It was an act of faith for Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss (in photo) to delay two of the five furlough days he’d planned for the state court system in the wake of the Legislature’s failure last month to approve supplemental funding. The remaining furloughs are now scheduled for May 24-25 and June 7-8. But they shouldn’t be necessary. GOP legislative leaders need to demonstrate that the chief justice’s faith in them is not misplaced, and quickly approve more money when they reconvene today in Topeka. Considering the state’s improved revenues, there is no justification for even one more day of closed courts and delayed proceedings.
Secretary of State Kris Kobach is still pushing lawmakers to change the date when new voters will have to provide proof of citizenship in order to register. The requirement is scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1, but Kobach wants it to start this June 15. Meanwhile, last week an 11-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Arizona’s law requiring evidence of U.S. citizenship in order to register to vote, saying the requirement violated the National Voting Rights Act. A three-judge appellate panel also struck down the law last October.
It’s encouraging that Wichita, Sedgwick County and union officials are nearing agreement on a plan to merge code-enforcement offices. The worthy goal is to create a “one-stop shop” for builders so they don’t have to deal with two offices. The union has raised legitimate concerns about whether the city’s codes would be weakened to match the county’s. But Mayor Carl Brewer has said that won’t happen. Though it’s smart to try to make it easier for builders and others to do business with local government, that shouldn’t come at the expense of protecting homeowners.
It was an act of faith for Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss (in photo) to delay two of the five furlough days he’d planned for the state court system in the wake of the Legislature’s failure last month to approve supplemental funding. The remaining furloughs are now scheduled for May 24-25 and June 7-8. But they shouldn’t be necessary. GOP legislative leaders need to demonstrate that the chief justice’s faith in them is not misplaced, and quickly approve more money when they reconvene today in Topeka. Considering the state’s improved revenues, there is no justification for even one more day of closed courts and delayed proceedings.
