Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Kansas lawmakers fail to expand Kris Kobach's power
Another failure for KKKris's resume. He was elected SOS but has been asking for prosecutorial powers. Looks like even the far right whackos in the legislature are sick of his power grab.
TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach failed to gain authority he's sought since taking office to prosecute election fraud allegations when the state House rejected a bill containing the proposal Sunday.
The House voted 64-45 against compromise legislation drafted by negotiators for it and the Senate, just before the pre-dawn end to lawmakers' annual session except for a brief, formal adjournment ceremony later this month. Senators had approved the measure, 24-13.
Kobach's fellow Republicans have large majorities in each chamber. Both had had approved similar versions of his proposal to expand the power of the secretary of state's office, and their negotiators had settled their differences over increasing various penalties for election crimes. He expected his proposal to pass.
Yet the negotiators and Republican legislative leaders held up action on his proposal so that they could package it with other changes in criminal law. That's common as lawmakers try to speed up approval of multiple measures as the end of the annual session nears.
Negotiators tied Kobach's plan to a technical change in laws dealing with the collection of DNA samples from criminal suspects, leading to a backlash from GOP conservatives who argued that taking such samples violates civil liberties.
House Elections Committee Chairman Scott Schwab said GOP leaders also pushed Kobach's luck by having the vote in the House after midnight Sunday - when the chamber already had approved tax and budget legislation and lawmakers were eager to leave the Statehouse.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/06/02/4270349/kan-lawmakers-fail-to-expand-sec.html#storylink_mainstorystack#storylink=cpy
The House voted 64-45 against compromise legislation drafted by negotiators for it and the Senate, just before the pre-dawn end to lawmakers' annual session except for a brief, formal adjournment ceremony later this month. Senators had approved the measure, 24-13.
Kobach's fellow Republicans have large majorities in each chamber. Both had had approved similar versions of his proposal to expand the power of the secretary of state's office, and their negotiators had settled their differences over increasing various penalties for election crimes. He expected his proposal to pass.
Yet the negotiators and Republican legislative leaders held up action on his proposal so that they could package it with other changes in criminal law. That's common as lawmakers try to speed up approval of multiple measures as the end of the annual session nears.
Negotiators tied Kobach's plan to a technical change in laws dealing with the collection of DNA samples from criminal suspects, leading to a backlash from GOP conservatives who argued that taking such samples violates civil liberties.
House Elections Committee Chairman Scott Schwab said GOP leaders also pushed Kobach's luck by having the vote in the House after midnight Sunday - when the chamber already had approved tax and budget legislation and lawmakers were eager to leave the Statehouse.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/06/02/4270349/kan-lawmakers-fail-to-expand-sec.html#storylink_mainstorystack#storylink=cpy
