Kline’s predecessors speak

Whenever Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline does something out of the box, which is often, I wonder what his predecessors think of him. The Lawrence Journal-World asked three of them about his attempted end run of the Kansas Supreme Court’s threat to close schools. Bob Stephan (1979-94) and Curt Schneider (1975-79) disapproved. But Vern Miller (1971-75), who practices law in Wichita, said of Kline’s collaboration with the State Board of Education, “Those are his clients. He has a responsibility to advise them of all their options. I don’t see anything wrong with that. I’d be surprised if he did it to spite the court.”
That’s big of Miller, who also knows a thing or two about making headlines. But other Kansans question Kline’s motives.
Posted by Rhonda Holman

5 Comments

  1. dan newland
    Posted July 10, 2005 at 10:26 am | Permalink

    As a railroader, the only thing dumber than Kline was Miller trying to arrest Lounge Car attendants for selling liquor on trains passing thru Kansas.

  2. kelly
    Posted July 10, 2005 at 1:20 pm | Permalink

    As a technical point, Vern may have been correct but that doesn’t answer the real question. Kline was meeting with them because conservatives control the State Board, not because they control the purse strings. They were simply taking another opportunity to give the appearance to their supporters of flexing their selfish and myopic political muscles. Given the results of the special session, I guess their political muscles proved to be rather weak.

  3. Kansas Meadowlark
    Posted July 10, 2005 at 7:30 pm | Permalink

    If former AG Robert Stephan disapproved of Kline’s actions, why did he write a letter to the LJWorld saying “AG acted properly”?

    http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/jul/10/ag_acted_properly/?opinion

    AG acted properlySunday, July 10, 2005

    To the editor:

    I am writing to clarify my remarks in an article dated July 6 about legal advice given by Atty. Gen. Phill Kline to the Kansas Board of Education. At the time I was interviewed I was not aware of the circumstances surrounding General Kline’s legal opinion. As a matter of fact, I was under the impression that General Kline had volunteered his advice without being requested to do so. I have now learned that the opposite is true.

    General Kline received a request from Sen. Karin Brownlee for a legal opinion as to whether or not Kansas statutes precluded the Kansas Board of Education from certifying the amounts due as general state aid to each district for the entire school year rather than on a monthly basis. The attorney general is obligated, when requested, to provide a legal opinion to legislators and other state officials. An opinion was issued to Sen. Brownlee on July 1.

    There was nothing unusual or improper in issuing the opinion. As a matter of fact, General Kline was merely fulfilling his obligation as the chief legal officer for the state.

    When General Kline met with the Kansas Board of Education, he was merely restating the opinion given to Sen. Brownlee.

    Had I been aware that an opinion had been requested, my comments would have been the same as former Atty. Gen. Vern Miller. Kline had a responsibility to advise his clients of all their options. I see nothing to fault in regard to Kline’s proceeding to explain a properly prepared opinion in reply to a senator’s request.

    Robert T. Stephan,

    Lenexa

  4. Zoom
    Posted July 10, 2005 at 7:40 pm | Permalink

    I can’t be all that sure anyone is going to receive good legal advice from AG Kline. It seems that it is all this guy can do to keep his license, file a coherent brief, or follow the legal procedures for requesting a continuance.

  5. Anon
    Posted July 11, 2005 at 9:50 am | Permalink

    Whether Herr Kline was simply following is legal obligation or not, his past actions and words show his true motivation. Herr Kline has no respect for any court that will not give an opinion he wants (Damn the law getting in the way of his desites). The fact he was asked for an opinion – and does Herr Kline ever have opinions – just gave him political cover.