It’s pretty standard for conservative candidates for the Legislature—mostly Republicans—to blast “Obamacare” as they have labeled the Affordable Care Act. It’s pretty catchy in some circles.

The idea of forcing people to buy health insurance which subsidizes health insurance, thereby making more health care available to the poor who can’t afford it, does sound a little…well…heavy-handed to many.

But the upcoming session of the Legislature which hundreds of Kansans are campaigning to join may be the first in which chances are just a little less than even Kansas might jump into the ACA and its expansion of health care for the poor. No, not good, but at least a little less dismal than this year.

Last session, recall, House Speaker Ray Merrick, R-Stilwell, pulled four Republicans off the House Health and Human Services Committee because they liked the idea of using the ACA to expand eligibility for Medicaid (in Kansas we now catchily call it “KanCare”).

And so Republican Reps. Susan Concannon, Beloit (who had been vice chair of the committee), Barbara Bollier, Mission Hills, Don Hill, Emporia, and Kevin Jones, Wellsville, were taken off the 17-member committee, making sure that the 13 Republicans on the panel couldn’t join with Democrats to pass an Obamacare expansion bill to the full House.

Merrick isn’t seeking re-election and after this fall’s election, there will be a new House Speaker who will single-handedly make appointments to the Health and Human Services Committee in the House.

In the Senate, well, we’ll see how the elections go…

Practically, though, while in most districts it’s hard to go wrong blasting Obamacare on a strictly partisan basis, outgoing President, Democrat-based and all that, this might just be the year that it comes down to a pocketbook issue and public health care issue for Kansans.

Buy your own health insurance? Or have it provided by your employer?

Most private health insurance premiums have risen in the past year, partly because hospitals take care of the sick and injured…whether those patients have health insurance or not. That’s what hospital emergency rooms do—help whoever shows up.

Now, if all those patients had insurance, private or government-assisted, the hospitals would get paid at least something for delivering that care. Which means that those with private or company-sponsored health insurance don’t have to see their rates rise to help hospitals afford that care they are obligated to offer to those without insurance. For the individual insurance policy, it means lower hikes in rates, and for those with employer-provided health insurance it means rates are lower too, which translates either into continued coverage or coverage at a lower rate that might leave some room for other benefits—like maybe raises.

How’s that sound on the campaign doorstep?

And, that loss of revenue to hospitals from the ACA is severely pinching their budgets and might mean that some either close or dramatically reduce services, which means that some cities and towns might wind up with less hospital service, less health care, and all of that. Losing a hospital and health care services, or putting them an hour’s drive away, isn’t something most Kansans want, and isn’t something most candidates for the Legislature are willing to present as a byproduct of not expanding KanCare through the ACA.

Oh, and don’t forget that Kansans who can’t get health care in some way are shopping at the same stores you shop at, and sending their children to the same schools your children go to, where a sneeze can mean your children come home sniffling.

Wondering about the ACA? Probably worthwhile talking about it with those candidates or their supporters on your doorstep.

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

The only reason I put up with summer in Kansas is… well, because I have to! My only alternatives are to move or die. The first takes too much energy, and the second, well, let’s just say I’ll put up with summer! (Although as I get older door number 2 looks less ominous all the time) I just spent my week totally immersed in tearing all the floor boards off my deck in 105 degree heat and humidity to make repairs underneath after water got into my basement during the most recent rain deluge, so I present to you a little trivia about the “dog days of summer.”

The term “Dog Days of Summer” has always intrigued me. This term was long ago given to the hottest and muggiest part of the summer, which someone has determined to be between July 3 and August 11.

Stars and constellations played a big part in the lives of the ancients. Two such constellations, Canis Major and Canis Minor, were said to resemble dogs. The brightest star in Canis Major is named Sirius, “the dog star,” and also happens to be the brightest star in the night sky. It is in fact so bright, that ancient Romans believed the earth received heat from it. During our summer, there is a period when Sirius rises and sets with the sun, and it was believed that during this period, the Dog Star actually added its heat to the sun, creating a period of extra hot and muggy weather now known as “the dog days.”

So what can we “dog days haters,” who think it’s even too hot to fish, do to scratch our “outdoor sportsman’s itch” during this time? Frog season started here in KS July 1st and is a great nighttime sport. We hunted frogs a lot when I was a kid and thought nothing of walking a couple hundred yards across someone’s pasture in the middle of the night just to get to a pond full of frogs. Now days it’s not quite so much fun sloggin’ around a pond in pitch black darkness in soaking wet jeans and old sneakers, but the sweet taste of fried frog legs is still the same!

