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Eagle editorial: Crack down on thieves

Wichita Police Department statistics for 2012 justify the stated commitment of new Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett to crack down on property crimes.

Eagle editorial: Protect phone users

A Republican summary of a bill that removes regulations on phone companies in Kansas said that it “puts legislators in an easier position of not having to ‘choose between friends.’” That should have been a gigantic red flag, as the “friends” being referred to were the phone companies, not Kansas consumers.

Eagle editorial: Turnpike bill unclear

It is not clear what the purpose is of a bill the Kansas House passed Monday that encourages the Kansas Turnpike Authority and the Kansas Department of Transportation to cooperate more. Is it a face-saving measure for Gov. Sam Brownback, who had called for a full merger of the two agencies? Or is this an incremental step toward consolidation and siphoning off toll revenue?

Eagle editorial: Leave courts alone

The secretive process being used by Gov. Sam Brownback to fill a vacancy on the Sedgwick County District Court provides another reason why legislators shouldn’t let him take over judicial selection for the Kansas Court of Appeals.

Kansas views on property-tax shift, reading bill, renewable energy, concealed-carry

Property-tax shift – There seems to be no limit to how hard this Kansas Legislature, under the guiding hand of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, will work to reduce taxes for large corporate interests, even if it means shifting the state’s revenue burden to the average working family.

Eagle editorial: Must Southeast close?

As Wichita school district officials think about doing what not long ago seemed unthinkable – closing Southeast High School and moving its 1,600 students elsewhere – they must give parents and the community ample opportunity to speak on any possible closing, listen to what they say, then do everything in their power to act accordingly.

Eagle editorial: Gun-ban control

Kansas lawmakers keep chipping away at the concealed-carry law’s exceptions without regard for the will of cities, counties and the Kansas Board of Regents.

Eagle editorial: Legislative mandates are ironic

At least one state lawmaker saw the irony of the “Celebrate Freedom Week” bill mandating that public schools devote a week in mid-September each year to teaching students about the country’s founding.

Eagle editorial: Just say ‘no’ to drug-test bill

In a surprising twist, the Senate voted last week to have a drug-testing measure apply to some lawmakers as well as some recipients of cash assistance and unemployment benefits. But that evenhanded gesture hardly justifies passage of the problematic bill.

Eagle editorial: One right on Kobach

The Kansas Senate took a needed step last week in voting to bar the secretary of state from having a political action committee, given that the current officeholder clearly can’t see the problem with the state’s chief election officer funding candidacies other than his own. Where the Senate went wrong was in adding investigation and prosecution of election crimes to the secretary of state’s duties.

Kansas views on school-finance amendment, bad numbers, moving elections

Amendment vote – The Senate approved a constitutional amendment that would specify that the Legislature alone would determine education spending. It is a dangerous proposition, because it removes an important check and balance of American democracy from a specific area of governance.

Eagle editorial: Ensure water supply

Though the record 21 inches of snow that fell on Wichita in February were much appreciated by farmers and gardeners, they were no match for the state’s extreme drought and no remedy for the city’s looming water problem. All Wichitans could be affected by the coming countermeasures, which may mean paying more and using less.

Eagle editorial: School-funding problem isn’t courts

Instead of following the Kansas Senate’s lead and altering the state’s constitutional requirement to finance public education suitably, House lawmakers should respect why that amendment was approved to start with: The public wanted a higher standard for funding education than whatever the legislative majority happens to decide.

Eagle editorial: Accessible dental care needed

It speaks very well of the Kansas dental community that so many dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants donate their time and skill at each Kansas Mission of Mercy, which is back in Wichita this weekend for the first time since 2006. But the huge event’s long lines, with patients willing to wait hours for help, say even more about the need for accessible dental care and better oral health in Kansas.

Eagle editorial: Arts still at risk

In 2011 Kansans loudly objected when Gov. Sam Brownback said the arts were not a core service deserving of public dollars, prompting the Legislature to intervene. Now, Kansas lawmakers must do better than the $200,000 that the governor proposes for the arts for each of the next two years – a $500,000 cut from the current year.

Eagle editorial: Kapaun deserves honor

It’s wonderful news that Emil Kapaun will be awarded the Medal of Honor by President Obama in a White House ceremony in April. The priest from Pilsen who died in a North Korean prisoner of war camp well-deserves the nation’s highest military award for bravery.

Eagle editorial: Please try to vote

The Wichita City Council primary election would have risked record-low turnout even if it hadn’t coincided with more heavy snow. But the election promises to be decisive for how city government uses economic incentives, revitalizes downtown, improves bus service, and delivers public services in a time of tight revenues. Those in districts 3, 4 and 6 who didn’t vote in advance and who can reach their polling place safely Tuesday should vote.

Kansas views on GOP meddling, climate bill, budget mistakes, lobbying ban, basketball bill, dark spiritual areas

Conservative? – Some of our "conservative" lawmakers in Topeka are not being conservative at all. They want to regulate everything they can think of in our lives. If this is the new, libertarian conservatism that prevailed in the elections of November 2012, it’s awfully hard to recognize.

Eagle editorial: Lawmakers gone wild

Though every session has its dumb bills, the current Kansas Legislature has set an exhausting new standard for the introduction of legislation that would flout the feds, trample on local control and judicial review, and serve as lawsuit bait.

Eagle editorial: Use Mid-Continent Airport

Wichita and Sedgwick County have done a lot to strengthen and safeguard affordable air service over the past decade – with the help of state and local subsidies and against long economic, industry and political odds. But Wichita Mid-Continent Airport is only as strong as the commitment of business and leisure travelers to use it.

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