Kansas Supreme Court Archives | Voice For Liberty

12May By Guest AuthorNo Comments

Reestablishing a Fundamental Principle of Democracy

Reestablishing a Fundamental Principle of Democracy Alan Cobb, Kansas Chamber President & CEO The words of a recent guest editorial in the Lawrence Journal-World about the Kansas Coalition for Fair Funding were not surprising. It was a continuation of the intellectually shallow, fact-short screed about taxes, school finance, and the Kansas budget. Certainly, reasonable people can disagree about these issues, but partisans rarely adhere to that theorem. And thus, I thought I was reading something from a partisan staffer. Alas, it was from a well-respected Wichita State University professor emeritus who I have known for decades. I’ve not always agreed with Dr. H. Edward Flentje, but even when I disagreed with him, I found his arguments well-founded and reasonable. Not this time. Now...

13Jan By Bob WeeksNo Comments

WichitaLibertyTV

WichitaLiberty.TV: Kansas State of the State for 2018

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Vice president and policy director of Kansas Policy Institute James Franko joins Karl Peterjohn to discuss Governor Brownback's State of the State Address for 2018. Topics include schools and Medicaid expansion. Bob Weeks hopes to be back next week. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Episode 179, broadcast January 13, 2018. Shownotes Kansas Policy Institute KPI poll on school finance Dave Trabert: 2018 State of the State fails students Governor Brownback’s State of the State address for 2018

17Dec By Bob WeeksNo Comments

WichitaLibertyTV

WichitaLiberty.TV: Judicial selection in Kansas

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Attorney Richard Peckham joins Karl Peterjohn and Bob Weeks to discuss judicial selection and other judicial issues in Kansas. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Episode 176, broadcast December 16, 2017. Shownotes Richard J. Peckham: Four justices should be voted out of office

4Dec By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Briefs

He didn't participate Wichita Eagle Opinion Line, November 24, 2017: "The kindest word that can be ascribed to State Senator Susan Wagle, when she criticizes the Kansas Supreme Court? Disingenuous. She never mentions Brownback appointee, Justice Caleb Stegall; he has repeatedly agreed with his colleagues on school finance." The likely reason Senator Wagle doesn't mention Justice Stegall when criticizing the Court on school finance matters is that he, along with another judge, hasn't participated. The recent opinions are signed "BEIER and STEGALL, JJ., not participating. MICHAEL J. MALONE and DAVID L. STUTZMAN, Senior Judges, assigned." Why? "Justices Carol Beier and Caleb Stegall have both recused themselves from the Gannon case -- Stegall because he served as Brownback’s chief counsel b...

From Pachyderm: Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle

10Nov By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Kansas state government

From Pachyderm: Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle

Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle addressed members and guests of the Wichita Pachyderm Club on November 10, 2017. School finance and the Kansas Supreme Court was a prominent topic.

20Oct By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Wichita and Kansas schools

Kansas school fund balances

Kansas school fund balances rose this year, in both absolute dollars and dollars per pupil. As Kansans debate school funding, as the Kansas Supreme Court orders more school spending, and as schools insist that spending has been slashed, a fact remains: Kansas schools don't spend all the money they've been given. Unspent fund balances grow in many years, and grew this year. Fund balances are necessary for cash flow management. They buffer the flows of receipts and expenditures. The issue is what levels of balances are necessary, and, more importantly, how the balances change over years. In Kansas, school districts report fund balances on July 1 of each year. Looking at fund balances on that date over time gives insight into how districts are managing receipts and expenditures. If a fund ...

12Oct By Bob WeeksNo Comments

WichitaLibertyTV

WichitaLiberty:TV: Wichita economy, Kansas schools

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Karl Peterjohn and Bob Weeks discuss some statistics regarding downtown Wichita and then the Kansas school finance court decision. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Episode 169, broadcast October 14, 2017. Now, WichitaLiberty.TV has new broadcast times. The regular Sunday broadcasts on KGPT TV channel 26.1 (AT&T U-Verse 49) at 8:30 am, repeated at 4:30 pm, are unchanged. Here is the full broadcast schedule: Saturdays on KGPT channel 26.9 (Newsmax TV) 10:00 am: The new episode 10:30 am: Repeat of last week’s episode 5:00 pm: Repeat of new episode 5:30 pm: Repeat of last week’s episode Sundays on KGPT channel 26.1/AT&T channel 49 (Cozi TV) 8:30 am: Repeat of the new episode 4:00 pm: Repeat of the new episode 4:30 pm: Repeat of last...

