Sedgwick County Commissioner Richard Ranzau has some curious ideas on what’s worth his time and county resources. He thought it was fine to spend $1,463.50 in county funds to travel to the National Association of Counties’ annual meeting in Pittsburgh in order to have a national audience for his fearmongering lobbying against the meaningless 20-year-old United Nations’ “Agenda 21” document. But then he left the meeting early rather than, while he was there, take advantage of what was going on and perhaps expand his thinking or enhance his performance as a county commissioner because, he said, “I didn’t think it was a good use of my time.” He also clearly thinks it’s fine to use the county’s website and televised meetings to continue to campaign against Agenda 21 and the county’s participation in a regional planning process funded by a $1.5 million federal grant – never mind that the process was approved by the commission majority and is under way. And it was painful to learn that Ranzau serves on NACO’s environment, energy and land use steering committee, where his views might be mistaken for those of the county and commission majority.
Some legislators are upset with Kansans for Life for picking sides in GOP primaries in which both candidates are pro-life, Associated Press reported. For example, the anti-abortion group endorsed Rep. Richard Carlson, R-St. Marys, in a GOP primary against Rep. Trent LeDoux, R-Holton, who is also strongly anti-abortion. “Either endorse them both, or stay out of it,” LeDoux said. “Kansans for Life has marginalized themselves.” Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, said he has a 100 percent pro-life voting record, yet Kansans for Life endorsed his challenger, Rep. Larry Powell, R-Garden City. Morris suggested that Kansans for Life might be influenced by anti-tax groups that are targeting him and other state senators – a claim that Kansans for Life denies. One of the group’s litmus tests was whether senators supported changing the way judges are appointed, which is a procedural question on which reasonable people can disagree. In area Senate races, Kansans for Life didn’t endorse Sen. Carolyn McGinn, R-Sedgwick, or Rep. Dan Kerschen, R-Garden Plain, though it acknowledged that both have pro-life voting records.
Candidates who filed and raised money to run in one legislative district only to see their district change with the federal judges’ remapping recently were advised that their campaign dollars could transfer to the race in their new district. But the numerous House members running for Senate seats cannot use leftover funds from past races as they campaign for the other chamber, thanks to the Kansas Supreme Court’s 2003 decision in Cole v. Mayans. The justices sided with former Wichita City Council member Joan Cole in ruling that Carlos Mayans could not use $70,000 in leftover legislative campaign funds to run for mayor. Post-redistricting, Rep. Jim Ward, D-Wichita, cited that prohibition as a reason he filed to run in his new House district, against fellow incumbent Rep. Judith Loganbill, rather than try for a Senate seat. Carol Williams, executive director of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, has invited lawmakers to update the law regarding transfer of campaign funds. When U.S. Reps. Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt faced off in 2010 for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat, they both were able to transfer over funds they’d raised for their House races. It seems like common sense for state law to mirror federal law, and allow such fund transfers for Statehouse races.
Sedgwick County Commissioner Richard Ranzau has some curious ideas on what’s worth his time and county resources. He thought it was fine to spend $1,463.50 in county funds to travel to the National Association of Counties’ annual meeting in Pittsburgh in order to have a national audience for his fearmongering lobbying against the meaningless 20-year-old United Nations’ “Agenda 21” document. But then he left the meeting early rather than, while he was there, take advantage of what was going on and perhaps expand his thinking or enhance his performance as a county commissioner because, he said, “I didn’t think it was a good use of my time.” He also clearly thinks it’s fine to use the county’s website and televised meetings to continue to campaign against Agenda 21 and the county’s participation in a regional planning process funded by a $1.5 million federal grant – never mind that the process was approved by the commission majority and is under way. And it was painful to learn that Ranzau serves on NACO’s environment, energy and land use steering committee, where his views might be mistaken for those of the county and commission majority.
