If ever there was a week when the predictability of car payments by members of the Kansas Supreme Court and the Kansas Court of Appeals was in jeopardy, it was last week.

Our Supreme Court was slapped 8-1 by the U.S. Supreme Court over its ruling that either overturned or at least delayed the death sentences meted out to the infamous Carr Brothers of 2000 Wichita massacre fame. The Kansas Court wanted more work done on the sentencing of the murderers, the U.S. Supreme Court overruled the state court.

And Friday, which was the 43rd anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that made the choice to have an abortion a constitutionally protected right, the local Court of Appeals couldn’t decide whether last session’s “dismemberment” abortion law is constitutional.

There were technical arguments about due process rights and such, but the decision, or non-decision tie, means that the prohibition of that specific abortion procedure remains on hold while the case is likely appealed to the Kansas Supreme Court.

Whether you are a fan of the death penalty or not, and whether you favor prohibiting a specific second-trimester abortion procedure or not, you’ll probably get the chance to read some campaign flyers and see some Internet postings about the competence or at least philosophical bent of both courts.

Count on opponents of the death penalty to be quiet, while death penalty/Wichita residents who were terrorized by that Carr Brothers case repeat the campaign they used in 2014 to target Supreme Court justices who didn’t allow the brothers to be put to death.

And, count on abortion-rights supporters to be quiet while opponents of abortion target Court of Appeals members who voted to maintain the Shawnee County District Court decision that prohibits enforcement of outlawing the abortion procedure passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor last spring.

The point of opponents of those decisions: That the state needs a new way to select those Appeals Court and Supreme Court jurists.

Supporters of the decisions say they want to keep by their view the impartial, by-the-constitution court to make important legal decisions.

Gov. Sam Brownback in his State of the State speech this month said that he’d like judges to stand for election, or at least that the governor gets to select Supreme Court justices with confirmation by the Kansas Senate, without them being vetted by a lawyer-heavy Supreme Court Nominating Commission.

Either would probably yield high court judges who think along the same philosophical lines as the governor who appoints them. Brownback has gotten his way, to a point, and now he gets to –and got to—appoint a member to the Kansas Court of Appeals without the nominating commission vetting, and the Senate confirmed his appointment. He liked it.

But judges don’t come and go with the governor, and while Brownback is living with high court justices appointed by governors more liberal than he is, you have to wonder what happens if a more philosophically moderate governor would like inheriting a far more conservative court than he/she would like?

It’s probably the broad background and understanding of the law that is important for a judge, not philosophical leanings or beliefs to shape opinions.

But governors are elected for their philosophical leanings and beliefs, and they would like to see those beliefs outlive their terms in office. That’s how they are.

So, do a couple decisions mean toss the judges you don’t agree with on specific issues? Practically, you can make pretty good arguments either way or move to a state where the history of court decisions is how you like them.

This is likely to be the year that we see the most heated campaigns for retention/non-retention of judges—oh, and maybe legislation to either directly elect or give the governor single-handed authority to name judges without those background checks the nominating commission performs.

At some point, voters patient enough to get to the bottom of the ballot where the retention votes are cast get to decide. We’ll see what their ruling is.

Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com.

According to the latest finalized federal review, Kansas has one of the safest child welfare systems in the country—ranking second among the 50 states in the category of “children are first and foremost, protected from abuse and neglect”. This success is attributed to many individuals who make up the child welfare system in Kansas—including Kansas Department for Children and Families social workers, foster care contractors, foster parents, law enforcement, judges, Guardians Ad Litem, CASAs, and those who make it a priority to report suspected cases of abuse and neglect, including family, friends, teachers, counselors, medical professionals, pastors and more.

Although less than one percent of children in Kansas are in foster care, each of these more than 6,500 children relies on this network of people to keep them safe. Without all involved working together toward a common goal of protecting the child and minimizing trauma, the system will fail this young, innocent person who deserves more. And no one wants that to happen, ever.

The child welfare system is complex and each case presents its own unique circumstances and challenges that are ever changing. Fortunately decisions made to remove a child from his/her home are not made in a vacuum. They involve a step-by-step process that is meant to ensure the best interest of the child is served, which is our only concern.