Now’s also a fine time to browse the Cabela’s, Bass Pro, and in my case, trapping supply catalogs to get a jump on your fall hunting and trapping wish list. This begins by going over your equipment and clothing, looking for equipment needing repaired or replaced. You know how clothing seems to “shrink” a little each season! Also order that new equipment you want to experiment with this year. Mail ordered merchandise can take considerable time to receive, and ordering early also gives you time to make returns and exchanges if needed. The large trapping supply dealers are busy with conventions in late summer and when trapping seasons start in the fall, so now is a prime time to get trapping supplies mail-ordered. This is very pertinent for me this year as I will miss our state trapper’s convention because I’ll be antelope hunting in western KS. Also, fall merchandise can often be found on sale during these dog days. So carry the catalogs from the bathroom to the easy chair and get started!

I guess when it’s 105 degrees in the shade, it’s hard to think about deer hunting, but the dog days are also a good time to begin garnering hunting and trapping permission. Unless you already have a standing agreement in place with landlords, hunting and trapping permission is often first come-first served. This can be done over the phone, but I prefer a more personal touch and like to drive to the owner’s home and talk to them in person. Remember, the early bird gets the worm (or the pheasant, the deer or the coyote.) Also this time of year my dad and I pick up unwanted apples from under people’s trees and feed them to the deer by dumping them on the ground in front of our corn feeders.

Now is a great time to brush up on your hunting and trapping skills or learn new ones by reading “how to” books and magazine articles. Think back about the things that didn’t go as planned last season and search out the resources to correct them, be that books, magazine articles, tapes & DVD’s or fellow sportsmen. The local beavers I used to trap every year moved out during the drought and haven’t returned, so I’ll probably bust out the beaver trapping DVD’s and take a refresher course in anticipation of having some to trap this fall since we’ve gotten some rain.

So pour a glass of iced tea, settle into your recliner, surround yourself with all your wish books, magazines, DVD’s and the TV remote, and for these next few “dog-day” weeks, continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors, even if it’s from your living room!

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

When considering “failed states,” we often think of Syria or Libya, where civic breakdowns, violence, and the lack of a viable government lead to chaos. So it’s pushing things more than a bit to think of Kansas as a failed state. But it’s certainly a weakened one.

Drawing upon substantial scholarly work, there is little question that Kansas 2016 reflects a “hollow” state, where basic functions of government have been farmed out, cut back, and diminished, to the point that in many policy domains the state will not or cannot govern.

For many decades, Kansas and its government did govern effectively and prudently, often harking back to Governor Robert Docking’s standard of “austere, but adequate.” To be sure, penny-pinching austerity went by the board in the 1970s and 1980s, in part because the state benefited from federal programs like aid to education and Medicaid, which raised the standard of living for the poorest Kansans, to say nothing of agricultural subsidies.

In 2011, Governor Sam Brownback and a far-right Kansas House of Representatives began to hollow out state government, all in the name of smaller, more efficient, more private administration. It all started almost immediately in 2011, when the governor unilaterally cut funding for the Kansas Arts Commission.

As the Kansas City Pitch presciently noted, “Arts funding is an inexpensive trial balloon for Brownback, but it’s a financial nightmare for groups that depend on state and federal funding.” Most notably, it was smaller communities that suffered the most, a theme that has been repeated consistently over the past five years.

To be sure, there are many legitimate arguments over the size of government, and Kansas politicians vigorously engaged in these discussions over the years. Maybe arts funding, even a tiny amount, is just a frill, and perhaps any number of state regulations may hinder entrepreneurial activity. These are debates worth having.

But the value of a stable, reliable state government, which delivers core programs in education, transportation, health, and social services remains a bedrock element of most successful American states.

But since 2011, and especially in the wake of 2012 income tax cuts, the reality in Kansas has changed overwhelmingly. The state – per the wishes of the far-right faction that governs – serves fewer and fewer Kansans. Moreover, the alleged benefits of smaller government brought about by tax reductions have consistently advantaged the wealthy and the privileged.

So, how has Kansas been hollowed out during the Brownback era? Let me count the ways.

