Sebelius’ veto pen is smoking

sebeliuslookingright2.jpgAfter her third coal-plant veto Friday, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius nixed two more bills today: one to require voters to show photo ID starting in 2010 and another to deny the governor the right to fill a vacancy when a U.S. senator quits or dies in office. The latest vetoes were welcome. The ID bill was a solution for the nonexistent problem of voter fraud that would have deterred some citizens from voting. The Senate vacancy bill seemed blatantly political and unnecessary, given how well current law has dealt with vacancies since 1927. Lawmakers will have one last chance to overturn these and other vetoes when they convene May 29 for sine die, the usually ceremonial final day of the session. Kansans can hope tradition holds and the occasion is too sparsely attended to allow such tactics.

25 Comments

  1. bth
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 12:53 pm | Permalink

    I tend to disagree on the voter ID veto - IF we can assure availability of IDs to those who need them. The other vetoes - GREAT JOB GOVERNOR!

    Sene die could be interesting if Neufeld and Morris try again to override.

  2. ksfarmgrrl
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 12:57 pm | Permalink

    “Sene die could be interesting if Neufeld and Morris try again to override.”

    And you KNOW they will!

  3. lindainks55
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 12:58 pm | Permalink

    Because I don’t know and wonder — are illegal aliens in possession of photo IDs? If so, if any ID would be required to vote wouldn’t proof of citizenship make more sense?

  4. Phantom
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 1:01 pm | Permalink

    If it’s to protect their positions, I’d expect tradition not to hold and they’ll turn out for the voter id. vote.

  5. Phantom
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 1:03 pm | Permalink

    Guess the RW conventional wisdom is picture i.d’s can’t be forged.

  6. bth
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 1:04 pm | Permalink

    linda - my approach would address that issue. Look at the back of your drivers license. You will see two repositiries for information - a magnetic strip and a 2-D barcode. That could carry your voter information along with everything else it already carries. Then it could be scanned at the voting place (anywhere in Sedgwick County) and the correct ballot retrieved.

    When I traveled out of the country a scanner at the airport did that and I then added my passport information for my airline ticket.

  7. ksfarmgrrl
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 1:05 pm | Permalink

    The far bigger problems are diebold, private code, and paperless trails.

    Until you address those elephants in the room, this is just targeting the mice.

    A solution looking for a problem.

    Tell me again, which is the party of caging, purging, and disenfranchisement?

    Oh yeah. You know.

  8. Regular
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 1:16 pm | Permalink

    Sebelius’ veto pen is smoking

    I thought it was illegal to smoke in the Governor’s mansion?

  9. lindainks55
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 1:26 pm | Permalink

    People complained when Kerry didn’t address “swiftboating,” and now find fault when Obama reacts to each criticism and nips any and all “in the bud” so to speak. I guess as long as there are people there will be complaints.

  10. lindainks55
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 1:28 pm | Permalink

    oooops, sorry! Guess you can tell I thought I was on the Obama thread. Everyone can complain about my post in the wrong spot. Human traits — mistakes and complaints!

  11. mrcontroversy
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 2:29 pm | Permalink

    Methinks these will be the final two nails in Neufeld’s coffin.
    What’s his educational background again?

  12. markhopp
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 2:56 pm | Permalink

    The ID issue is not critical if you want to allow the errosion of our system of government. If we just allow all the illegal immigrants to vote, they can give themselves more benefits.

  13. mrcontroversy
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 3:05 pm | Permalink

    hoppedup:
    Provide specific examples of where this has happened.

  14. Regular
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 3:10 pm | Permalink

    I wonder if the old gray mare’s affectless personality comes from pulling the donkey party line harness?

  15. ksfarmgrrl
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 3:59 pm | Permalink

    “If we just allow all the illegal immigrants to vote, they can give themselves more benefits.”

    Lie much? Please post where that is part of ANYTHING being discussed here.

    All the illegal immigrants?

    Hyperbole much?

  16. DavidB
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 5:10 pm | Permalink

    No case of a non citizen voting was EVER presented in defense of this ugly bill.

    Isn’t our local election commissioner a Republican Party member? With this allegedly huge problem that threatens the very fabric of our nation, he cannot find ONE ILLEGAL VOTE??

    Let me know when the sky starts falling again, please.

  17. parkay
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 9:05 pm | Permalink

    Bilious Sebelius knows that voter fraud will favor Democrats. Cheapens everyone’s vote, though.

  18. MaxGrobnik
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 10:46 pm | Permalink

    Oh photo ID’s can be forged, as bth indicates, but very difficult.

    Sebelius followed the party line in encouraging illegal Mexican immigrants to line-up and vote Democrat.

    Buenos noches de la Los Estados Unidos de Mexico.

  19. SEMPERFIGUY
    Posted May 19, 2008 at 11:56 pm | Permalink

    Maybe I’m stupid, but how much does a coal plant cost, and how many homes can it power? For $2mil/pop, perhaps less of purchased cooperatively in volume with other states, they can erect a wind power station that would power 4000 homes. This is something that can be done slowely, over time, as demand rises.

    I don’t know if it’s really feasible or not, but it sure seems like the way to go.

  20. Jed
    Posted May 20, 2008 at 12:01 am | Permalink

    Parkay,
    Get on your cockroach suit again! It fits your personality so well!

  21. Jed
    Posted May 20, 2008 at 12:08 am | Permalink

    Maxi,
    “Oh photo ID’s can be forged, as bth indicates, but very difficult.”

    Not at all! I recently designed and printed photo ID badges for a regional conference. It would have been just as easy to make them look exactly like driver’s licenses.

  22. Jed
    Posted May 20, 2008 at 2:50 am | Permalink

    Why are the hookers and insurance companies advertizing together on unused threads here on the WEBlog? And just what is the connection between the hookers and the insurers? Now that sounds like an interesting alliance!

  23. lindainks55
    Posted May 20, 2008 at 9:32 am | Permalink

    Hookers and Insurers. Both take money for their services. Both may satisfy your need and both may disappoint and leave the situation unfulfilled with voids that still need to be taken care of.

  24. bth
    Posted May 20, 2008 at 10:21 am | Permalink

    Jed
    Posted May 20, 2008 at 12:01 am | Permalink
    Parkay,
    Get on your cockroach suit again! It fits your personality so well!

    Jed - that’s not a suit …

  25. gster
    Posted May 20, 2008 at 10:51 am | Permalink

    Ben _ I’d watch my “6″ if I was you; do you know how many cockroaches there are out there. Don’t piss them off!