TOPEKA, Kansas (AP) -- The Kansas Supreme Court said Saturday it will consider keeping schools closed because state legislators have failed to comply with the court's demand for more money for public schools.

...The court ruled in January that legislators had failed to fulfill a constitutional duty to finance a suitable education for every child, then followed up with a ruling in June demanding additional money.

The justices had ordered legislators to provide, by no later than July 1, an additional $143 million, which lawmakers failed to do. The court now expects attorneys to appear for a hearing next Friday.

Saturday marked the 11th day of a legislative special session called by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Some legislators wanted to approve changes in the state constitution to limit the court's power, and an impasse over that issue held up passage of an education funding bill.


Emphasis added. The legislature, given ample and adequate time to allocate money to fund education, elects not to do so despite a court order. Their recourse? Changing the constitution, of course, to make the courts bow down to an infantile legislature.

You know, people who disobey a court order get held in contempt. Oh, if only.

From: [identity profile] wenchamok.livejournal.com


*headdesk* Sometimes I'm embarrassed to be a native Kansan....

From: [identity profile] sigma7.livejournal.com


I usually take opportunities like this to remind everyone in earshot that I'm not a Kansan by birth, and am simply in exile....

From: [identity profile] aota.livejournal.com


You live in a strange state. If schools weren't funded around here heads would be rolling.

From: [identity profile] opheliasclone.livejournal.com


Now, I understand that the amount of additional funding needed to truly make public schooling fare is a bit scary for legislators. Either you have to cut down funding to "excellent" suburban schools enough to piss the parents there off... Or you have to raise taxes enough to piss many non-parents off. Or you could cut funding, but it would be a big cut leading to similar problems.

That said, my response to this would be to warn my legislator flat out that I'd vote anyone representing me out of office if they tried to make such a huge change in government without a public vote and over a temporary issue. I don't care whether I love them otherwise and their only competitor is a dog. Plus I'd start a local campaign to convince everyone else to do likewise.

The legislators can't be held in comtempt by the courts, but they can by the voters. Cutting off their political careers would be worse than jail for many of these yokels. For some it might mean having to take a regular job (oh no!) and for others it would be the end of a family dynasty. For the rest, it would cause lasting damage to the serious ego they're in office to stroke. But that's if it's anything like the governments I remember from living in the South.

If not, then.... Well, heaven help you all. I hear home schooling works. ;-)

From: [identity profile] sigma7.livejournal.com


Problem is this state is so red it's hard to relate, and in the smaller-populated areas, it's even worse. A lot of state reps go unopposed by Democrats and face their only opposition in the primaries. (The current governor is a Democrat, but it helps that she was running against a neocon who wasn't endorsed by the outgoing Republican governor for months -- and then, only through clenched teeth.) And with the current party leadership demonizing and scapegoating Democrats and the courts, it'll stay that way: playing on fears works better than ever.

I agree with you, but a lot of people still don't follow the news or just don't care. It would take something earthshattering -- say, schools closing -- to really shake up the general populace. So I'm all for it.

But raising taxes is just unthinkable. There was talk of expanding gambling, but that apparently didn't get anywhere either. Bizarre.
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