KanCare: eligibility, declining numbers served, rising case backlogs, and declining physicians’ reimbursements, along with $57.4 million in cutbacks leading to less federal matching funding ($72 million). Two and a half billion less in overall highway spending. Raiding the Children’s’ Initiative Fund. Cutting the Parents as Teachers program. Reduced assistance to rural communities, in direct and indirect reduction. Several rounds of cuts to higher education. Recent reductions in aid to needy senior citizens. Declining mental health spending, due to reduced Medicaid spending.

It’s death by a thousand cuts.

The hollowing out occurs in a host of ways – the privatization of core services, like welfare; the loss of many veteran governmental professionals, who simply will not participate in gross programmatic reductions; more stringent eligibility requirements, to make qualifying for services, like welfare, increasingly difficult, even as benefits decline.

Over the past few years much of the political discourse has focused on shrinking revenues from tax cuts and threats to K-12 education. These remain extremely important issues, but emphasizing them obscures the profound, continual hollowing out of state government, and its negative implications for most Kansans, especially the most vulnerable.

Burdett Loomis is a professor of political science at the University of Kansas.

Almost every farmer or rancher has said this in one way or another, “My life begins with the land.”

Look at it any way you want but this bedrock principle remains as it has for generations. Land ownership is the key to our business of agriculture.

Farmers are proud of the crops they grow and the land they work. Ranchers love their grasslands and the cattle that graze upon them.

From the time our first ancestors dropped seeds into the ground – to today’s ag producers, who use global positioning satellite – they were, and are, linked to the land. It’s who they are and defines the vocation they have chosen.

Many Kansas farmers and ranchers have raised their families, crops and livestock on ground that has been in their families for generations and for some more than 100 years. When producers farm land that long it becomes part of them. It is their way of life. Something they do each and every day. A vocation that occupies their time and mind always.

The land is something they cherish and love. Seeing it bring life to the seeds they sow is an experience farmers anticipate each year. They look forward to cultivating the crop and protecting it from insects that would cut yields and rob grain from people who depend on this precious food source.

Farmers also anticipate the coming of each year’s harvest when they gather the fruits of another year’s labor. Not only do this nation’s farmers produce great quantities of grain but they also take pride in producing a top-quality product – one of the finest and healthiest in the world.

The fondest wish of most farmers is to pass their land on to their children. They work for years, and often a lifetime, to leave a legacy of good land stewardship.

Most farmers learn about conservation and respect for their land from their parents. They continually seek new and better ways to work their soil to ensure they are able to pass it on to succeeding generations.

One farmer friend once told me, “If I thought for one minute I was ruining my land, I’d give up farming.”

Land is the lifeblood of a farmer or rancher whether it helps them produce grain or livestock. Producers have a deep-seated feeling of honor to be the owner and caretaker of land that has been in their families for generations. They understand that one day they will pass from this earth but the land will remain. They strive to leave the land in a little better condition.

These stewards of the soil realize their ancestors came to this country and settled with the belief it was the land of opportunity for them and future generations. They hope their children will see this investment in the land the same way and leave the farm in better condition for their children.

Land is sacred for the farmers and ranchers in Kansas who tend the soil and care for their livestock. They take this stewardship seriously. They’ve devoted their lives to safeguarding their farms and families while providing us with the safest, most wholesome food in the world.

John Schlageck, a Hoxie native, is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas.

The application deadline came and went almost three weeks ago. I called last week and was told successful applicants would be notified soon by mail, so I waited. Monday, nothing, yesterday, nothing and again today nothing and I had used up what little patience I had, so I called again. The gal on the other end of the line said “I can look up your name and see,” and lo-and-behold, another item on my bucket list is in my sights; WAHOO, I drew a Kansas Antelope tag for this year!

Kansas Antelope tags are awarded through a lottery process, and there are MANY more applicants each year than there are tags. If you apply and are unsuccessful you are awarded one preference point, and each unsuccessful application gets you another preference point. This means that when they apply again the following year, your preference point puts you one small step above every new applicant with no preference points, and will be awarded a tag before someone who has no preference points. Preference points can be purchased as such, and that was what I was advised to do for the first few years rather than apply in the lottery. In summary, each year for the past four years I have purchased a preference point toward an antelope tag, and this year, with four preference points to my account, I finally applied for the tag and was successful. That was the easy part, now comes updating my hunting equipment, and hardest of all, finding a place in western Kansas to hunt.

