Sam Brownback stepped down as governor almost two years in the past, however the insurance policies and actions of his administration have an enduring impression on state authorities and the Kansas political panorama.
The Topeka Capital-Journal held a magnifying glass to authorities operations underneath Brownback and his successor, former Gov. Jeff Colyer, to report a collection of tales known as Capitol Offenses. The collection leads our listing of prime political tales of 2019.
Among the many findings:
• The state lowered contributions to the state worker medical health insurance fund to steadiness the price range for Brownback’s ill-fated tax experiment, shifting the price to workers with a partner or youngsters, and draining a reserve fund by $171 million.
• Former Kansas Division of Commerce secretary Antonio Soave transferred monetary and personnel knowledge of 10,000 companies to his personal personal consulting agency.
• Kansas Division of Corrections employees did not intervene in 5 years of alleged sexual abuse of inmates enrolled in a dental lab program on the state-run girls’s jail — regardless of repeated formal complaints by inmates and a federal auditor’s advice to fireplace the lab teacher, Tomas Co, who now faces six felony prices.
Different Capitol Offenses tales explored Brownback’s failed and expensive try to demolish the Docking State Workplace Constructing, the downplaying of intercourse scandals by the highest officer of the Kansas Freeway Patrol, a former state senator who padded his wage with journey and meals vouchers, and a present chairwoman of the Senate Commerce Committee who labored for a corporation that obtained $13.three million in state contracts from the commerce division.
Following are different highlights in Kansas politics in 2019.
#FosterHope
An investigative collection by KCUR and The Capital-Journal explored the prosecution of Hope Zeferjohn, certainly one of 13 women who ran away from the Kansas foster care system or state custody and have become victims of human trafficking.
Kansas added hundreds of youngsters to the state foster care system throughout the Brownback years. The variety of youngsters who went lacking almost doubled in a three-year interval as extreme instability plagued the foster care system.
That instability was highlighted within the story of a Topeka lady who fled foster care by leaping from a second-story window after being positioned in 5 totally different houses in 5 nights. The foster care supplier did not notify the lacking lady’s father.
The Legislature supplied new funding for social employees in 2019, however lawmakers grew involved with the dearth of speedy and vital progress underneath new Gov. Laura Kelly.
Kelly’s administration severed ties with a literacy program accused of pilfering cash from youngsters’s meals funding — and different monetary exercise found however not disclosed underneath Brownback.
Medicaid growth
A bipartisan coalition of Democrats and average Republicans within the Home staged parliamentary excessive jinks to move a Medicaid growth plan, however GOP management within the Senate managed to stiff-arm the laws.
The refusal to permit a vote on a plan to increase medical health insurance to 130,000 low-income Kansas adults and kids provoked protests all through the session. Republican leaders within the Senate have promised to permit a vote on a competing proposal early within the 2020 session.
The lengthy goodbye
U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts introduced in January 2019 he will not search re-election, closing the e book on a political profession that started as a congressional aide within the 1960s.
His pending departure supplied a brand new platform for former Secretary of State Kris Kobach and different Republicans wanting to take Roberts’ place. Rampant hypothesis facilities on whether or not U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo could possibly be enticed to enter the race.
Lightning rod for controversy
In one of many most-read tales of the 12 months, U.S. Rep. Steve Watkins would not reply questions on rumors {that a} behind-the-scenes scandal might immediate him to go away workplace. When confronted at a Fort Scott occasion, he selected as an alternative to stage a pretend cellphone name, flee via a facet door and hop right into a ready car to hurry away.
The freshman congressman then confronted questions this fall about whether or not he dedicated fraud by itemizing a UPS retailer as his house deal with when he registered to vote.
‘Parody’ laws
Rep. Ron Highland, R-Wamego, and 6 different Republicans signed onto a hate-filled invoice that declared same-sex marriage as a “parody” and asserted the LGBTQ group is guided by a “day by day code.”
The mannequin laws seemed to be the work of aggressive activist Chris Sevier. One other invoice with Sevier’s fingerprints would have required all telephones and computer systems to be furnished with porn-blocking software program.
Christel Highland expressed disappointment in her father, writing in an open letter that “your God didn’t elect you — dwelling, respiratory human beings did.”
Excessive courtroom guidelines
The Kansas Supreme Court docket issued main selections that declared the state structure grants girls the best to an abortion and that the newest infusion of money into public colleges satisfies a mandate for satisfactory and equitable funding.
Tax modifications denied
Senate President Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, took management of a particular committee geared towards tax reform that might supply aid to multinational companies and Kansans who itemize private earnings taxes, amongst different provisions. Kelly’s vetoes of each makes an attempt at reform narrowly survived within the GOP-dominated Legislature.
Judicial choice
Kelly’s first try to fill an appellate courtroom seat went down in flames over revelations of Jeffry Jack’s profane and politically charged social media posts. Late final 12 months, Kelly made her first choose for the Supreme Court docket, putting in Shawnee County District Decide Evelyn Wilson on the excessive courtroom bench.
Pay now, not later
Lawmakers overwhelmingly rejected Kelly’s proposal to cushion the five-year price range outlook by refinancing the Kansas Public Workers Retirement System on a 30-year deal that might have value $7 billion. As an alternative, lawmakers unanimously accepted a $115 million switch to cowl a missed fee from the Brownback period.
Conflict of titans
In a showdown between influential energy gamers, Farm Bureau secured approval for an inexpensive, unregulated different to medical health insurance regardless of objections raised by Blue Cross Blue Defend of Kansas.
Stylish, quiet place
A boisterous, alcohol-fueled celebration by high-ranking Republican legislators and lobbyists turned the top-read political story of the 12 months when the homeowners of White Linen, a wonderful eating restaurant in Topeka, banned Home Speaker Ron Ryckman, R-Olathe, and others from returning.
The post 2019 in review: Brownback fallout leads Kansas political stories – News – Salina Journal appeared first on Down The Middle News.
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