Tag: Susan Wagle

Briefs
4Dec By Bob WeeksNo Comments
Briefs

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...
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Say no to Kansas taxpayer-funded campaigning
18Jul By Bob WeeksNo Comments
Politics

Say no to Kansas taxpayer-funded campaigning

Kansas taxpayers should know their tax dollars are helping staff campaigns for political office. As reported by the Wichita Eagle, it is perfectly allowable for some Kansas state government employees to work on political campaigns.[1. Lowry, Bryan. Taxpayer-funded campaign staff can knock at Kansans’ doors. Wichita Eagle, July 17, 2016. Available at www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/election/article90179637.html.] Not all Kansas state government employees can work on campaigns while being paid by taxpayers. Only personal staff members of elected officials can. But this can be quite a large number of people. The Eagle reports that Governor Sam Brownback has 21 personal staff members. It's not only the governor that has taxpayer-paid employees on the campaign trail. The Eagle also r...
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14Jan By Bob WeeksNo Comments
Wichita and Kansas schools

Reaction to Kansas school lawsuit decision

Following are several reactions to the decision in Gannon vs. Kansas, the school funding lawsuit. The court ruled the state must spend more on schools. An important observation on the true size of the court-ordered tax increase was offered by Kansas Policy Institute: "Today's mandate of a $654 Base State Aid Per-Pupil (BSAPP) increase forces the state to raise annual spending and taxes by $440 million and, because of the way the Local Option Budget is written, local property taxes will automatically increase by $154 million. In total, the Shawnee District Court would take an additional $594 million out of the Kansas economy every year." See KPI on Gannon: Extremely Unfortunate $600 Million Annual Tax Hike more, including: "It is extremely unfortunate for citizens of Kansas tha...
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11Oct By Bob WeeksNo Comments
Politics

Pachyderm speaker lineup announced

The Wichita Pachyderm Club has announced its speaker lineup for the next four weeks. October 12, 2012: Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, speaking on "Economic Growth and Tax Policy" October 19, 2012: A panel discussion of the fluoridation issue, which will appear on the November 6 ballot for Wichita residents. Speakers will include Dr. Stephen C. L’Hommedieu and Don Landis, spokespersons for Wichitans Opposed to Fluoridation. The club is still seeking someone to appear for the pro-fluoridation side. October 26, 2012: Republican General Election Candidates Leslie D. “Les” Donovan (Kansas Senate District 27), Mike Peterson (tentative, Kansas Senate District 28), Susan Wagle (Kansas Senate District 30), and Emanuel Banks (Kansas House District 89). November 2, 2012: Ken Ciboski, Ph.D...
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23Jul By Bob Weeks5 Comments
Politics

Sedgwick County voter registration changes: Impact on senate races

During the Kansas primary election season, there have been efforts to recruit Democratic party voters to change their voter registration to Republican in order to participate in Republican party primary races. Kansas National Education Association (KNEA) has asked teachers union members to switch their voter registration in order to vote in Republican primaries. KNEA has asked this on its website and in an email that has received widespread attention. Former Wichita Mayor Elma Broadfoot has recorded telephone calls urging Democrats to switch party registration so they may vote for moderate Republicans, reports the Wichita Eagle. Whether this effort will be successful is unknown. But we now know, for Sedgwick County, how many people have changed their voter registration to Republican ...
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9Feb By Bob WeeksNo Comments
Kansas state government

Kansas Bioscience Authority hearings, day 2

At the second day of testimony (January 26, 2012) regarding a forensic audit of the Kansas Bioscience Authority, a representative of Kansas Governor Sam Brownback was strongly critical of the audit itself, and also of the Board of Directors of KBA. Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Dale A. Rodman, who oversaw the audit process on behalf of the Brownback Administration, also said that legislators who voted to form the KBA should "feel outraged that a golden opportunity that you helped create was taken away from your efforts." Rodman urged the committee to step back and look at the situation from a distance, saying that many of the issues are "deep and buried." To him, he said the important issues are first, is the KBA obtaining the performance expected, and second, is the KBA worthy stewar...
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27Jan By Bob Weeks2 Comments
Kansas state government

