Kansas
Getting logrolled? Legislator survey exposes weakness in Kansas constitutional limit on bundling – Kansas Reflector
The Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion items from writers who share our aim of widening the dialog about how public insurance policies have an effect on the day-to-day lives of individuals all through our state. Max Kautsch is an lawyer whose apply focuses on First Modification rights and open authorities legislation.
Of the 40 senators and 125 representatives serving within the Kansas Legislature, 17 responded inside 4 weeks to the Kansas Coalition for Open Authorities’s legislative reform survey, introduced in a June 8 Kansas Reflector article.
Though any survey with simply over a ten% response charge definitely doesn’t replicate the views of the whole physique, 15 of the 17 respondents, each Republicans and Democrats, agreed with a number of of eight proposed reforms of the legislative course of.
Every of the proposed reforms deserves additional evaluation, however just one, which involved the legislators’ apply of bundling payments, immediately pertains to a constitutional provision designed to assist Kansans observe how payments develop into legal guidelines. That provision is called the “one-subject rule,” which the Kansas Supreme Court docket has outlined as a “constitutional limitation on the Legislature … to forestall a legislative apply often known as logrolling through which unrelated issues which may not have sufficient help on their very own are mixed right into a single invoice to entice the required votes to safe passage of the entire.”
The inclusion of the “one-subject rule” within the Kansas Structure purports to ensure a minimum of a modicum of legislative transparency. If each invoice has just one topic, it must be straightforward for the general public to trace. Nevertheless, the Legislature bundled quite a few payments this session, together with a tax invoice, Home Invoice 2239, cobbled collectively from 29 totally different items of laws.
Legislators’ responses to KCOG’s survey made clear that bundling is an issue.
“All too usually payments that haven’t any affiliation with one another are bundled to reinforce the chance of passage of lesser chance payments,” wrote Rep. Mike Amyx, D-Lawrence.
“There must be a restrict on bundled payments,” wrote Rep. Kent Thompson, R-Iola.
Rep. Linda Featherston, D-Overland Park, reported that she voted in opposition to a minimum of one invoice aside from HB 2239 this previous session “as a result of it bundled too many payments collectively.”
The inclusion of the “one-subject rule” within the Kansas Structure purports to ensure a minimum of a modicum of legislative transparency. If each invoice has just one topic, it must be straightforward for the general public to trace. Nevertheless, the Legislature bundled quite a few payments this session, together with a tax invoice, Home Invoice 2239, cobbled collectively from 29 totally different items of laws.
How did bundling develop into so prevalent in Kansas, notably when it’s one in every of a majority of states with a one-subject rule? Our state’s model of the rule seems in Article 2, Part 16 of our structure: “No invoice shall comprise a couple of topic, besides appropriation payments and payments for revision or codification of statutes.” The opposite parts of the “one-subject rule,” which additionally seem in Article 2, Part 16, are that “the topic of every invoice shall be expressed in its title” and “the provisions of this part shall be liberally construed to effectuate the acts of the Legislature.”
HB 2239’s title is 438 phrases lengthy (greater than half the size of this whole article) and incorporates no fewer than 25 separate clauses separated by commas. The subjects included in these clauses vary in scope from issues squarely associated to taxes, equivalent to “offering for a further private earnings tax exemption for 100% disabled veterans” to purely procedural issues like “establishing a deadline for budgets to be filed with the director of accounts and experiences.”
Are these disparate subjects all throughout the similar “topic,” as required by the structure? Or is a number of of the subjects throughout the invoice an instance of “unrelated issues which may not have sufficient help on their very own” to cross?
In different phrases, are we getting logrolled?
A 2017 Kansas Supreme Court docket resolution, rendered within the aftermath of a years-long battle between the courtroom and the Legislature over public college funding, liberally construes the “one-subject rule” to keep away from logrolling. In that case, the courtroom outlined “topic” as “the matter to which it pertains” and rejected the plaintiff’s declare {that a} portion of a invoice associated to trainer employment violated the “one-subject rule.” Within the courtroom’s view, “all of its provisions relate to the identical topic — training.”
Maybe it’s not an excessive amount of of a stretch to imagine that paying academics includes the identical topic as funding public faculties. However does the connection between taxation and establishing price range deadlines, for instance, meet that very same customary?
Even when the Legislature feels HB 2239 complies with the “one-subject rule” because it has been interpreted by our state’s highest courtroom, bundling payments, as identified by an editorial revealed by the Holton Recorder in 2015, is definitely counter to the spirit of the state structure.
The Legislature ought to decide to recognizing and understanding Kansans could be higher off with out stretching the idea of the “one-subject rule” to its breaking level.
Via its opinion part, the Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who find themselves affected by public insurance policies or excluded from public debate. Discover info, together with how one can submit your individual commentary, right here.
Kansas
Family of man killed by Kansas City, Kansas police officer sues chief, Unified Government
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) – The family of a man shot and killed by a Kansas City, Kan. police officer filed a lawsuit against the officer, the police chief and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County.
According to the lawsuit, an officer shot 50-year-old John Anderton in the back five times as he ran away from an emergency scene in February 2023. Anderton died from his injuries.
