Kansas lawmakers approve bill to keep state’s courts open

TOPEKA – Kansas legislators have given final approval to a bill to keep the state’s courts open following a legal dispute involving their budget.

The Senate passed the measure Thursday on a 39-1 vote. The House approved it last week, 119-0, so the bill goes next to Gov. Sam Brownback

The measure repeals a 2015 law threatening the court system’s budget.

That law said the judiciary’s entire budget would be nullified if the courts struck down another law enacted in 2014.

The 2014 law stripped the Kansas Supreme Court of its power to appoint chief judges in the state’s 31 judicial districts and gave it to local judges instead. The high court invalidated the 2014 law last month.

Supporters of the 2014 law said they didn’t intend to close the courts.

This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 4:33 PM with the headline "Kansas lawmakers approve bill to keep state’s courts open."