Brownback's privatization moved tax workers from secured building; one just got shot at new office

Privatization moved state workers to unsecured office where shooting occurred

BY DION LEFLER
dlefler@wichitaeagle.com

SEPTEMBER 20, 2017 6:38 PM

Workers at the Wichita tax office where an employee was shot Tuesday were moved out of a secured state office building into an unsecured storefront about three years ago, as part of Gov. Sam Brownback’s program of privatizing office space.

A state senator and the head of the state employee union said they think Tuesday’s shooting probably would have been avoided had the Department of Revenue tax office still been housed in the now-vacant Finney State Office Building downtown instead of a strip mall at 21st and Amidon.

“I’m mad about this shooting,” said Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, D-Wichita. “I think this is ridiculous that we’re allowing guns on college campuses but we’re requiring them and other city buildings to have metal detectors, but then we privatize and we’re allowing just an open house (at the Department of Revenue office). It’s a madhouse.”
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Dion Lefler: 316-268-6527, @DionKansas