The good news is that the unfunded liability for the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System has been reduced by $600 million. The bad news is that the liability is still $7.6 billion. KPERS officials told lawmakers last week that improved investment returns reduced the difference between KPERS’ assets and future obligations from $8.2 billion at the end of 2008 to $7.6 billion. “We still have a major funding shortfall,” said Glenn Deck, executive director of KPERS. “We had some modest improvement.” But more improvements are needed. Lawmakers should consider changes to KPERS, such as adjusting employee payments, redefining benefits to future retirees, increasing the state’s contribution to the fund, or transitioning to a 401(k)-like plan.
Being a lame duck has its advantages, noted Governing magazine, pointing to Gov. Mark Parkinson’s productive 16-month tenure. “As a Democrat working with a Republican Legislature,” writes Josh Goodman, “he’s resolved a long-standing dispute over new coal plants, signed a renewable energy plan and a statewide smoking ban, persuaded lawmakers to pass a temporary sales-tax increase to blunt the impact of budget cuts and secured a new 10-year transportation funding plan.” Parkinson, who took over when Gov. Kathleen Sebelius joined the Obama Cabinet, saw his refusal to run for the job as a chance to depoliticize lawmaking. “All of the Republicans that would have been obligated to attack me for political reasons really stood down,” he told the magazine.
Having publicly leveled the serious charge that a Sedgwick County prosecutor falsified evidence, the Kansas Court of Appeals now has an obligation to acknowledge that it was wrong and that the evidence was in the lengthy court file all along. Perhaps the facts won’t change the appellate court’s decision against confining Robert C. Ontiberos to indefinite treatment as a sexual predator. But an accomplished prosecutor such as Marc Bennett deserves some official acknowledgment that he did nothing wrong in saying that Ontiberos made a shank while in prison. As Assistant Attorney General Kristafer Ailslieger argued in a filing last week, the court should at least change its opinion to correct its mistake.
“We have a lot of re-education to do.” — Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (in photo), using an unfortunate word choice regarding public confusion about the health reform law
“Will liberal terrorist James Jay Lee’s actions lead to calls banning Al Gore’s movie?” — Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, on Twitter
“While growing up, he wanted to be a disc jockey, a Marine, a prison administrator and a clown. Apparently that is all one job in Kansas.” — John Hodgman’s voice-over as Eric Stonestreet, from the Kansas City, Kan., area, won the Emmy for best supporting actor in a comedy for “Modern Family”
