This morning, the Kansas House will begin debating and voting on a large number of bills, as many as 40, by last count. Among them are two bills having to do with public education in Kansas. We need you, today, now, to click the link below to send an email to your Kansas Representative, asking them to support clean, transparent funding to meet the requirements of the Kansas Supreme Court, so that we can finally put a decade of litigation behind us.
What is going on?
In an nutshell, the Kansas Supreme Court handed down a decision last year that the Legislature had finally produced an education policy and funding bill that met the Constitutional requirement that ALL Kansas kids have the same opportunity to receive an excellent education. They had one last requirement, that money be added to the total to account for inflation, as the Legislature had neglected to do that.
Since then, we have heard from Republican Leadership in the state, along with ultra-conservative interest groups like the Kansas Policy Institute and the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, that they aren't ready to end the litigation. From plans to amend the Constitution to remove the Court's oversight, to scrapping the passed and Court-approved legislation, to minor moves like reinvigorating voucher programs or freeing religious speech in schools, they have rattled their sabers all last year and most of this.
Now, through a series of shady maneuvers, they are bringing two bills to the Kansas House that we describe as "Bad Education Policy Bill" and "Bad Education Funding Bill." The first would make changes to policy that could endanger the Constitutionality of our public education. The second would not fulfill the requirements of the Court. Either one could easily throw the State back into litigation, and keep our schools and children in the uncertain situation they have been in for a decade or more.
Enough.
What else is going on today?
Well, there's a lot, of course, and more actions you can take. These are just a few highlights.
Are sensible gun laws your thing? One bill up today would allow people from other states that allow concealed carry of handgun to begin at age 18, to carry such in Kansas. Bad enough, but the real trick will be if there is an amendment (it is expected) to lower the age for concealed carry to 18 in Kansas, too. High schoolers with guns.
What about reproductive rights? A bill up today would require doctors to inform their patients that the so-called "abortion pill" is reversible, when there is no actual proof that it is. This is one more barrier to a woman's Federal right to a legal, safe abortion, and should be stopped.
Pay attention today
You can keep up with our Twitter list, with the Twitter hashtag #ksleg, or on Facebook. Stay tuned, and be ready to act. Click the links above to send your emails, and let's be sure Kansas Legislators know what their constituents want.
Do more than vote.