My deer rifle has always been an older model .270 caliber with a 4-power scope that has harvested many Kansas deer, but considering that many shots at antelope are upwards of 200 yards, I want to upgrade to something a bit more dependable at that distance. I also want to buy a range finder, something I’ve looked at for years but just haven’t felt the need to have. When purchasing any expensive piece of gear for the first time, I recommend going to area outdoor stores where you can physically see and touch the rifle, etc. then go home and get on the internet and look at reviews of the gear, as there are more websites offering reviews of outdoor equipment today than Bruce Jenner has identities. I went to a couple local reputable outdoor stores, and both let me take range finders out into their parking lot and try them out.

The area open to antelope hunting in Kansas is bordered by Interstate 70 on the north and runs south to the Oklahoma border. It stretches eastward to just past WaKeeney and westward to the Colorado border. It encompasses three big game hunting units, numbers 2, 17 and 18. Tags are designated for a specific unit, and my tag is for unit 2, the northern most unit containing the towns of Sharon Springs, Oakley, Trego Center, Scott City and Tribune.

I feel fortunate to have a possible connection that may help me find landowners who will let me hunt; my niece graduated from Colby Community College last spring, and through her and her friends from there, I was given a list of landowner names and phone numbers from that area. I’ll begin calling this weekend and see how that pans out. Other ways to find land on which to hunt that far away are to call out there and talk to the conservation officers from the unit you’ll be hunting or to the extension agents in the counties of that unit. Either of those folks should know landowners that might allow you to hunt. I have also heard of guys going out there a few days ahead of season, and buying plat map books of a couple counties to get land owner names and contact information, or just simply driving the countryside and knocking on doors.

Anyway, I have a 2016 Kansas Antelope tag. Opening day of Kansas Antelope season is October 7, and it runs for only 4 days, through October 10. I’ll work at getting land to hunt and probably take a trip out there in August or September to meet landowners and get the lay of the land. I’ll update my rifle and get it sighted-in for 200 yards, and buy a range finder. Anyway you look at it, win, lose or draw, it will be another adventure in Exploring Kansas Outdoors!

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

The county fair is approaching! The fair may conjure images of grandstand shows and carnival rides, livestock barns and sinfully delicious fair foods. There will be lots to see and do at the Ellis County Fair, July 16-23 in Hays.

But to really make the most of the Ellis County Fair, you need to PARTICIPATE, not just ATTEND. Exhibiting an entry gives you personal involvement in the fair. You’re no longer a bystander, but a participant– a competitor!

When you enter items at the fair, you receive helpful comments and suggestions from qualified judges. You stimulate light-hearted competition with your friends and neighbors. You help to fill the building so fair-goers have plenty to see. And no matter your age, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of winning a ribbon on your fair exhibit.

It’s easy to participate in the Ellis County Fair by entering an exhibit. And thanks to a brand-new online entry system, the process is now even easier. But to participate this year, online entries are required IN ADVANCE, no later than July 5th. So now is the time to plan your fair exhibits and get them entered online to make the most of the Ellis County Fair experience.

The process begins at the Ellis County Fair website, www.elliscountyfair.com. Under the “4-H and Open Class” link, you’ll find the fair book listing of exhibit divisions and classes. Spend some time browsing the entry categories. You might be surprised at the variety of items which can be entered at the fair. We hope you’ll be inspired too, to choose several items to bring to the fair. Jot down the division and class numbers that you want to enter.

The next step is to select the link called “Online Fair Entry System” in the left box which takes you to the new online advance entry system. 4-H members may sign in using their 4-HOnline log-in and password. Non-4-Her’s– both non-4-H youth and adults– will need to create an account in order to use the system. You will be asked to enter your email address and create a password to begin your account. REMEMBER THESE for future reference.

One handy feature is that you can create one account for your whole family or household. Then each person can be added as an exhibitor to the family account, rather than creating a separate account for each family member. That means only one sign-in email and password to remember!
The online entry system is fairly self-explanatory– just choose the division you want to enter, find the specific class in that division that fits your entry, and include a brief description of your item to help fair staff identify and locate your exhibit as needed.