The process begins when a concerned citizen or mandated reporter calls the Kansas Protection Reporting Center. We receive approximately 65,000 calls to the hotline each year. Our trained staff assesses the case and determines if further investigation is warranted. From there, DCF will make necessary contact with law enforcement, the family and others involved. If there is concern of immediate harm, law enforcement may take the child/children into protective custody. DCF does not have authority to remove a child from his/her home. This action can only be taken by law enforcement and the court. From there, DCF will present its information to the district attorney, and the district attorney will evaluate the evidence and may take the case before the court. The judge will ultimately decide whether removal into foster care is warranted. DCF and its contractors then work quickly to achieve a permanency plan for the child—whether that’s reintegration with his/her family or adoption.

Our child welfare system is safe, but only because Kansans care. We urge you to continue to be vigilant. If you suspect abuse or neglect, don’t hesitate to call us. Your call could save a life. Report abuse or neglect at 1-800-922-5330.

Phyllis Gilmore
Secretary, Kansas Department for Children and Families

As a youth, the after-deer-season joke between me and my buddies was the question “Well, are you eatin’ venison or bologna?” Just last week I offered to help provide meat for a Sunday school get-together and the joke became “Yup, Steve will probably be bringin’ squirrel since he didn’t get a deer.”

There is absolutely nothing wrong with squirrel meat; our forefathers relied heavily on squirrels as a protein source. Squirrel meat is very similar to rabbit meat and can be prepared the same ways, and even though Cousin Eddy from the National Lampoon movie “Christmas Vacation” says squirrels are high in cholesterol, they are not. Bentonville Ark., headquarters of Walmart, has an annual World Champion Squirrel Cook-Off that draws TV crews, executive chefs and visitors from around the world. Their theme is “Squirrel – its’s for Supper,” and they offer “organic tree-to-table squirrel” in dishes like squirrel pizza and squirrel flavored ice cream.

Also known as tree bacon, limb chicken and bird feeder vandals, I know of no wild animal in our society today more pampered than the squirrel. We buy corn to feed them, and then buy feeders to hold the corn. We teach them to take peanuts from our hands, and I even heard of someone who had taught the little beggars to tap on the front door when they wanted a handout.

Some years back, I did a story about two local brothers who cash-in on our squirrel feeding frenzy by growing and harvesting upwards of one thousand bushels of ear corn every year which they sell for squirrel corn.

I have to admit squirrels are fun to watch as they roll around in those glass jar feeders and cling upside down to the side of a tree. This year we bought a rig that suspends two ears of corn on a wire with a spring on it a couple feet off the ground, making them jump up and cling onto the ears long enough to get a mouthful before dropping back to the ground.

But they have a dark side too. They eat the fruit off fruit trees, the grapes off grape vines, and they litter my front lawn with acorn shells from the nearby Pin Oaks. The bird feeder industry works overtime to make their products “squirrel proof,” but I doubt there is such a thing. They will chew on about anything, and I read where their appetite for electrical wiring has caused the shut-down of the NASDAQ twice in its history.

The 2015-2016 squirrel season in KS opened June 1 and runs through Feb 28, 2016, extraordinarily long for any hunting season. Yet, the sport of squirrel hunting seems tremendously underutilized here in Kansas. Granted, we don’t have the woods and forests that make squirrel hunting so popular in some other states, but we do have plenty of squirrels (besides the zillions that inhabit our towns.)

From deer stands, I have often watched squirrels rustle about in the leaves beneath me, or heard them in the trees above and behind me as they scold me as an intruder, so I believe that our countryside has no squirrel deficiency. Smaller gauge shotguns and .22 rifles have always been the favored weapons for squirrel hunting, but many of the newer air-powered rifles would be excellent choices as squirrel guns.

Naturally nut trees are the biggest draw, but in the fall and winter, Osage Oranges (Hedge Apples) become an important food source too. Squirrel hunting is a waiting game, so find a spot in the trees along the river or near a thick fencerow where small chips of hedge apple or nut shells litter the ground, and pick yourself a comfortable seat.

Your patience will be rewarded as Mr. Bushy Tail will soon come out of hiding and begin scampering about, or scolding you from a nearby branch. In either case, bide your time, and you’ll eventually get a shot. Squirrel hunting is a good way to hone your rifle marksmanship, as they don’t stand still very long.

So dust off the old .22, sight in the scope (or adjust the open sights for you purists,) and head to the woods. Find yourself a comfy’ seat against a big tree, and don’t be surprised if the serenity of the situation puts you to sleep. The worst case scenario will be some quiet time to yourself and a nice nap. The best case scenario will be both of the above plus a squirrel dinner. Either way, you’ll Explore Kansas Outdoors, so how can you lose?

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at [email protected].