Kansas views on special session, transgender students, Westar merger
Special session – The Kansas Supreme Court has done its job: to determine if laws passed in the Statehouse are constitutional. The governor has done his job in calling a special session to fix school funding. It likely needs an increase of about $38 million, but that’s in a budget worth billions. Now it’s time for lawmakers to do their duty.
The task facing the Kansas Legislature during meetings that start Thursday is straightforward: Follow the rule of law, obey a state Supreme Court ruling, and constitutionally fund public schools to keep them open past June 30.
Senate Vice President Jeff King, R-Independence and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, let it be known he wants a constitutional amendment that would attempt to limit the Kansas Supreme Court’s power. The ploy is futile, and should be recognized for what it is: yet another attempt to consolidate all power with the executive branch and allow lawmakers to ignore their prescribed duties.
Transgender students – A statement issued Tuesday by the Kansas State Board of Education represents a commonsense approach to accommodating transgender students in Kansas. The board action takes this issue out of the political arena and affirms the ability of local school districts to deal with these students on an individual level rather than trying to enforce a one-size-fits-all policy.
Westar merger – The industry is forcing utilities to consolidate, and Westar Energy – as well as Topeka and the rest of our state – could have done far worse than Great Plains Energy.
This story was originally published June 20, 2016 at 12:06 AM with the headline "Kansas views on special session, transgender students, Westar merger."