The final step in the process might create some confusion and that is the section called “Payment.” This step is built into the online system, but since there is no charge to enter anything at the Ellis County Fair, just click through the payment section until you reach the screen which asks you to “submit” your entry registration. Don’t panic about the potential for payment (the balance will remain $0.00 and you are never asked to give any financial information), ignore the section about questions and keep going; your entry is not complete until you hit “submit.”

You will receive two email messages from “FairEntry” to the email address on your account. The first arrives immediately and says “thanks for registering” and later you will receive a message that your entry has been approved or that there is an issue with your entry. (The problem might be something as simple as an adult trying to enter a class for youth only, or a 4-Her trying to enter a project in which they are not enrolled. Follow the instructions to edit your entry.)

The fair manager will approve your entries and print the entry tags which will be waiting for you at the fair– no need to fill any out this year. If you missed entering something the first time, you can add more after the fair manager approves the first group of entries.

On entry day at the fair– Monday, July 18 for most exhibits– you will bring your projects to the fair and enter through the Deutschfest Hall center doors. You will be handed your printed entry tags to attach to your exhibits and officially checked-in. You will then drop off your entries at the appropriate area in the building and that’s it! Entering exhibits in advance speeds up the check-in process at the fairgrounds.

Susan Schlichting, Ellis County 4-H Agent, prepared a video of the new online advance entry system. Please watch it for step-by-step guidance and to help answer any questions you might have. It is posted on our website at www.ellis.ksu.edu. It has also been shared on Facebook at “K-State Research and Extension-Ellis County” and also at “Ellis County Fair.” You can also find the video on Hays Post– select Eagle TV at the top of the page and click on “Extras From Extension” in the drop-down box. The direct link to the information is: https://tinyurl.com/jtu3zsk.

If you are not a computer user, or need help with the online entry system, please contact us at the Ellis County Extension Office, 601 Main Street in Hays, 785-628-9430. We’ll be happy to assist you to ensure that your items are successfully pre-entered for the Ellis County Fair.

Remember, the deadline is July 5 to get your projects entered for the Ellis County Fair, so start today!

Linda K. Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.

Lawmakers, mostly Republicans, have danced around the two biggest issues that might have seen many of them buying their own lunch and drinks—in their hometowns—next legislative session.

The conservative Republicans reluctantly joined moderate Republicans and Democrats to pass a school funding bill that the Kansas Supreme Court says meets half of the constitutional infirmities alleged in the state’s $4 billion a year support of public education.

And the high court said, essentially, we won’t close down schools this time…but the school finance issue is just half done.

Oh, and by borrowing some $900 million from the state’s idle funds in what they call a certificate of indebtedness, there were no layoffs or furloughs of state workers and most of the bills got paid on time as the fiscal year ended Thursday.

Now, that’s just borrowing from other funds and putting the money into the State General Fund from which most of the state’s bills are paid, but it prevented anything really ugly from happening just a month before the August primary elections.

Does it get any better than that? Well, sure it does, but that’s what campaigns are about, finding the way to convince people to vote for you by telling them the best side of what’s happening, not taking them into the major issues that aren’t going to become apparent until after the election cycle.

The state is surviving on a payday loan and is awaiting what could be hundreds of millions of dollars of additional spending necessary for K-12 education next year, but for the vast majority of Kansans and the vast majority of Kansas voters, nothing really bad has happened.

Next session, after elections send a bunch of newbies and some fairly well broken-in legislators back to Topeka, things get pretty ugly. For purposes of the campaign season that will include a lot of primary election battles among Republicans, nothing really bad has happened that affects most of those voters.

So, how do Democrats and moderate Republicans campaign against the tax-cutters who cut state taxes too much four years ago, or after it became apparent that revenues were dropping, didn’t put the brakes on spending or restore some taxes? And, when in 2015 lawmakers finally raised taxes, they left the businesses untouched while raising sales taxes and cigarette taxes and eliminated a bunch more of those Kansas income tax deductions that most of us have to pay a tax adviser to ferret out for us.

So, how does all this play out in the primary election cycle?

In the House, it’s 17 primaries, 15 among Republicans, two among Democrats and the winner is your new Representative. And those 17 House primaries, coupled with the 35 uncontested races there, put nametags on 52 of the chamber’s 125 seats on Aug. 2.

In the Senate, there are three uncontested races, and nothing gets settled in the primary election except for those three Democrat-held seats. There are 15 Senate districts with primaries—13 Republican and 2 Democrat—whose winners go on to the general election in November.

