Free Republic

Mid-term elections bode ill for Sebelius The '04 Elections could be a bad omen for Governor Sebelius and the Democratic Party. Sebelius lost three seats in the legislature. Wins by Kasha Kelly (R-Ark City), Pat George (R-Dodge City), Mitch Holms (R-Larned) and Virgil Peck (R-Coffeyville) flipped 4 seats from Democrat to Republican in the Kansas House. Only 1 Dem beat a House Republican incumbent. In the Senate, Republicans and Democrats traded seats keeping the balance of power virtually unchanged. The House is now dominated by Conservative Republicans and the Senate is not nearly as liberal as it was. You can...

SHAWNEE — A political unknown who didn't campaign but still won the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Sen. Sam Brownback said Thursday that he is withdrawing from the race. Robert Conroy, 76, a retired railroad employee from Shawnee, got 56 percent of the vote last week against a better known rival who everyone, including Conroy, expected to win. Lee Jones, 53, a railroad engineer from Lenexa and former lobbyist, traveled the state, created a Web site and spent more than $13,000 on his unsuccessful campaign. Jones had been the Democratic nominee for a U.S. House seat from the 3rd District...

TOPEKA -- Who could oppose funding an initiative designed to help more pregnant women deliver healthy babies, especially when its $300,000 cost represents mere spillage in a $10.3 billion state budget? Who would resist any effort to fight white-collar crime, or to make sure the Kansas Bureau of Investigation can process crime-scene evidence quickly enough to keep methamphetamine cooks from returning to the streets without going to trial? Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, that's who. In recent days, she vetoed funding for all of those items, vexing legislators, particularly Republicans but occasionally her fellow Democrats. She opened herself to charges of political...

Texan argues for concealed carry Lone Star lawmaker lost both parents in restaurant rampage By John Hanna - Associated Press Writer Tuesday, March 16, 2004 Topeka - A Texas legislator whose parents died in a 1991 shooting spree in a cafeteria urged a Kansas Senate committee to endorse a bill that would allow Kansans to carry concealed weapons. The Federal and State Affairs Committee is reviewing a House-passed measure that would require the state to issue concealed-carry permits to any Kansan who qualifies and pays a $150 application fee. People would qualify if they were 21 and American citizens, had...

Topeka — Gov. Kathleen Sebelius waited until the cameras were turned off Monday to propose increases in state income, sales and property taxes to fund a $304 million spending increase for public schools. "What I promised to do is put education as the top priority, and that is exactly what we've done with the plan outlined tonight," Sebelius said after her 35-minute State of the State speech to the Legislature and other state officials. The speech was broadcast statewide on television and radio to kick off the 2004 legislative session. Democrats praised Sebelius as willing to risk political capital for...

Republicans in the Legislature are proposing to abolish the Kansas Department of Human Resources and place its federally funded programs under other state departments. The plan was partially outlined Thursday by House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka, who said the $469 million department is a collection of "orphan programs" -- like its boiler inspection unit -- that are operated under one Cabinet-level department. Mays said none of the programs would be eliminated under the Republican plan. They just would be run differently. "There is no need for the administrative overhead," Mays said. However, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and other Democrats questioned the...

The longstanding rivalry between moderate and conservative political forces in Johnson County escalated this week, when the moderate Mainstream Coalition was forced to register a new name. In the midst of ongoing celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the coalition, Olathe resident Tim Golba, a pro-life and conservative activist, registered the coalition's name with the Kansas Secretary of State's office on Oct. 24. The maneuver, made possible when the coalition forgot to reregister its name with the state in a timely fashion, gave Golba 120 days to file articles of incorporation allowing him to retain the Mainstream name. Golba is...

Sculpture of cleric called 'Catholic bashing' Washburn official says piece of art will stay in place on campus By Tim Hrenchir The Capital-Journal Some area residents want Washburn University to remove a sculpture displayed on campus that they say shows a Roman Catholic clergyman wearing a tall hat resembling a penis. John Cooney, a Catholic from St. Marys, said Tuesday he felt deeply offended by the sculpture, "Holier Than Thou," which he considered "Catholic bashing at its worst." A Washburn official said the university planned to keep the sculpture in place and likely would organize events to promote discussion about...