The Wyandotte County District Attorney investigated the shooting and determined the officer was justified in shooting Anderton.
According to the DA’s investigation, Anderton failed to follow the officer’s orders and reached for a gun when the officer fired at him.
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Anderton’s brother disagrees according to the lawsuit filed Jan. 14.
The lawsuit claims the police officer violated Anderson’s civil rights when he used excessive force and shot him.
The shooting happened as crews responded to a call about two people overdosing in a house near N. 55th Street and Haskell Ave.
The lawsuit said Anderton tried helping his friends by performing CPR. He left after paramedics arrive. The lawsuit said Anderton left the house because he was concerned that staying would exacerbate his chronic COPD.
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The officer stopped Anderton as he left the house.
The lawsuit states the officer “suddenly demanded” Anderton to put his hands on top of his head. That’s when Anderton tried to run away. The lawsuit claims the officer fired a dozen shots at Anderton. Five of the bullets hit him, including two in the back and one in the back of the head.
The lawsuit claims Police Chief Karl Oakman and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County are responsible because they should know how the officers are trained to use force.
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Spokespeople for both the police department and Wyandotte County declined to comment due to pending litigation.
The lawsuit asks for a jury trial and demands more than $75,000.
Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.
Kansas
Max Jones’ Effort For Kansas State Can Translate To Wins
Even with Kansas State’s loss to Texas Tech Tuesday night, there was still much the Wildcats could appreciate.
One was Max Jones’s level of play, as he finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. But amidst his solid performance, a ton of plays beyond the box score made the difference. He kept them afloat in the second half when Texas Tech looked like they were going to turn the game back into a blowout.
“I promise our fans that we’ll put dudes on the floor that are gonna give an effort that’s worthy of wearing a K-State uniform. And if they’re not gonna be gritty and tough like Max Jones and some of the other guys showed tonight, then they won’t be on that floor,” coach Jerome Tang said.
Jones has been one of Kansas State’s most consistent scorers, scoring close to his median every game. Despite the three-game losing streak, he’s put up double-digit performances while regularly getting to the free-throw line. Jones’ stability and aggressive play make it easier for Tang to know what he can provide nightly.
Nevertheless, Kansas State needs to start winning conference games. Jones says there’s “not a lot of pressure” to immediately win, but a fifth Big 12 loss will only fuel outside doubts.
“I’d just say we gotta keep getting better,” Jones said. “I feel like today we got a lot better, and a lot better in practice before this game. We gotta take one game at a time, and just take each game like it’s our last and just try to win.”
Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
Kansas
Kansas influencer SB Mowing raises over $750K for elderly homeowner who faced fine from city for overgrown lawn
A Kansas influencer raised over $793,000 to save a disabled elderly woman who faced a hefty fine from her town for failing to trim her overgrown yard.
Spencer, a content creator known for his landscaping business SB Mowing, said he met homeowner Beth last summer when a town official familiar with his social media videos contacted him and asked if he could help fix her lawn.
He was warned that Beth, who uses a cane to move around her property, needed to trim the yard or pay $240 for the town, which was not revealed in the video, to cut it for her.
‘I’ve spent a month trying to get someone to come mow,” Beth said in a video uploaded on Jan. 10. “They won’t answer their phones.”
Beth revealed that the town officials had implemented a date for when she was required to have the yard cut before she faced the financial loss.
Spencer described the lawn that surrounded Beth’s small white house as unkept and was “getting crazy.”
“I can get that taken care of for ya,” Spencer assured her, offering his landscaping service at no cost.
“I can’t believe it that’s great,” Beth replied.
Spencer transformed her lawn by clearing grass from the driveway cracks, trimming the bushes, removing trees and mowing very tall grass.
“I cried on and off just listening to your machine,” Beth told Spencer after the big reveal.
Spencer added that he was happy to help Beth as she became emotional over the gesture.
“Your work makes me twinkle so I really appreciate you. I can’t tell you how much. No one’s been happy to help me,” she added.
On top of the lawn issues, Spencer then noticed the home needed improvements to accommodate Beth, who was “in desperate need of help.”
Spencer launched a GoFundMe when he noticed how Beth’s old stairs posed an issue for her to walk on and that the driveway cracks could cause her to fall.
The small business owner raised over a half million dollars within a day to help her “gain accessibility and comfort” on other parts of her property.
Funds raised will help address accessibility issues she faces including building a new ramp outside so it’s easier for her to get to her front door, a smooth driveway and a chair lift that will allow her to get up and down stairs for her laundry.
The money will also pay a lawn care company to maintain her yard for the “next few years” because Spencer lives too far away.
The elderly homeowner was stunned when she received the life-changing donation.
“I can’t even cry,” Beth said. “I can’t even think.”
“I never expected help ever, ever, ever. I always help people until I got down and out,” Beth added.
“We’re gonna be able to do a little bit more than just your driveway and your ramp here,” Spencer revealed.
Spencer is making sure all the money that was raised doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
“I am also working with an attorney to set up a trust for her to make sure that all of the funds are protected,” Spencer wrote in an update on the GoFundMe page. “I don’t want anybody trying to take advantage of her and I want to make sure that the funds are used properly.”
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