Primaries are going to be an important first step, but just a first step. Meanwhile, schools will remain open and the state has borrowed enough money internally to keep the government in operation this summer but everything changes this winter when both issues will flare again.

Those folks on the doorstep? Better ask them whose taxes they intend to raise. Either that, or see whether the candidate can tell you what state government does that it might have to stop doing…and why…

Looks like an interesting month ahead, doesn’t it?

Because everything that appears like it’s OK at the moment is about to change when the weather gets cold in January in Topeka…

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

By U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Brad Smith

In the wake of the Soviet Union’s 1957 Sputnik launch, President Eisenhower confronted the reality that America’s educational standards were holding back the country’s opportunity to compete on a global technological scale. He responded and called for support of math and science, which resulted in the National Defense Education Act of 1958 and helped send the country to the moon by the end of the next decade. It also created the educational foundation for a new generation of technology, leadership and prosperity.

Today we face a similar challenge as the United States competes with nations across the globe in the indispensable field of computer science. To be up to the task, we must do a better job preparing our students for tomorrow’s jobs.

Kansas is primed to play an important role. From agriculture to general aviation to biomedical research, the state is home to fields that depend on computer science and computational thinking. These fields and others offer computing jobs in Kansas that pay on average $72,128 – roughly 70 percent higher than the average Kansas salary of $42,020. Unfortunately, there are more than 3,000 unfilled computing jobs in the state.

Nationally, it’s the same picture: There are more than 500,000 unfilled computing jobs – with a projected million computing openings by 2024.

We’re at an important intersection of technology and agriculture. Enormous investments are being made in “farm tech” startups – more than $2.06 billion in the first half of 2015 alone – that will shape the future of farming. As the agricultural sector depends more on data from computers, our need for workers with a basic understanding of computer science grows.

Meanwhile, nations as large as China and as small as Estonia are taking steps to ensure that computer science education is available to all of their students. That puts our future workforce at a disadvantage in the increasingly globalized economy.

But this is about more than jobs. Like the moon shot of more than a half-century ago, it’s about national security as well, by preparing students for the increasingly computerized military and for jobs that can respond to and prevent debilitating cyberattacks.

Recently, the governors of 27 states along with school superintendents, education organizations and CEOs – of companies including John Deere, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Verizon, Walt Disney and Alphabet – wrote an open letter to Congress urging a commitment to give every student the opportunity to learn computer science. Some of the signers from the private sector committed $48 million in new funding to the cause of helping teachers and students prepare.

The best education policies are developed at the state and local levels. But this problem can’t be solved unless the federal government plays a limited but important role.

Sixty years ago, leaders from opposing parties recognized the importance of responding to the challenge of Sputnik. We should expect no less of our leaders today.

Jerry Moran is a U.S. senator from Kansas. Brad Smith is the president and chief legal officer of Microsoft.

A last-minute special legislative session? Kansas schools brought back from the edge after being on the brink of closing? How can such things possibly be happening?

This is Kansas, after all: practical, straight-talking, fiscally conservative, always-be-prepared Kansas. Surely lawmakers must comprehend that Kansans want stability, and want to be reasonably positioned to face future challenges.

If the governor and legislators do understand, they have not shown it with their financial management of the state. The Brownback fiscal experiment has left Kansas in a highly precarious financial position. A crisis over school funding and a special legislative session are just the latest examples of the chaotic environment born of unaffordable tax cuts.

The state’s long-running school finance formula logically called for more money to go to classrooms as costs and enrollments increased. However, with finances in a downward spiral, lawmakers opted to sack the school finance formula and cut funding. Then they froze that lowered aid level in place through a block grant.Of course, without a formula, funding inequities between school districts quickly developed. Don’t blame the Kansas Supreme Court for this.

The Court did not create the situation, but rather pointed out that distributing funds inequitably does not meet constitutional muster, and ruled that lawmakers must fix it.If Kansas had retained a properly funded school finance formula, no families would have worried about whether schools would open in August. A special session should never have been necessary.

In the crisis atmosphere of a special session, lawmakers managed to add enough money to keep schools open—certainly a positive thing—but by counting on one-time dollars from the hoped-for sale of the Kansas Bioscience Authority. Their solution may last through the November elections, but not much longer.

