The standard for acceptable governmental displays of religious symbols got murkier this week after the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a Kentucky courthouse could display the Ten Commandments alongside other historical documents. The court said that the Ten Commandments were part of “an otherwise secular exhibit” and didn’t amount to an endorsement of religion. But this particular display is nearly identical to ones in two other Kentucky counties. And the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that those displays were unconstitutional because they were erected with a clear religious purpose. So which is it? Is there a standard to determine intent?
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
The University of Kansas football team won enough games to earn a spot in Friday’s Fort Worth Bowl. But if eligibility was linked to academic performance — as the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics has been calling for — the team would be back in Lawrence studying.
The Knight Commission wants the NCAA to ban teams with graduation rates of less than 50 percent from bowl games. KU’s federal graduation rate for scholarship football players was 46 percent, according to the commission’s report. KU also had the 10th lowest NCAA Progress Rate of the 56 Division 1-A football teams competing in bowl games this season.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
As reported in Carrie Rengers’ column, state Sen. Carolyn McGinn, R-Sedgwick, recently said she’s willing to explore whether Kansas should allow wine to be shipped into and out of the state.
Under current state wine law (one of the nation’s most restrictive), it’s illegal to ship wine directly to consumers either interstate or within the state, which puts a cork in efforts to develop Kansas’ fledgling wine industry (yes, it exists, and holds promise for both small farmers and tourism).
To its credit, the Kansas Legislature earlier this year passed some new laws to help Kansas’ 10 commercial wineries, including a provision that would allow them to double production.
So why not let them ship their expanded product to expanded markets? Why not let consumers order what they want? The state needs to get out of the way.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Superlobbyist Jack Abramoff may be getting ready to sing. His attorneys are reportedly in discussions with the Justice Department about him cooperating in a congressional corruption probe. His partner, Michael Scanlon, has already struck a deal. Given the close connections Abramoff and Scanlon had with dozens of lawmakers, it could get very interesting soon.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
If there is war on Christmas, we’ve seen the enemy and it is us — at least all of us who take extreme liberties with Christmas trees. This and recent years have produced tales of upside-down Christmas trees, remote-control color-changing tree lights, hot-pink trees and feather trees. In Lawrence this week, there was even a fuss about a tree decorated with plastic figures meant to represent 11- and 12-week-old fetuses. (Maybe everything really is about abortion after all.)
Posted by Rhonda Holman
The Kansas State Fair is a great tradition that deserves more support from Kansans outside of Hutchinson. But one proposal that fair proponents are newly pursuing at the Statehouse, with the help of Sen. Dwayne Umbarger, R-Thayer, would be a supportive step too far: a mandate that all Kansas public schools hold an in-service day during the fair to give more families time to attend. Kansas schools are buried in a mountain of mandates already. They don’t need another — especially one that pulls kids out of the classroom just as each year’s learning has begun.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the written and recorded warped Christmas carols on our editorial Web site. Songs include “Up on the Boathouse” and “Go, Spend on Gander Mountain.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
