Print edition: 
Bilingual ballots —Though not surprising, it is dismaying that three of the four candidates for Kansas secretary of state think bilingual ballots are a waste of taxpayer money. That opposition from GOP candidate Kris Kobach, Libertarian candidate Phillip Lucas and Reform Party candidate Derek Langseth runs counter to federal law that mandates bilingual ballots in counties where more than 5 percent of the voting-age population are members of a minority-language group. In Kansas, that means Finney, Seward, Ford, Grant, Haskell and Kearny counties — richly populated with immigrants — provide English/Spanish ballots. Only Democratic candidate and incumbent Secretary of State Chris Biggs supports the federal law that requires counties to provide bilingual ballots. The other three — and especially Kobach — should fashion their campaign platforms around creative ways to encourage voter participation rather than trying to obstruct or restrict voters from going to the polls.— Hutchinson News
Train tracks — Especially when national Amtrak ridership is at a record-setting pace, it's disappointing to learn that tracks serving the Southwest Chief in Kansas are in such poor shape that passenger trains have been ordered to lower their speed as a safety measure. BNSF Railway ordered Amtrak trains to maintain speeds below 60 mph instead of the previous 79 mph between Hutchinson and La Junta, Colo. It's good news, in a way, that all of the track involved in the recent order is west of track that is part of a plan to provide a new Amtrak route from Newton south to Dallas. The bad news, however, is that service is being compromised on the long-running Southwest Chief route that currently provides the only Amtrak service in Kansas.— Lawrence Journal-World
Casino — Gamblers have been generous with their dollars at Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Dodge City. The first state-operated casino has brought in $24.2 million in revenue since it opened in December 2009, which puts the casino on track to hit its first-year goal of $39.7 million, according to state lottery officials. Much of the money will go to the state. While that's positive, it's necessary to consider the impact of gambling on local and area businesses. After all, we know of at least $24.2 million that wasn't spent with merchants in this region and beyond.— Garden City Telegram
Naps — Topeka USD 501 is reinforcing its policy against kindergarten students taking naps during their school day. District officials and many elementary school principals and teachers think any time still being devoted to naps in some classrooms could be better used as instructional time. Apparently, some kindergarten teachers have been allowing up to 25 minutes of nap time a day for their young students. It's hard to argue with those who think kindergartners should learn as much as possible as soon as possible. But one size never really fits all, even at age 5. For that reason, we're pleased to hear that teachers will still have some leeway in determining whether the children in their charge are engaged in the learning process and the option to call for some rest — if not necessarily a nap — when warranted. —Topeka Capital-Journal