5Oct By Bob WeeksNo Comments

WichitaLibertyTV

WichitaLiberty.TV: Wichita talk radio pioneer Joseph Ashby

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Wichita talk radio pioneer Joseph Ashby joins Karl Peterjohn and Bob Weeks to discuss state and national affairs. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Episode 167, broadcast October 1, 2017. Shownotes Joseph Ashby on Twitter YouTube channel Joseph Ashby author archive at American Thinker From Pachyderm: Radio Host Joseph Ashby

Judge Melgren defends Constitutional protections

31Jul By Guest AuthorNo Comments

United States government

Judge Melgren defends Constitutional protections

By Karl Peterjohn While it has become increasingly common for members of the U.S. Supreme Court to make news by public comments, particularly during their summer recess, Wichita Pachyderm Club members had the opportunity for Kansas federal district Judge Eric F. Melgren to quote from his judicial colleagues in a way of defending the Constitution's concept of the separation of powers. Judge Melgren cited various appellate court rulings, particularly as they related to the largely little known Chevron decision, that damages that constitutional protection at his July 21 speech in Wichita. Judge Melgren, a former member of this club before his selection as the U.S. attorney for Kansas that was followed by his 2008 elevation to a federal district court post, began by discussing this governmen...

8May By Guest AuthorNo Comments

Kansas state government

Breaking the statehouse budget deadlock

By Karl Peterjohn The budget deadlock has begun at the Kansas statehouse. The legislature cannot leave Topeka until they have approved the next biennial state budget that will begin July 1. Usually, this includes the governor’s signature on that legislation. That might not happen this year. That’s the issue. Governor Brownback is not willing to fund a multi-year, multi-billion spending bill demanded by the liberal legislative majorities in both houses. Earlier this year he vetoed a record-breaking income tax hike scheme. So far, the governor has been successful in having his vetoes sustained. The pressure is going to be applied for the governor’s fiscally responsible Republican allies opposed to income tax hikes. The powerful government employee spending lobbies, headed by arguably, th...

24Mar By Bob WeeksNo Comments

WichitaLibertyTV

WichitaLiberty.TV: Ben Jones on the death penalty in Kansas

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Ben Jones of Equal Justice USA and Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty explains issues surrounding the death penalty. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Episode 144, broadcast March 26, 2017. Shownotes Equal Justice USA Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty Kansas HB 2167, Abolishing the death penalty and creating the crime of aggravated murder. Op-ed from exoneree Floyd Bledsoe Op-ed from murder victim's family member Celeste Dixon Kansas Rep. Bill Sutton on cost of the death penalty

3Mar By Bob WeeksNo Comments

WichitaLibertyTV

WichitaLiberty.TV: James Franko of Kansas Policy Institute

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: James Franko of Kansas Policy Institute joins Bob Weeks and Karl Peterjohn to discuss education in Kansas and the state budget. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Episode 141, broadcast March 5, 2017. Shownotes Kansas Policy Institute The Sentinel Urban Preparatory Academy

11Nov By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Wichita and Kansas schools

Decoding the Kansas teachers union

Explaining to Kansans what the teachers union really means in its public communications. After the November 2016 election, the Kansas National Education Association -- our state's teachers union -- wants to explain to Kansas the meaning of the results. But it takes a seasoned eye to recognize the subterfuge the union uses to advance its interests. The message from the union may be read at It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Following, quotes from the union missive and interpretation. "But at KNEA, we are focusing on what the 2016 election means for public education." Here the writer -- lobbyist Mark Desetti -- correctly identifies the concern of the teachers union: Public education. Not education, but only public education. Why? Teachers in private schools are not union ...

Did the Kansas Supreme Court read these cases?

7Nov By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Kansas state government

Did the Kansas Supreme Court read these cases?