For three years running, Kansas has not received enough revenue to pay bills, leaving the general fund bank account utterly empty. Kansas has a rainy day fund on paper, but without money in it. The highway fund has borrowed to its limits, with road maintenance cut to a fraction of normal, bridge maintenance cut in half, and many construction projects cancelled.

Each month, as revenue falls short of expectations, something more must be cut. In March the cuts fell on universities, then on road projects, then on hospitals and doctors who provide Medicaid services, then on the universities again. Finally, to finish the fiscal year at the end of June, the governor simply decided that millions of dollars in bills would go unpaid, pushing them off for payment in a future fiscal year.

In January, the next Legislature will face the daunting task of building a new budget in which even a constrained set of expenses outpaces revenue by hundreds of millions. Plus, those future legislators will be saddled with the bills that current legislators and the governor left unpaid this year.What happens when the next recession comes? What happens as roads and bridges continue to deteriorate? What happens as rural hospitals close? What happens as school funding proves to be inadequate? Kansas is ill-prepared to deal with any of it.

Scraping by for a time, tapping savings, and using up one-time resources might be justified if those tactics were a bridge to a more permanent solution. But there is no correction in place, no fix ready to kick in. The current financial trajectory leaves Kansas destined to stumble from crisis to crisis, dealing constantly with financial uncertainty.Special sessions. Fights with the Court. Schools on the brink. Unwelcome national publicity. Bills paid late. Waiting lists for services. Deteriorating bridges. Get used to it, Kansans, because this will be our new normal unless we chart a different financial course.

Duane Goossen formerly served 12 years as Kansas Budget Director.

A couple of weeks ago, a Dave Haag, in probably the shortest letter ever to an editor, said I, Les Knoll, would vote for Hitler before I would vote for the Pope.

That’s pretty strong language, but I’m OK with his comment in that it gives me a perfect opportunity to respond.  Let’s call it a teachable moment for me in providing some facts.

The difference between the Haag and me is that, if I make a claim, I will back it up with a reason for my conclusion.  What’s his name just threw it out there. How do you debate a liberal that can do nothing but engage (and that’s all it was) in name calling with no facts whatsoever to justify his accusation? Call it emotion versus reality.

The Democrat Party changed years ago, therefore, thousands, like me, changed party affiliation in western Kansas. For every one registered Democrat these days in Ellis County, there are two Republicans; probably three to one in surrounding counties.

President John F. Kennedy would not recognize his party as it exists currently.  He is turning over in his grave and maybe in tears.

I changed parties primarily due to my belief in the sanctity of life. Whether it’s Hillary or the Bern, protecting the unborn is not a part of their campaign to be our next president. Nor did Hitler subscribe to the “sanctity of life.”  Hitler killed. Abortion kills.

How could the Pope possibly run as a Democrat since the right to abort is so very important to the party’s voters? The Haag’s claim about how I would vote is complete and utter nonsense.

Many evangelicals are supporting Trump because he said he would protect Christians who are losing under our present government. He also said a pro life judge would be appointed to the Supreme Court. Does that sound like Hitler if that is what Haag was implying about Trump?

Hitler knew that Christianity was an obstacle among his people in order for him to transform Germany. Aren’t Christians experiencing the same thing in these United States?

What about Obamacare under our Democrat president forcing religious organizations to provide for abortions? Why did the Democrat Party take the word “God” out of their party platform? Why is the Democrat Party known as the “secularist” party? And, why is Obama transforming America with thousands of Muslim refugees and very few Christian refugees?

Hitler was out to transform Germany. Back in 2008, Obama campaigned on transforming America. All the changes to this country by Obama are failures and facts prove it.

The Haag has this whole thing upside down with “the pot calling the kettle black.”

Hillary Clinton has the Dem presidential nomination wrapped up in as much as her party rigged the whole process. It was a corrupt process. She is under criminal investigation. Polls show her not to be trustworthy. Without a doubt, she is the most scandalous and corrupt politician ever to seek the presidency.

But guess how far too many will vote including my critic – no matter whatsoever whose name is on the ballot as a Democrat.

Les Knoll lives in Victoria and Gilbert, Ariz.

After a two-day special legislative session which adjourned in the dusk of Friday, we need to see just who won what, or at least who claims credit for what leading into the election season.

Did the Kansas Supreme Court win by using its power—essentially the threat to close schools—to force lawmakers to provide equal support for all school districts that have property tax-supported Local Option Budgets? Yes.

