By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss visited Hays Friday.

Nuss and his wife, Barbara, checked out the temporary Law Enforcement Center located in the former N.E.W. building, 3000 New Way.

Nuss said he was happy everyone came together to make the move a success.

“I have been impressed how … people were able to make use of this facility and convert it to all theses various uses — the court system, law enforcement, the clerks, county attorney,” he said. “I just think a lot of hard work went into it this.”

Before touring the facility, Nuss spent the morning with Chief Judge of the 23rd District Ed Bouker.

He said chief on their minds is a budget-balancing bill passed by the Senate on Thursday and forwarded to Gov. Sam Brownback.

The bill has many provisions to erase the state’s projected $344 million budget deficit, including one that would allow the Kansas Supreme Court to transfer $3 million from the electronic courts project to judicial operations in order to keep the courts open through the fiscal year.

“We are just keeping a hopeful eye on (Gov. Brownback) and hope he signs the bill sometime during the next week,” Nuss said.

Nuss is scheduled to be back in Hays in April, adding each of Kansas Supreme Court justices are expected to tour the Hays LEC facility in the future.