Johnson County legislators are bullying a volunteer agency. Is this happening to school boards, too?

“Kansas lawmakers spent a good deal of their last session demanding ‘freedom’ from the federal government’s health care rules. Too bad their concerns don’t extend to freedom of speech and a free press.

“Mary Pilcher-Cook, a Republican senator from Shawnee, is known for her disrespect of facts and opinions that clash with her views. On Monday, she led a delegation of 10 lawmakers to a meeting with the Johnson County Commission on Aging.

“The legislators’ intent was to bully commission members into abandoning plans to publish an article expressing concerns about a state law approved earlier this year…

“Based on a report by the Kansas Health Institute News Service and interviews with several participants at the meeting, it’s clear some of the lawmakers hinted at retaliation. The county Area Agency on Aging receives some state funding.

“’You really need to think about this because one of your objectives is to have a good working relationship with the Johnson County legislative delegation,’ warned Sen. Jim Denning, a Republican from Overland Park.

“Merrick was more blunt. ‘This is going to set you guys back,’ he told Dan Goodman, director of the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging…The legislators said they were concerned that an article published in October could be used against Brownback and GOP legislators who voted for the health care compact.”

http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/editorials/article2130719.html#storylink=cpy