Kansas Bioscience Authority

The release of a forensics audit of the Kansas Bioscience Authority coupled with two days of joint committee hearings revealed an independent government agency out of control, an audit that draws conclusions described as sanitized of important details, and an agency and legislative supporters who believe that now, all is well at the KBA. Defenders and supporters of KBA rely on two facts: First, the source of many problems -- former CEO Tom Thornton -- is no longer at KBA. He has been criticized for overspending and his managerial style, and the audit found that he deliberately deleted and scrubbed data from his personal laptop computer. Data is also missing from a protected section of a KBA server. Second, the audit finds no major problems with KBA's board of directors or its busines...
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27Jan By Bob WeeksNo Comments
Kansas state government

Kansas committee asks if KBA audit did enough to expose problems

By Bob Weeks, Special to KansasWatchdog.org Members of the joint Commerce and Economic Development Committees expressed concern that a forensic audit of the Kansas Bioscience Authority was not broad enough and that deliberate deletion of data from a KBA computer left questions unanswered. On Wedesday James Snyder, managing partner for BKD’s Forensics and Valuation Services, told the committee that while his firm was hired and paid by KBA, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback’s administration was heavily involved. Secretary of Agriculture Dale Rodman served as the main contact for the Brownback Administration, although Caleb Stegall, the governor’s chief lawyer, and Steve Anderson, the Budget Director, also participated. Snyder told the committee the audit process was designed to avoid a ...
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23Mar By Bob Weeks4 Comments
Kansas state government

Kansas senate debate centers on free speech, transparency

This afternoon the Kansas Senate debated for about 90 minutes on an amendment that would require more disclosure for "issue ads" or communications in favor of candidates by third parties. Senator Terrie Huntington, a Republican from Fairway, introduced the amendment to Senate Substitute for HB 2079. Its language, apparently identical to Senate Bill 418, states: "Any person who spends or contracts to spend an amount of $500 or more per calendar year for any electioneering communication" must file reports that disclose the identity of the donor and the amount of the contribution. At one point in the debate, Senator Terry Bruce, a Hutchinson Republican, asked Huntington why it is the government's business who makes a contribution? Huntington replied the she didn't know why the governme...
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7Jan By Bob Weeks3 Comments
Wichita and Kansas schools

Wichita school chief makes plea to Wichita-area legislators

This afternoon, Wichita school superintendent John Allison appeared before the South-central Kansas legislative delegation, explaining Kansas school finance as it applies to the Wichita school district, and offering justification for deciding to join the lawsuit demanding the state spend more on schools. Referring to base state aid per pupil, which has been cut several times in the past year for a total of 9.5 percent (depending on who's doing the arithmetic), Allison said that base aid is the funding with which the district funds regular education, and the represents funds with which the district has the greatest latitude. Other funds are restricted, and have fewer options. He said that unlike many businesses, the school district hasn't lost customers during the recession, and in fa...
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1Jun By Bob Weeks4 Comments
Kansas state government

Emporia’s Jim Barnett will run for Congress

Jim Barnett, a physician and Republican member of the Kansas Senate from Emporia, will join the field seeking the nomination for United States Congress from the first district of Kansas. Barnett ran for Kansas governor in 2006 against Kathleen Sebelius. His running mate was Kansas Senator Susan Wagle of Wichita. But when Wagle -- a proven fiscal conservative -- ran for president of the Kansas Senate, Barnett did not support her. In fact, sources say he encouraged others to vote against her. So instead of a proven fiscal conservative leading the Senate, Kansas was stuck with the continued tenure of moderate Republicans: Senate President Stephen Morris, Vice President John Vratl, and Majority Leader Derek Schmidt. This was particularly unfortunate for Kansas as this was a tough b...
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16Apr By Bob WeeksNo Comments
Politics

Video from Wichita tea party

Some video from the Wichita tax day tea party: Cheryl Green: "More taxes are coming!" Tea party organizer Nancy Armstrong. Citizens speak. United States Senator Sam Brownback. Kansas senator Susan Wagle. Vicki Holland Tiahrt. Shari Weber speaks about AfterTheTeaParty.com. A look at the humanity and the wind.
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14Jan By Bob Weeks4 Comments
Kansas state government

