Kansas Lawmakers Convening Special Session on School Funding

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Kansas legislators worked Thursday in a special session to address a court mandate on education funding and avert a threat that public schools might not reopen next month as dozens of protesters outside the Statehouse chanted, "Do your job!"

Republican legislators outlined a $38 million plan to increase aid to poor school districts and immediately scheduled hearings, with votes by committees in both chambers expected later in the day. With the state facing a budget crunch, the plan redistributes existing education dollars — moving some aid from wealthy to poorer districts — and diverts funds from other parts of the budget.

About 150 parents, teachers and other advocates rallied outside the Statehouse for lawmakers to find a quick fix, and to criticize Republicans who control both chambers.

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Key Republican legislators were negotiating with multiple school districts, including the Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas, districts, which are suing the state. They also were trying to reduce opposition to redistributing funds from wealthy districts in affluent Kansas City suburbs in Johnson County, the state's most populous county.

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Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/kansas-lawmakers-convening-special-session-school-funding-40064050

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By JOHN HANNA, AP POLITICAL WRITER TOPEKA, Kan. — Jun 23, 2016, 4:20 PM ET

[EV_Ares]

1. Kansas is really in deep crap with Brownback. The school issue is one thing but they are dead

broke. Their credit rating has already been downgraded once & they have been put on notice a second time.

Now this: Kansas to borrow $900 million to cover next fiscal year

http://www.kansascity.com/news/state/kansas/article85402447.html

And this:

Johnson County parents, educators make their voices heard in Topeka

They rally for education funding in protests outside Capitol

Kansas lawmakers are meeting in special session on school funding

Johnson County schools could lose money under proposal

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article85556262.html#storylink=cpy
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Their problem is they voted him in not once but the second time as well.

[Eugene]

2. The Latest: Kansas Senate Panel OKs Constitutional Change

Source: Associated Press

The Latest: Kansas Senate Panel OKs Constitutional Change

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TOPEKA, Kan. — Jun 23, 2016, 3:51 PM ET

The Latest on the Kansas Legislature's debate on school funding (all times local):

2:50 p.m.

A Kansas Senate committee has approved a proposed amendment to the state constitution to limit the power of the courts in education funding cases.

The measure passed Thursday by the Judiciary Committee would bar the courts from shutting down schools in school finance lawsuits. The Legislature also would be barred from closing schools in response to a court ruling.

The committee's voice vote sets up a Senate debate Friday. Any proposed amendment would go on the ballot in November.

Legislators are having a special session to address a state Supreme Court ruling last month warning that schools might not be able to reopen after June 30 unless lawmakers change the education funding system.

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Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/latest-kansas-lawmakers-open-special-session-schools-40070836