Kansas court orders lawmakers to find $400 million more for schools

By   /  January 11, 2013  /  Education, Featured, Finances, Judiciary, Kansas, Kansas Supreme Court, News, State Government, Top State News  /  No Comments

LETTER OF THE LAW: Three Shawnee County District Court judges have ruled the state's current school funding formula unconstitutional, and have ordered legislators to inject an additional $400 million into Kansas schools. The ruling is expected to be appealed to the Kansas State Supreme Court.

A panel of three Shawnee County District Court judges ruled the state’s current school funding formula unconstitutional Friday, prompting praise and criticism from education officials and legislators. The panel, led by Judge Franklin Theis, ruled that state lawmakers cannot reduce the school funding rate below $4,492 per pupil. The current funding rate is $3,838 per pupil.

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“Rotten Politics” blogger appeals to Kansas Supreme Court

By   /  November 9, 2011  /  Accountability, Column A, County Government, Judiciary, Kansas, Kansas Supreme Court, Kansas Watchdog, Transparency  /  1 Comment

Legal battle for KCK grand jury to investigate government corruption
Kansas City, Kan. — Blogger T.J. Reardon filed a “petition for review” with  the Kansas Supreme Court on Monday in a legal battle from 2009.
The ongoing dispute is over whether Reardon’s 2009 petition for a grand jury had sufficient signatures to empanel a grand jury to [...]

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Attorney ethics panel recommends suspension of Phill Kline’s law license

By   /  October 13, 2011  /  Column A, Ethics, Kansas, Kansas Government, Kansas Supreme Court, Kansas Watchdog, Politics & Elections  /  5 Comments

A final report from a three-member attorney ethics panel was released  Thursday afternoon about the Phill Kline attorney ethics matter:
“Based upon findings of fact, conclusions of law, and the Standards …, the Hearing Panel unanimously recommends that [Phill Kline] be suspended from the practice of law for an indefinite period of time.”

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Kline alleges ‘politics’ influenced ethics charges in closing hearing statement

By   /  July 23, 2011  /  Column A, Ethics, Kansas, Kansas Supreme Court, Kansas Watchdog  /  1 Comment

TOPEKA ─ Closing arguments in day 12 of an attorney ethics hearing resulted in sharp and contrasting words between Kansas Disciplinary Administrator Stan Hazlett and former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline.

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Kline’s defense rests in attorney ethics case

By   /  July 21, 2011  /  Column A, Ethics, Kansas, Kansas Supreme Court, Kansas Watchdog  /  1 Comment

TOPEKA ─ Former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline spent over four hours testifying on Thursday in defense of attorney ethics charges he was facing for allegedly misleading a grand jury in Johnson County over three years ago.

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