Blog

Wall Street Journal: Kansas tax cuts serving as warning, not beacon

The Wall Street Journal isn’t buying it; neither should we. We need sufficient revenue to support our schools and other important state functions. “Two years ago, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback laid out an aggressive program of tax cuts to turn this slow-growing state into a Texas-like economic powerhouse—and serve as a model for Republican leaders in other states. So far, the results are serving as more of a warning than a beacon. Employment growth is below the national average, while Kansas faces plunging revenue, dwindling reserves and a rare debt downgrade.” http://online.wsj.com/articles/sam-brownbacks-tax-cut-push-puts-kansas-out-on-its-own-1402448126...
Read more Leave a Comment

Concerns about paid lobbyists appointed to education committee

“A state commission studying K-12 school efficiency needs a balanced membership willing to approach the issues with open minds. . . Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case with the first two appointees selected by Merrick: Mike O’Neal, president and CEO of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, and Dave Trabert, president of the Kansas Policy Institute, a conservative think tank. Neither has any professional expertise in K-12 education. Both are registered lobbyists representing groups that have been highly critical of the state’s public education system.” http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2014/jun/12/editorial-k-12-agenda/?opinion...
Read more Leave a Comment

Court finds Gannon equity requirement satisfied

A three-judge panel found that the Legislature had satisfied a Supreme Court order to make school funding more equitable at a hearing Wednesday. Now we await the decision on adequacy. Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2014/06/11/3503302/judges-satisfied-on-equity-issue.html#storylink=cpy...
Read more Leave a Comment