This same-sex marriage business has gotten very complicated and very political very quickly, hasn’t it?

When you sit down and think it through, it’s probably this superior sovereignty business that makes it complicated.

Basically, federal law trumps state law. The U.S. Constitution is the guiding light—no matter what states might want to put into their own cute little constitutions.

That sounds a little demeaning, doesn’t it? No matter what Kansans put into our constitution by a roughly 70 percent to 30 percent vote nine years ago, it’s the federal law, as determined by the U.S. Supreme Court, that is the law of the land, including Kansas. Or…what the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals whose purview includes Kansas rules if the issue doesn’t rise to the level where the U.S. Supreme Court decides it has to step in to put things right in its view of the nuances of the U.S. Constitution.

That’s what is going to be tested in the next few weeks, maybe before or maybe after the Nov. 4 election: The Kansas constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman and denies any other relationship “rights or incidents of marriage” fits within the U.S. Constitution.

This superior sovereignty…well, depending on the issue before the U.S. Supreme Court or federal district court, is either good or bad to hear the politicians discuss it.

This superior sovereignty probably works out well when it comes to meat inspection. Not many folks mind that federal officials are inspecting those chicken wings which are in interstate commerce and land on plates in Kansas to make sure they are safe to eat for everyone, not just those wings served to soldiers on military bases.

But the contract of marriage, well, that and in Kansas some of that “right to bear arms” 2nd Amendment stuff, is where there is political hay to be made, or lost, in the upcoming election.

Legislators are still looking back at that 70 percent vote for the Kansas constitutional amendment that defined marriage, and puzzling out whether it makes a good bullet point on campaign hand-outs in this election year.

Times have changed. Chances are decent that Kansans still would approve that marriage amendment if it was on the ballot this year. The percentage probably would have been higher at the August primary election than at the upcoming general election next month.

But there was some political thought even way back in 2005, when a voice from your cell phone couldn’t direct you to the nearest Chinese restaurant, that the issue would be…touchy. So, the Legislature decided that the vote on the constitutional amendment would be on the city election ballot in April, not a distraction or an issue for them on the November general election ballot.

Seemed like a little legislative self-preservation at the time, or at least a strategy that wouldn’t let just a slip of the tongue in a debate change an election outcome.

But, it’s probably worth remembering that just a few state constitutional amendments back from the 15th, which is the gay marriage article, Kansas voters decided that all state officers have to take an oath or affirmation to support the constitution of the United States along with the Kansas constitution. So, maybe government leaders will remember the U.S. constitutional piece, leading to a little less acting-out by legislators whichever way the issue is decided this fall, or maybe not.

There are going to be state personnel, health insurance, pension coverage and other areas to be dealt with if the state’s constitutional prohibition of recognizing “rights and incidents of marriage” between same-sex couples is struck down.

Settle in for a complicated legislative session of same-sex marriage politicking next year.

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.

James W. Frick, former vice president for development at Notre Dame University, once said, “Don’t tell me what your priorities are. Show me you how you spend your money and I’ll tell you what they are.”

Your habits and attitudes about money can support or sabotage many aspects of your life, career, relationships and financial goals. By discovering your money personality, you can discover why you spend, save and share money the way you do. Understanding how your spouse approaches money can help you improve your marriage relationship as well.

A new program from the Ellis County Extension Office will help you explore your “money habitudes” — your habits and attitudes about money — at noon Friday, Oct. 17 at the Ellis County Extension Office meeting room, 601 Main, Hays. Enter the rear door from the north parking lot; bring a lunch to eat during the meeting if desired.

The class is free but limited to a maximum of 10 people. Register with the Extension by calling (785) 628-9430 — first come, first served.

Not only do decisions about assets and debt have financial consequences, they have consequences on couple relationships, too. Research studies indicate that partner spending behaviors influence relationship satisfaction. Spending without consulting one’s partner decreases marriage satisfaction and creates tensions about money that can contribute to disagreements and divorce.

