“Palin pick goes down in Kansas” — Washington Post tweet
“Moran Win Another Victory for GOP Center” — National Journal blog
“Being an elected Kansas ‘R’ senator is one of the safest jobs in politics.” — Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, on Twitter
“Kansas moderate Republicans: While you can still have some success in legislative races, at the statewide and congressional levels your party has left you far, far behind. If you don’t own a tricorner hat and believe the president was born in Kenya, you are not welcome in today’s Kansas Republican Party.” — Dome on the Range blog
“No matter who wins in November, a Harvard Law School graduate will represent Wichita in Congress. Let the final arguments begin!” — former Wichita Eagle publisher Lou Heldman, on Twitter
Tuesday’s retirement of Kansas Chief Justice Robert Davis ensures that Gov. Mark Parkinson will have at least one chance to name a member of the state’s highest court before the governorship changes hands in January. Davis, appointed in 1993 by Gov. Joan Finney, has been regarded as a fair-minded, thoughtful and gentlemanly member of the court. “He’s a judge’s judge,” one law professor told The Eagle editorial board when Davis was up for retention in 2006. The departure of Davis, who had been chief justice since January 2009, elevates Lawton Nuss to the top job, as it highlights how much the seven-member court has changed in the past decade. Nuss and Justice Marla Luckert were appointed to the court by Gov. Bill Graves; four others were appointed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Like his predecessors, Parkinson will choose from a list of three candidates forwarded to him by the Supreme Court Nominating Commission, composed of five attorneys and four non-attorneys. But will that system last? Sam Brownback, likely the state’s next governor, long has railed against “activist judges,” seemingly aligning him with those calling for the Kansas Constitution to be amended to require Senate confirmation of appellate court nominations.
After so much debate over the details earlier in the summer, it was surprising to see the Wichita City Council act swiftly and quietly Tuesday to approve tougher rules and regulations for inflatable amusement rides. As council member Paul Gray (the lone “no” vote Tuesday) and some public speakers had argued, tougher rules won’t eliminate all risk involved in the ubiquitous rides. But the tragic death of a 5-year-old in March at a west Wichita indoor inflatables business highlighted the city’s lax licensing and inspection system for the rides. Good for city staff and the City Council for acting responsibly to improve oversight and accountability. Of course, the best defense against injury will remain responsible, attentive adult supervision of the kids who use and love the rides.
Given how far-off the state’s revenue forecasts have been for most of the past year, it was a relief that July’s revenue shortfall was so tiny. According to preliminary figures, July collections were about $424,000, or 0.1 percent, below expectations. The state’s sales-tax collections were about $2.3 million lower than projected. But that shortfall was offset in part by individual income-tax collections, which were about $1 million higher than expected.
