Kansas has a tax problem. Estimated revenues for the state are almost never met. Every month, what little budget there is gets undercut by shockingly low income. If the state does not take in enough in taxes to meet its obligations, who is to blame? Who owns the tax problem?

Last week, the Kansas House rejected a bill to encourage and enhance ethnic studies in Kansas public schools. On the surface of it, this would seem just more of the same reactionary, fundamentalist conservatism we see every day in our legislative leadership. But below the surface, there was more going on.

This is a critical day in the Kansas Legislature. We need to express our opposition to several bills, but especially HB 2457, the expansion of the tax-credit scholarship bill. This bill would make an already terrible law even worse, and put us on the path to fully funding private, religious schools.

Last week saw some incredible acts in the Kansas Legislature, some expected of a partisan legislative leadership, some shocking in their brazen flouting of the democratic process. Read on for the details.

We said it at the beginning of the session, and we reiterate it now, the big issues this year in the Kansas Legislature are public education, the Kansas budget, and expansion of the state's health care mismanagement. Under all of those lurks the specter of the independence of the judicial branch of state government, as we saw last week.

The level of extreme rhetoric and, unfortunately, actual legislation coming out of the Kansas House Committee on Education this week is unbelievable. We need you to make yourself heard, now, to let the members of the House of Representatives know, in no uncertain manner, how strongly we oppose these actions.

Last week gave us a prime example to use when discussing election year politics in Kansas. We have pressing problems, including a state budget that continues to crater, bringing down our public schools and state infrastructure, and a moral vacuum in Topeka that knocks people off welfare onto the street and calls it success.

Now is the time to act.

Tell your Kansas Representative to oppose HCR 5005, and prevent Gov. Brownback from grabbing more power.

Education is the single most expensive item in the State General Fund. New lawmakers arriving in Topeka are floored by just how much money it takes to run a public education system. And every one of them thinks, surely we can save money somewhere?