In a long-term study that followed a group of married couples over six years, debt problems ranked high for overall marital discord. As debt increased, fights over money increased, husbands worked more hours, partners spent less time together and marital satisfaction decreased.

Accumulating assets can ease feelings of financial pressure and decrease conflict in relationships. Paying down consumer debt, such as credit card debt, may decrease conflict in marriage. Paying off or remaining free from consumer debt is linked to increased marital satisfaction.

In short, your money behaviors can directly impact your happiness with your spouse.

George Lorimer, past editor of the Saturday Evening Post, once put it this way, “It’s good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it’s good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven’t lost the things that money can’t buy.”

Plan to attend the Extension program “Discover Your Money Habitudes” on Oct. 17 to learn about your money personality and how you can use money behaviors to strengthen your marriage and family life. Call to register at (785) 628-9430.

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

As an old popular song asks: What do you get if you “work your fingers right down to the bone?” Boney fingers.

As housekeepers in the sprawling Marriott hotel chains know, that’s more than a cute lyric. It’s the truth.

These “room attendants,” as they’re called, are paid barely $8 an hour to perform a very hard, physical job, suffering the highest injury rate among hotel workers. Some two-thirds of them take pain medication just to get through their day of heaving 100-pound mattresses, stooping to clean floors, and twisting to readjust furniture in 15 to 20 rooms per shift.

Yet Marriott President and CEO Arne Sorenson publicly hails the very women he exploits as “the heart of the house,” saying his chain likes to express its appreciation to them with “special recognition events” during International Housekeepers Week.

Yes, exploited room attendants are not rewarded with a living wage, but with a congratulatory week — how great is that?

This year, housekeeper week came with “a new tipping initiative” — a scheme created by multimillionaire Maria Shriver — urging Marriott’s customers “to express their gratitude by leaving tips and notes of thanks for hotel room attendants.” Shriver says she hopes the voluntary tips “will make these women feel seen and validated.” Is that sweet or what?

Does she at least urge that this tip be the standard 15-20 percent we give at restaurants? No. Tipping between one and five bucks per night’s stay is recommended. Let’s see: At about $250 a day for a Marriott room, even $5 is a sad 2 percent expression of “gratitude.”

As for customers leaving a little thank-you note, imagine trying to buy a baloney sandwich with that.

How about this: Instead of paying Sorenson $9 million a year, make the Marriott CEO rely on customer tips — and see how validated he feels.

OtherWords.org columnist Jim Hightower is a radio commentator, writer and public speaker.

This week 17-year-old Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan became the youngest person ever to receive the Noble Peace Prize.

A leading advocate for girls’ education, Yousafzai first came to the world’s attention after the Taliban shot her in the head two years ago. Since recovering from her wounds, she has organized a worldwide campaign for the rights of young people.

Yousafzai shares the prize with India’s Kailash Satyarthi, a longtime leader in the struggle against the exploitation of children.

The Peace Prize announcement comes in the same week when other 17-year-olds in the Chinese city of Hong Kong and the Denver suburbs of Colorado have taken to the streets — standing up for their principles and ideals.

The two protest movements are, of course, quite different in scale and degree of risk. Students in Hong Kong face arrest and repression, while students in Colorado will get, at most, a slap on the wrist.

But both street demonstrations are a reminder that civil disobedience is an essential instrument in the toolbox of democracy. And both are a reminder that revolutions — big and small — are often sparked by the very young.

Only 17, Joshua Wong has become the face of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, a movement largely inspired and led by students in a city controlled by one of the world’s most repressive regimes.

Over the past two weeks, Wong has been arrested, labeled an extremist and derided as a buffoon by Hong Kong officials and Chinese media. But Wong isn’t backing down.

“The short-term burden on our daily life,” Wong told reporters this week, “is to achieve long term reform.”

Government leaders called off talks scheduled for this week. But with pro-democracy forces vowing to continue civil disobedience, pressure mounts for the government to sit down with the “buffoon” and other student leaders.