So, the court forced legislators to provide equal state support for school districts with those local option budgets by threatening to close schools. It cost about $38 million to provide that equal support and the majority of that money won’t be spent to hire teachers or buy textbooks or even purchase playground equipment, but will instead allow school districts to cut their property taxes for patrons or at least not increase them.

That’s not exactly like rescuing children from a burning barn, is it?

The concept, the state treating all districts equally, sounds good and makes sense, doesn’t it? It loses a little of that glow when most of the additional money spent will allow districts to lower property taxes, but well, this is government. Probably, we could stop a dab short of asserting that the court forced the Legislature to “save the children.”

But that school-closing threat clearly forced the Legislature’s hand, and those spooky black-robed justices loomed large during the session, extorting that $38 million that provides equal treatment of school districts from legislators and their constituents that probably the Legislature should have provided without the threat.

You probably want to stop a little short of saying that the court forced the Legislature to do the right thing and had to use the extraordinary school-closing threat to accomplish that goal. Not sure how far short of that point you want to stop, because it’s doubtful that without that threat, there wouldn’t have been a special session and equalizing what amounts to less than one percent of the total state aid to schools wouldn’t have been done.

Let’s wait a minute to see who takes credit for what.

Lawmakers prevented that school closing, or threat of school closing. How much credit do they get? Did they prevent the courts from closing schools, or did lawmakers—116-6 in the House and 38-1 in the Senate—just follow the constitution? We’ll see how they portray the effort, and we already have an idea how it may play out. If you put one less ice cube in your highball, can you claim that somehow you’ve saved a polar bear?

And the court can take credit — and maintain its assertion that it is ensuring even-handed constitutional treatment of public education — for forcing that change in school finance law that probably shouldn’t have ever been necessary if legislators had read the constitution. But, that’s a little like asserting that by not buying that Donald Trump tie, you’ve saved a panda somewhere in China next to the tie factory.

There’s little chance that descriptions of the special session, the wheedling about where the money comes from in the state budget for that $38 million fix to equalize support for those LOB districts, will come down to just abiding by the constitution which requires the state to make sure that with relatively equal local property tax effort, all children get access to relatively uniform educational opportunities.

And, don’t forget that the governor will claim credit for the fix, too. Because nobody isn’t for equal educational opportunity, and he was the one who thought up the idea of bringing the Legislature back to town Thursday for the special session, understanding that most legislators didn’t want to spend the weekend off the campaign trail—and unable to accept campaign contributions—for more than two days.

The winner? It’s probably up to voters to decide…

Syndicated by Hawver News Co. of Topeka, Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report. To learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit www.hawvernews.com.

Since I was hired as the director of the Downtown Hays Development Corp., I have worked to create communication between the organization and business owners, as well as between the merchants themselves.

Those two communication streams are vitally important to the success of Downtown, but there’s a third stream that is equally important. Downtown and DHDC needs to be communicating with the community. That’s why I created Business on the Brick Receptions. I strongly believe that communication creates commerce.

Business on the Brick Receptions are designed to showcase the amazing businesses we have in Downtown Hays. DHDC desires to assist every Downtown Hays business through networking, promotions and marketing. By offering these receptions to all Downtown businesses, we hope to provide the merchants, new and seasoned, a chance to build relationships, accelerate sales and overall strengthen Downtown.

At each reception DHDC provides each business with an engraved brick showcasing the business name, Downtown Hays, and the date when they opened their doors to the public. The public is invited as well as city officials and downtown merchants to celebrate and enjoy refreshments.

It is my desire for the community to see these events as an opportunity to support small businesses in our community. By attending and meeting the people behind the store front you get a sense of the impact each dollar spent means to them. By hearing about their products you are able to educate others about the great resources available to them. In a way you are working to grow small businesses, create jobs, and drive innovation just by attending these downtown celebrations.

The next reception will be Thursday, July 7, at 4pm at a new Downtown business, Blue Heron Boutique. The store is located and 1013 Main Street. I encourage you, the community of Hays, to come out to welcome two young entrepreneurs to our great city. Let’s all work and communicate together to make Hays and even greater place to dine, shop, stay and play.

For more information on Business on the Brick receptions and other Downtown Hays events, contact Sara Bloom, DHDC Executive Director, at (785) 621-4171 or [email protected]