Kansas Governor Not Facing Reality of Budget Crisis

Kansas Liberty reports that the balancing act performed by Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius on the fiscal year 2009 budget is, well, a little off-kilter. (Fiscal 2009 is the current budget year, ending on June 30, 2009). In the post Sebelius' new budget misses the target by $50 million we learn that relying on budget numbers just two months old leads to a budget plan that won't address the full reality of the situation: But the use of out-dated numbers means the budget will result in a deficit, no matter how accurate the projections are. Sebelius’ budget recommendations are based on the November Consensus Revenue Estimating Group’s initial deficit projection of $141 million for fiscal year 2009, and $1.021 billion for fiscal year 2010. However, new revenue shortfalls have sugg...
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8Jan By Bob WeeksNo Comments
Kansas state government

Americans for Prosperity — Kansas to hold second Defending the American Dream Summit

Event to kick off 2009 Kansas Legislative Session TOPEKA -- The free-market grassroots group Americans for Prosperity-Kansas will hold its second statewide Defending the American Dream Summit in Wichita Saturday, January 10, 2009, just two days prior to the start of the 2009 Kansas Legislature. “This event will serve as a kick-off for the new legislative session,” said Americans for Prosperity-Kansas state director Derrick Sontag. “Going into the 2009 Legislature, we see an opportunity to help change the way elected officials seem to view their obligations to taxpayers, and how our state budgets its funds.” The event, held at the Beech Activity Center in Wichita, will focus on state spending, tax policy and grassroots activism. Confirmed speakers include National Review Online edi...
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30Nov By Bob Weeks2 Comments
Kansas state government

Susan Wagle for Kansas Senate President

Tomorrow, the Kansas Senate meets to select its leadership. Senate Republicans could do Kansans a favor by electing Susan Wagle of Wichita to be senate president. Part of the reason why a Wagle victory would be good for Kansas is her opponent, current senate president Stephen Morris of Hugoton. His political leanings are not right for Kansas as our state enters a tough budgetary period. His lifetime rating from the Kansas Taxpayers Network is 32.5%. There are many Democrats with better ratings. In a New York Times article from earlier this year (One Hand on Her Job, the Other Across the Aisle ), he was quoted as saying "But that’s the only major disagreement we’ve had since she took office," referring to the expansion of the Holcomb Station coal-fired power plant. Someone who rarely dis...
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18Jul By Bob WeeksNo Comments
Kansas state government

Kansas Taxpayers Network 2006 legislative vote ratings released

Thank you to Karl Peterjohn for compiling this valuable resource. You can examine the rankings at the Kansas Taxpayers Network website at www.kansastaxpayers.com. Following is a press release describing the ratings. 17 Legislators Earn 100% rating for 2006 Fiscal Votes "There are 17 Kansas legislators who scored 100% on the Kansas Taxpayers Network's 2006 fiscal scorecard," said KTN Executive Director Karl Peterjohn. Legislators were measured on their votes on tax and fiscal issues as well as their votes on reining in judicial activists and judicial appropriations. This scorecard also measured on their votes on correcting eminent domain abuse in the wake of the controversial Kelo decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. KTN also scored legislators on votes cast that would make this sta...
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31Mar By Bob WeeksNo Comments
Kansas state government

Senate spending spree blows roof off Kansas capitol

Thank you to Karl Peterjohn, Kansas Taxpayers Network, for this fine article containing information we don't see in our state's newspapers. Why is information like this important to our liberty? It's because much of what our state spends consists of simply taking the property of one person and giving it to someone else. Add to that the fact that much of this spending is on public schools, that our government leaders firmly refuse to allow us choice in schools (vouchers), this spending (and resultant taxation) amounts to a huge assault on liberty, our freedoms, and our wealth. Senate spending spree blows roof off Kansas capitol March 30, 2006 @ 11:30 AM The government school spending spree is erupting in the Kansas senate today. The senate took up the horrific house passed HB 2986...
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11Mar By Bob WeeksNo Comments
Kansas state government

Judicial Reform in Kansas on Hold

Thank you to Alan Cobb of Americans For Prosperity, Kansas for this report on this needed measure for judicial reform in Kansas. The current system of Kansas Supreme Court selection, the mis-named "merit system," is a secretive, closed system dominated by lawyers. Kansas lawyers elect themselves to the Kansas Supreme Court selection board. There are no campaign finance filings, no reports, no public meetings. It is time to bring this system out into the light of day. However two attempts to reform this system failed in the Kansas Senate this week. A proposed constitutional amendment that would require Senate confirmation of Kansas Supreme Court Justices failed yesterday, March 9th. What is worse is that this legislation had 28 co-sponsors and only needed 27 votes to pass. Six senato...
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