News from alternative media around Kansas for January 4, 2010.
Kansas’ top officials duck responsibility while Kansas placed at disadvantage
(Kansas Liberty) “At least 10 attorneys general will investigate Sen. Harry Reid’s decision to provide special advantages for Nebraska in exchange for the vote of Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb. Governors are also stepping forward and urging that action be taken against the Nelson-Reid arrangement. … For now, it does not appear that Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson, or Kansas Attorney General Steve Six have any plans to challenge the agreement. Both Six and Parkinson are Democrats.” Related: Lawmakers urge Six to investigate constitutionality of federal health care bill.
Minority report reveals majority report flaws
(Kansas Liberty) “The majority of the 2010 Commission members have taken the stance that legislators must raise taxes to maintain a steady, massive infusion of taxpayer dollars into the state’s schools. However, one 2010 Commission member, Stephen Iliff, took a fundamentally different approach to the K-12 funding dilemma in his minority report, released last week.”
Attorneys say coalition attempt to reopen Montoy not likely to succeed
(Kansas Liberty) “The coalition seeks to reopen the Montoy v. State of Kansas court case instead of filing a new lawsuit. Rep. Lance Kinzer, R-Olathe, said it would be ‘exceedingly unusual’ for the courts to reopen the Montoy case because it had been dismissed in 2006.”
Fight over school funding may continue for years
(Kansas Reporter) “What may become Kansas’ next big school funding fight may start in mid-to-late January, the lead attorney for a group of Kansas school districts protesting state budget cuts for education told KansasReporter. And when it will end is anybody’s guess, say observers who’ve watched similar disputes in other states.”
2010 Commission Report Presents Opposing Perspectives
(Kansas Watchdog) “The 2010 Commission’s annual report to the 2010 Legislature asks for tax increases to provide more funding for K-12 education which, according to the report, ‘is the most important function of state government.’”
First School Audit Finds $1 Million In Potential Savings in Derby District
(Kansas Watchdog) “The first Kansas school district to complete an efficiency audit could save another $1 million a year even though it already spends less per pupil on non-instruction functions than similar districts. But the audit isn’t all good news. Derby, USD260, is one of only four of the state’s 293 districts to ask for an audit by the Legislative Division of Post Audit (LPA). State officials refused to require the audits and districts’ ongoing lack of adherence to accounting standards limits the ability to draw meaningful comparisons.”
Letter From The Newsroom– Jobs in Kansas
(State of the state Kansas) “This week are looking at unemployment in Kansas and how new extended unemployment benefits could help over 8000 Kansans this winter. We spoke with Secretary of Labor Jim Garner about jobs and how he sees the future of the Kansas labor market.”
Top of 2009
(Kansas Meadowlark) Some of the top stories around Kansas from 2009.
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