[aynrandfreak]

If this can happen in Kansas, it won't be long before state Supreme Courts everywhere use this tactic to make whatever changes to any budget they want.

[AzaleaCity5691]

Is the Kansas Supreme Court elected?

[Postman]

It's already happened in New Jersey and we now have the highest property taxes in the country. The money that used to come to all NJ towns, has been going to the so called Abbott districts where it now costs over $12,000 to try to educate each pupil and the Abbott fund is out of cash due to major overspending (corruption!) I hope the lawmakers in Kansas tell their SC to stuff it. Perhaps arresting them all for grand theft would be a good start.

[traviskicks]

If this can happen in Kansas, it won't be long before state Supreme Courts everywhere use this tactic to make whatever changes to any budget they want.
---

You mean, in places like New York:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1292299/posts

What is happening to us.... :(

[Gumlegs]

It's not like this is the first time for Kansas. This was. Insane.

From the link:

In 1985 a federal district judge took partial control over the troubled Kansas City, Missouri, School District (KCMSD) on the grounds that it was an unconstitutionally segregated district with dilapidated facilities and students who performed poorly. In an effort to bring the district into compliance with his liberal interpretation of federal law, the judge ordered the state and district to spend nearly $2 billion over the next 12 years to build new schools, integrate classrooms, and bring student test scores up to national norms.

It didn't work. When the judge, in March 1997, finally agreed to let the state stop making desegregation payments to the district after 1999, there was little to show for all the money spent. Although the students enjoyed perhaps the best school facilities in the country, the percentage of black students in the largely black district had continued to increase, black students' achievement hadn't improved at all, and the black-white achievement gap was unchanged.

[Outland]

Is there any state left that's sane enough to live in??

I'm currently in Illinoi$ where I've been all my life and I want out! Now I have to scratch Kansas off my shrinking list.

[Busywhiskers]

All the state legislature needs to do is to tell the Court to go pack sand. The second thing they can do is cut the appropriations for the operation of the court.

I seriously doubt that there anything in the Kansas State Constitution that give the courts the right to make appropriations.

[jackbill]

What does it take to ammend the KS constitution? I'd circumvent this idiot by making any constitutional reference to public schools voluntary on the part of the taxpayers.

[thoughtomator]

It should be a capital crime to be a judge for more than 10 years at a stretch.

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[kittymyrib]

The legislature ought to challenge their authority and refuse the order. Let it go to the US Supreme Court.

[GarySpFc]

In politics what you see is not reality. The issue is NOT money for Kansas schools, and here is what is going on behind the scenes.

There is a direct connection between the governor's office and the court. One of the Supreme Court judge's wife works for Governor Kathleen Sebelius(D). The governor wants lots of money for her social programs, including paid healthcare for the uninsured. However, the legislature will never pass her programs. Now where can she get that kind of money? The schools with the extra $149 million the legislature funded have more than enough funds. Indeed, the school superintendents have said they do not know what to do with $853 million if it is appropriated. The state budget is only $5 billion, and so we would be looking at a 20% increase. How would Kansas raise that much money? The governor is going to "suggest" Kansas legalize gambling, which the state has rejected for years. Once gambling is legalized the governor will then say we need to spend most of this money for her social programs. Actually the governor and some of the liberal Republicans are the real authors of this fiasco. This woman is ambitious, and you can look for her to be Hillary's running mate. God save Kansas and America.