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“No Kansas Supreme Court justice has lost a retention election since the judicial system took its current form in 1958. However, there is an unprecedented level of hostility emanating from the Legislature, governor and many organizations that decry the court’s recent rulings on anti-abortion laws, death penalty verdicts and school finance. This is why delegates at the state Republican convention declared their intention to campaign against the retention of four justices this year: Carol Beier, Dan Biles, Marla Luckert and Lawton Nuss. “After exhausting every other method to undercut the Supreme Court, its most powerful opponents will likely...

Our opinion in January, 2014 and now. “Before you claim our courts are undemocratic and Kansans should let our governor select our Supreme Court justices, know that many Kansas parents are grateful to have one branch of government that can’t be bought or bullied and is bound to protect our strong public-school system, even if the majority of the 23.2% of voters in the last primary election were willing to sacrifice it on a gamble with large income-tax cuts.” http://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303947904579339240495815388...

As we read the reactions of our governor and some legislators, several things come to mind. First, they are angry at being required to fund schools equitably and adequately. They are balking at providing our children the resources they need. That’s what this is actually about. Second, this is not judicial activism. The legislature backed away from promises made in the Montoy case over a decade ago. Funding was increased for a couple of years, and then Base State Aid Per Pupil was cut during the recession and hasn’t been restored. The Gannon case wasn’t brought by the...

The latest Gannon decision is out, and the Supreme Court has ruled against the state, again. More to come, but here’s a link to the decision. http://www.kscourts.org/Cases-and-Opinions/opinions/SupCt/2016/20160527/113267.pdf...