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Kline, controversy live another day

By Staff Report - | Dec 12, 2006

Here are today’s headlines from Kansas government:

Phill Kline, political survivor

(AP) Kline selected by GOP to be Johnson County DA: Republican activists picked Attorney General Phill Kline as Johnson County’s new district attorney Monday night to replace the Democrat who ousted him from statewide office last month. The tally among Republican precinct committee members who gathered at a Lenexa church was 316 for Kline to 291 for Steve Howe, who is an assistant district attorney in the state’s most populous county.

From the notebook of Scott Rothschild, LJW Statehouse reporter: Some responses to the Kline appointment:
* “And now the chess game begins. It will be interesting to see how the abortion investigation plays out. But one thing is for sure. (Wichita abortion provider Dr. George) Tiller and his cronies celebrated a little too early on election night. This matter is far from over.” Troy Newman , president of Operation Rescue.
* “The people of Johnson County deserve better than Phill Kline for their top prosecutor, and the Republican Party’s choice of Kline is a slap in the face of law enforcement, victims and consumers across the county. I welcome all commonsense Kansans who are fed up with politics as usual to join us in our fight to put the people of Kansas first.” Kansas Democratic Party Chairman Larry Gates.
* “Just last month, Kline was defeated in Johnson County by a margin of 65-35 percent in his race for attorney general. The voters sent a clear message to Phill Kline – ‘You’re fired!’ The single-issue members of the Johnson County Republican Party Central Committee stuck a finger in the eye of Johnson County voters by electing Kline to office over other highly qualified individuals.” Andy Wollen, chairman of the Kansas Traditional Republican Majority

Kansas Legislature

(LJW) Senate Majority Leader Schmidt proposes tuition tax credits: Now that the state’s role in financing public schools has been settled – at least for a couple of years – state Sen. Derek Schmidt figures it’s time to start working on helping students afford taking the next step up the educational ladder. The Republican from Independence, who serves as Senate majority leader, told a Monday luncheon crowd of about 100 Rotarians that the state should provide tax credits for all Kansas residents seeking an undergraduate degree at one of the four-year Kansas Board of Regents universities.

(Topeka Capital-Journal) Maintenance backlog discussed: Falling stones from buildings. Collapsing utility tunnels. Rotting sewer lines. Unsafe high-voltage switches. Leaking steam lines. It is all evidence of the estimated $727 million building maintenance backlog at Kansas State University, The University of Kansas and state universities in Pittsburg, Emporia, Wichita and Hays.

(LJW) Legislators give blessing to KU on medical partnerships: State officials Monday said they were OK with attempts by Kansas University to reach into Missouri for life science partnerships, but only if it also helps Kansas.

(Topeka Capital-Journal) Laws produce unintended consequences: Legislators from Shawnee County received a lesson in unintended consequences from Shawnee County District Attorney Robert Hecht on Monday. Hecht told of several relatively new laws, passed with the intention of solving some problem, that created other problems – often worse than the original problem.