Blog

This piece explains two things we have come to understand: (1) AFP’s financial support of legislators and ability to withdraw that support and fund a primary opponent creates a system in which many legislators feel they need to promote the AFP/ALEC agenda rather than listen to constituents back home; and (2) before the August and November elections postcards and ads will appear that abuse the phrase “supports public schools” and/or contain outright falsehoods. “Take last week’s battle over school funding. The House passed a clean bill, while the Senate loaded its version with policies straight from those groups’ legislative...

We’re sorry but the proposed increases in school funding in the bill that passed the House and Senate last week aren’t going to eliminate our need to advocate for much-needed additional funding. Here’s how it plays out in Wichita: “Though the exact budget totals could change, the net effect of the increased LOB funding and state base aid, minus the various funding cuts, is that Wichita may receive about $1.6 million in additional operating budget money next year, plus an additional $3.5 million for capital projects. Meanwhile, property owners in the Wichita district may receive about $10 million in...