From Representative Bollier’s Facebook page: “As Rep. Rooker points out, the added taxing authority is wonderful but not the only money needed to pay the salary increases. For me, I am thankful we have the extra money from HB2506 but was not willing to bring Washington-style politics to the statehouse when HB2506 came before us without us being able to actually READ the bill. I voted YES on the initial bill passed by the House that had the increase in the Local Option Budget but WOULD NOT vote YES on a bill that I could not read!!! i find it ironic that I am now being criticized by my opponent for the very behavior that most of us found intolerable from the Obama administration (passing the Affordable Care Act without reading it). I will NEVER be a ‘YES-man’ on a bill that I cannot read!”

She was referring to this article: http://www.kansascity.com/news/government-politics/article717116.html.

“Kansas Rep. Melissa Rooker, a Fairway Republican and a member of the House Education Committee, said the school finance bill shouldn’t be credited entirely for pay raises and the cuts in student fees.

“She supported giving districts greater local taxing authority. But Rooker voted against the final school bill because of the policies that conservative lawmakers added at the last minute.

“At least in the case of Shawnee Mission, she said, the district is making other spending decisions — such as reducing the number of aides — that are freeing up money.

“The school finance bill ‘clearly plays a part,’ she said, but is not ‘the full reason they are doing the things they are doing.’”