Wagle: Fight over class was about decency, fairness By Sen. Susan Wagle Special to The Capital-Journal My attempts to de-fund or regulate a human sexuality class at a Kansas university received a significant amount of press attention during session, and continues to draw the ire of many editorial writers across the state. My work has been criticized in most newspapers as an attack on free speech and academic freedom. Reports fail to mention, however, that these activities are financed by taxpayer dollars, and taxpayers have the right to demand accountability from all institutions and agencies they fund. In addition, few...

Brownback's silence on religion speaks volumes By Mary Rintoul Sam Brownback says his religious affiliation is his private business. The U.S. senator from Kansas has flatly refused to address the issue of his conversion a year ago to the Roman Catholic faith and his association with Opus Dei, an ultra-conservative offshoot of the church. Brownback's silence speaks volumes. The senior senator from Kansas should take a page from the book of a fellow Catholic politician, who came out swinging instead of ducking when the issue of religion was raised. "I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant...

Conservative columnist and radio host Phyllis Schlafly will appear as guest speaker, hosted by the Sunflower Republican Woman's Club of Johnson County. The event is from 7-9 pm Thursday January 9 at Blue Valley Baptist Church, 151st and Antioch, and is free and open to the public. For more information, call Charlene Bredemeier at 913-393-3977.

What do you think about the new organization formed to watch the activities of Atty. Gen.-elect Phill Kline? It's needed to ensure Kline does not overstep his constitutional authority. It's just sour grapes politics at work.It's justified because of all the questions raised about Kline's credentials to do the job.Undecided.

By Leita Walker, Journal-World staff writer Monday, December 16, 2002 As Phill Kline prepares to become the state's next attorney general, a Leawood couple is working to ensure that lawyers around the state watch him like a hawk - literally. Carl and Lauren Helmstetter are developing a nonpartisan organization called Hundreds of Attorneys Watching Kline, HAWK for short. And although the grass-roots movement is in its infant stages, its mission is becoming clear: to make sure Kline does his job, and only his job. "I think that there's a concern that he is going to advance his particular political and...

At the 'pinnacle' Topekan Doug Mays has suffered some political disappointments, but in January he will ascend to the seat of speaker of the House By Jim McLean The Capital-Journal Doug Mays may aspire to higher office, but he says he has the political job that he always wanted -- speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives. "If I didn't do another thing again after being speaker of the House, I would be perfectly satisfied," Mays said. "To me, this is the pinnacle." The job didn't come easily. Mays, 52, lost his first bid for the Legislature in 1976. An...

Demonstrators call for peace By Tim Hrenchir The Capital-Journal Rally-goers gathered Saturday at the Kansas Statehouse carrying dozens of signs to show what they thought about the possibility of a U.S. attack on Iraq. "Patriots prefer peace," one sign said. "Would Jesus launch a pre-emptive strike?" another asked. "All we are saying is give peace a chance," a third added. Between 250 and 300 people attended the late-morning rally near the south steps of the Statehouse, said Bill Beachy, executive director of the Topeka Center for Peace and Justice. Beachy, whose group organized the event, said he felt pleased with...

Agriculture And Natural ResourcesTeam Leader: Adrian Polansky, BellevilleTeam: Jim Braden, Clay Center; Sarah Dean, Lawrence; Tom Hawk, Manhattan; Steve Irsik, Ingalls; Marc Johnson, Manhattan; (I think) Laura Kelly, Topeka; David Kimbrell, Lawrence; Jim Mason, Wichita; James McClinton, Topeka; and Tim Norton, Wichita. EconomyTeam Leader: Lt. Gov.-elect John Moore, WichitaTeam: Dale Davis, Emporia; Bill Falstad, Fredonia; Peter Gustaf, Wichita; Jon Levin, Manhattan; Wayne Maichel, Topeka; John Prather, El Dorado; John Rolfe, Wichita; Donna Shank, Liberal; Mary Turkington, Topeka; and Steve Weatherford, Leawood. Human ServicesTeam Leader: Pat Gaunce, Kansas City.Team: Jimmy Banks, Kansas City; Roni Beshears, Leawood; Tim Emert, Independence; Frances Garcia,...

New Republican leaders in Kansas House speak of unity By JOHN L. PETTERSON The Kansas City Star TOPEKA - With their selections only minutes old Monday, the new Republican leaders of the Kansas House were talking about pulling GOP factions together and working with Democratic Gov.-elect Kathleen Sebelius. Rep. Doug Mays, a Topeka Republican who won a three-way race for House speaker, told the House GOP caucus that the conservative-moderate split that had torn the party in recent years must end. "I want to bring us together," he said. "If we just respect each other, those differences don't have to...