Not surprisingly, some state lawmakers don’t appreciate having been subpoenaed to answer questions as part of Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor’s inquiry into whether seven private dinners at the governor’s mansion early this year violated the Kansas Open Meetings Act. “It’s a political fishing expedition. It’s a huge waste of time, energy and resources,” said state Sen. Susan Wagle, R-Wichita. But such criticism dismisses the solid reasons to think that violations occurred – only members of specific committees were invited, and legislators have said that they, as well as the governor, talked about state business. The criticism also sends the message that the subpoenaed legislators don’t care about the open-meetings law. They certainly would if the parties were reversed, and if a Democratic governor had invited quorums of committees in a Democratic-controlled Legislature and had discussed pending legislation out of public view.
Follow us