Whatever the immediate outcome of the demonstrations, pro-democracy students have already succeeded in galvanizing a new generation of political activists.

On a much smaller stage, high school students in Jefferson County, Colorado also marched and rallied in recent weeks to protest proposed changes to the history curriculum — changes the students believe would present a false picture of American democracy.

School board members favoring curriculum revisions argue that the current Advanced Placement American history course isn’t “patriotic” enough. Among other things, they seek to eliminate lessons that “encourage or condone civil disorder” in favor of a more positive view of America.

In an act of civil disobedience — perhaps inspired by the offending AP class — hundreds of students staged walkouts and organized demonstrations to oppose the proposed changes.

Speaking at a rally last week, 17-year-old student Sarena Phu reminded the crowd that most great social changes in American history — from women’s suffrage to civil rights — were accomplished through protest and civil disobedience. She and other student speakers warned against whitewashing America’s story to eliminate or downplay struggles against injustice and discrimination.

The Colorado students have also been heard. Last week, the school board backed away from language calling for more “patriotic” lessons, appointing a curriculum review committee that will include students and teachers. Students remain skeptical about the motives of the school board, vowing to keep working to prevent the district from sanitizing history.

Joshua Wong knows first-hand the power of education to control minds and hearts with government-imposed definitions of patriotism.

Wong actually got his start as an activist for democracy in 2012 by organizing protests against a curriculum on “moral and national education” mandated by Beijing in the schools of Hong Kong. A key aim of the curriculum is to instill commitment to China in the citizens of Hong Kong with lessons that extoll the Chinese Communist Party as “an advanced, selfless and united ruling group.”

At a time when many American schools are increasingly afraid of freedom — censoring student speech, shutting down school newspapers, ignoring religious liberty rights — teenagers like Malala Yousafzai, Joshua Wong and Sarena Phu are timely reminders of the power of student voice.

Far from being a menace that governments need to control, students who dare to speak up for their convictions are our best hope for changing what is wrong and unjust in this society and in societies around the world.

To other teenagers out there who see injustice but think they’re too young and powerless to make a difference, I offer the advice of civil rights icon John Lewis — who was a teenager himself when he started sitting in at lunch counters to end discrimination.

“Find a way to get in the way,” said Lewis in a recent talk at the Aspen Institute. “Find a way to get in trouble, good trouble, necessary trouble. Be prepared to speak up and speak out, be courageous. When you see something that’s not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation to get in the way and make some noise.”

Charles C. Haynes is director of the Religious Freedom Center of the Washington-based Newseum Institute. [email protected]

Dear Dave,
My husband and I recently inherited my parents’ home. It’s in a small, rural town with little industry, and we’ve been told that the place would be worth $85,000 if it’s cleaned up, compared to $75,000 as-is.

Should we spend about $10,000 to really clean it up, replace a few things and make it presentable to sell it faster?
Terri

Dear Terri,
It’s really up to you guys, because both options — whether you’re sitting on the house or rehabbing it — are going to take time and emotional energy. From a real estate person’s perspective, houses always sell better when they’re shined up and looking nice. When a prospective buyer walks in and sees and smells new carpet and fresh paint, they don’t have strain their imaginations looking past everything. When you force potential buyers to look past things, it usually ends up costing you money.

In most cases, if you spend $10,000 you gain more than what you put into the house. Honestly, I think one of the numbers you’ve given me is wrong — either the $85,000, the $75,000 or the $10,000 you think it will take to fix up the place. In other words, if you spend $10,000 on a project like this, you’ll usually gain $20,000 when you’re talking about stuff like a thorough cleaning, new carpet and flooring, fresh paint and basics like that. My guess is if the place is worth $85,000 fixed up it’ll probably bring about $65,000 as-is.

If it’s me, I’m going to clean the place and fix it up. I’ve done hundreds, if not thousands, of these kinds of deals, and I can’t stand to try and sell something that’s dumpy, grungy and out of shape.
—Dave

Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He has authored five New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover, EntreLeadership and Smart Money Smart Kids. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 8 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.

