York Times.

No relief in sight for Kansas' daily papers

It's no secret that nationally, newspapers are in trouble. Circulations have been steadily decreasing, advertisers are leaving, the economy is sputtering, and layoffs sweep every newsroom.

According to figures released by the Newspaper Association of America, total print and online newspaper ad revenues plummeted to $8.92 billion in the third quarter of 2008, an 18% drop of nearly $2 billion from the previous year, and a 6.9% drop from the previous quarter.

Some of the biggest newspapers in the country are in trouble. At The New York Times, there have been layoffs and a wage freeze was recently imposed by a worried management. The Tribune Company, owner of the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune, had its first bankruptcy hearing on Dec. 10. The company faced a $12.9 billion debt. [ Read more...]

HOLCOMB: Spokesperson disputes other media reports claiming a $1.5 billion damage suit

Sunflower seeks to block permit denial in federal court

Sunflower Electric Power Corporation is asking a federal court to block the state from enforcing a denial of an air-quality permit required to allow the expansion of Sunflower's Holcomb plant.

The company is seeking injunctive relief. A company spokesperson said Sunflower was taking exception to reports by the Associated Press and other media outlets throughout Kansas that it is seeking $1.5 billion in damages in a suit filed in U.S. District Court.

Cindy Hertel, a spokesperson for the not-for-profit utility, told Kansas Liberty that the media reports were flatly inaccurate and must have stemmed from a misunderstanding of language in a document Sunflower filed with the federal court Dec. 17. [ Read more...]

MORRISON: Kline says he's satisfied with conclusions of prosecutors he appointed to investigate Morrison

No charges against former AG Paul Morrison

Two special prosecutors said today that former Attorney General Paul Morrison did not break any laws during an extra-marital affair with a former colleague, an affair that drove him from the state’s top law enforcement post.

The allegations were in connection with an affair Morrison conducted with former co-worker Linda Carter when he was Johnson County District Attorney.

Special prosecutors Timothy Keck and Robert Arnold, who were appointed by Morrison's successor, Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline, to investigate Morrison’s actions during an affair with former office-mate Linda Carter, said during a press conference today that no charges would be forthcoming against Morrison. [ Read more...]

AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE: Commission reacts after campaign finance complaints are discussed with journalists

Talking to press attracts Ethics Commission ire

The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission has filed a complaint against a man for comments he made to the press concerning a campaign finance-related complaint he filed with the commission.

Kris Van Meteren filed a complaint with the commission in September, suggesting Sen. Dwayne Umbarger, R-Thayer, had apparently used $1,738 of his campaign finances to pay for a carport instead of a storage facility.

The expenditure had been described as a charge for “legislative service, campaign signs and campaign information” in the finance report Umbarger filed. [ Read more...]

GAMING: Dodge City's Boot Hill facility could open next December

Last casino standing to break ground Monday

A ground-breaking ceremony for what could be the only state-owned casino in Kansas to make it from drawing board to reality will be held Monday in Dodge City.

Butler National Corporation was selected by the Kansas Gaming & Racing Commission to build and manage the Boot Hill Casino & Resort in the state’s southwest region.

Companies selected to develop and operate casinos in three other state zones have pulled out, citing unfavorable economic conditions, unexpected competition from Indian casinos and an unwieldy state law governing gaming in Kansas. [ Read more...]

COMMENT: Want to be a deep-green tree-hugger? Start by hugging your own green. As Main Street money man Bill Wyckoff explains, 'Saving money is the key to all other types of conservation.'

Save money, save the planet

Conservation should be a key part of all our lives. 

We should make the best use of the energy and food we consume - and also the money we have. Being a financial conservationist is about as green as one can get.  I know this is a foreign concept, but saving money is the key to all other types of conservation. 

This concept is so simple that we won’t need a new administration cabinet position to regulate it. Here are some examples: [Read more...]

SNIDE COMMENTS: The twentysomething genius McClatchy should have hired when they still stood a chance | Corcoran bails | Kansas' minimum minimum.

The Week on the Web

McClatchy stock? Or a copy of the Star? The price is about the same for both pieces of paper. The standard line explaining why newspapers like the Star and the Eagle are hurting is usually some jive about how the economy's headed south, and never about how the business is run. [Read more...]

New Resources

• House Leadership Releases Committee Appointments

The newly elected House leadership team has assembled its list of standing committees and those appointed to serve. Information on the Select Committee on KPERS and the Joint Committees will be released soon.

The 2009 Legislative Standing Committees and members are listed here: [ Read more...]

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