How dare local officials express their opinions?

Not only do many state lawmakers not seem to care what local officials think, some get irritated when those officials express their opinions. During a Senate debate Thursday, Sen. Mitch Holmes, R-St. John, excoriated opponents of moving local elections from the spring to the fall. This includes 194 school districts that signed resolutions against the change, the Kansas Association of School Boards, the League of Kansas Municipalities, and many local officials. Holmes noted that lawmakers’ e-mail inboxes had been inundated with petitions against the bill. But the Senate approved the bill anyway, and Holmes blasted opponents for wanting “to keep the status quo.” – Phillip Brownlee

This story was originally published February 27, 2015 at 6:02 PM.