By JOHN P. TRETBAR
October 6th, 2014

Oil prices continued their free fall in early Monday trading. Mymex contracts lost another 74 cents per barrel at $89.00. London Brent was down 85 cents at $91.46/bbl. Friday’s closing price for Kansas Common at NCRA was $79.50 per barrel. The last time that price closed below $80 was on April 23rd of last year.

Saudi Aramco cut prices last week by about a dollar per barrel to Asia, and by 40 cents a barrel to the United States. That sends a strong signal that Saudi Arabia is more interested in maintaining market share than in defending prices.

Baker Hughes reported 1,922 active drilling rigs nationwide, which was down two from last Friday. Canada had 430, down one. The count in Kansas was 24, down one from last week. Independent Oil & Gas reported 125 active rigs in Kansas, 31 pending their next location assignment and 78 stacked or idle. There were 40 active rigs reported in eastern Kansas, up three, and 85 west of Wichita, down one.

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The Kansas Corporation Commission reported 622 new intent to drill notices during the month of September. That’s up from 588 in August and 574 in September of last year. There were ten intents filed in Barton County last month, 14 in Ellis County, 12 in Russell County and three in Stafford County.

Independent Oil & Gas Service reported 66 well completions last week, for a year-to-date total of 4,464 across Kansas. Last week there were 45 completions noted in eastern Kansas, and 21 west of Wichita.

There were 141 drilling permits issued for new locations in Kansas last week, bringing the total this year to 5,640. There were 89 new permits east of Wichita and 52 in western Kansas, including four in Ellis County and two in Russell County.

The president of Turkey insists that the fight against the Islamic State is his country’s top priority but there is growing evidence Turkey is helping Islamic State smuggle it’s oil. The Turkish Energy Minister says his country wouled never partake in any illegal transactions. There are no firm numbers for oil being smuggled from Syria, but in the first six months of this year, the Turks have seized more than 486,000 barrels of illicit crude.

AP and ABC are reporting on a big crackdown on oil smuggling along Turkey’s border with Syria. What used to be a lucrative sideline for the locals has become big business for Islamic State. authorities, smugglers and vendors say business was booming until about six months ago. when Turkish authorities ramped up a multi-layered crackdown to disrupt the illicit trade. According to the AP report, the Turks have beefed up border controls and arrested dozens of smugglers. They’re also reportedly going after consumers with an extensive stop-and-search operation on Turkish highways were fueld tanks are tested for smuggled oil.

The AP reports on a company called Energy Intelligence, whose president wants to expand the use of drone aircraft to monitor oil pipelines in North Dakota. Currently, pipelines are checked for problems by occasional manned aircraft flyovers, on-the-ground observations by foot or vehicle, and production loss reports…some use fiber-optic early warning systems. But experts say those methods still “pretty archaic,” and often leave underground spills undiscovered for days. The firm hopes to begin test flights this fall.

The state task force looking at Kansas earthquakes has submitted its action plan to Governor Brownback. The Seismic Action Plan consists of two major components – a plan for enhanced seismic monitoring and a response plan. The group recommends installation of a strategically-located permanent monitoring network, and a portable seismic array to provide a closer look at localized earthquakes. The report from Te Kansas Geological Survey, Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Corporation Commission provides background from national studies linking seismic activity to fluid injection, but the task force says it has no conclusive evidence linking fluid injection to specific seismic events in Kansas. Thus far in 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Information Center has recorded 58 earthquakes, ranging from magnitude 1.3 to 3.8, nearly all in Sumner, Harper, and Barber counties.

BP is challenging a federal judge’s finding of gross negligence in the Gulf Oil Spill, saying he based the ruling on expert testimony he said he wouldn’t consider. The ruling exposes the oil company to as much as $18 billion in fines. In court documents filed Thursday, the oil company asked the judge to change his finding or grant a new trial.