The merit system of judicial selection in Kansas has sprung a leak, finds the United States Supreme Court. One of the purported benefits of the merit system of judicial selection in Kansas is that it produces quality jurists who rule on the law, not on their personal beliefs or ideologies. But a recent case shows otherwise. Following, a selection of dialog between Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia:[1. Oral arguments in Kansas v. Gleason and Kansas v. Carr, October 7, 2015. http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-452_b18j.pdf.] JUSTICE SCALIA: Did the Kansas Supreme Court read these cases? MR. SCHMIDT: Perhaps I ought not answer that, Justice Scalia, but -- JUSTICE SCALIA: How can you explain it...

Kansas Democrats: They don’t add it up — or they don’t tell us

31Oct By Bob Weeks1 Comment

Kansas state government

Kansas Democrats: They don’t add it up — or they don’t tell us

Kansas Democrats (and some Republicans) are campaigning on some very expensive programs, and they're aren't adding it up for us. A sampling of campaign literature from Kansas Democratic candidates in south and west Wichita for the Kansas Legislature[1. Photographs of a number of pieces may be viewed in this folder at Flickr: https://flic.kr/s/aHskMJfGNc.] reveals several common threads: Few will identify themselves as Democrats. Eliminating the LLC loophole is popular. Eliminating or reducing sales tax on food is popular. Eliminating the 2015 sales tax increase is popular. Fully funding schools is popular. None of these show the cost of these ideas, nor do they offer ideas on how to pay for these things, except for eliminating the LLC loophole. What will these things cost? Here's som...

16Oct By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Wichita and Kansas schools

Kansas school fund balances

Kansas school fund balances rose significantly this year, in both absolute dollars and dollars per pupil. Kansans might wonder why schools did not spend some of these funds to offset cuts they have contended were necessary. The interactive visualization holds data for each district since 2008. As Kansans debate school funding, as the Kansas Supreme Court considers ordering more school spending, and as school spending boosters insist that school spending has been slashed, a fact remains constant: Kansas schools don't spend all the money they've been given. Fund balances grew in many years, and rose rapidly this year. Fund balances are necessary for cash flow management. The issue is what levels of balances are necessary. Based on recent data from the Kansas State Department of Education...

14Oct By Bob WeeksNo Comments

WichitaLibertyTV

WichitaLiberty.TV: Radio host Andy Hooser

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Radio show host Andy Hooser visits the KGPT studios to talk about upcoming elections in Kansas and the presidential campaign. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Episode 130, broadcast October 16, 2016. Hooser's radio show is The Voice of Reason with Andy Hooser. Its Facebook page is here, and the podcast is here.

6Oct By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Kansas state government

Kansas Supreme Court: Making the law

Do the justices on the Kansas Supreme Court make new law? Yes, and here is an example. View below, or here at YouTube. For more on this issue, see Kansas Supreme Court: Making law, part 2.

29Sep By Bob WeeksNo Comments

Kansas state government

Selecting judges in Kansas

Appellate court judges make new law, and Kansas has the most elitist and least democratic supreme court selection system in the country. What is the substantive difference between these two systems? A) A state's chief executive appoints a person to be a judge on the state's highest court. Then the state's senate confirms or rejects. B) A nation's chief executive appoints a person to be a judge on the nation's highest court. Then the nation's senate confirms or rejects. Perhaps there is a difference that I'm not smart enough to see. I'm open to persuasion. Until then, I agree with KU Law Professor Stephen Ware and his 2007 analysis of the way Kansas selects Supreme Court judges as compared to the other states.[1. Ware, Stephen J., Selection to the Kansas Supreme Court. Fed-soc.org. Avai...

29Sep By Bob Weeks1 Comment

Education

School choice and funding

Opponents of school choice programs argue the programs harm traditional public schools, both financially and in their ability to serve their remaining students. Evidence does not support this position. The prevalent argument is that charter schools and other school choice programs drain funds from public schools. That is, if a public school student chooses to attend a charter or private school, and if the money follows the student to the other school, the public school district loses money that it otherwise would have received. Therefore, the public school district is worse off, and so too are its students. A rebuttal is that since a public school has shed the responsibility for schooling the student, its costs should fall correspondingly. This would be true if all the costs of a public...