Liberty Update: 21 December 2009
BUDGET FIGHT: Teachers' union resorts to bad math | Ed group waits for a better formula | ESCR: No laws in Kansas to protect embryos | POLITICS: Yoder's in the race for Moore's seat | Wiggans leaves race under a cloud | RINO SPOTTING: Huntington takes Wysong's seat | TAXES: Revenue goes up in smoke with cig tax | COMMENT: Bill Sutton on religious freedom
The Week in Review
KNEA's big, bad bite.
KSDE Deputy Commissioner says a common practice of legislators and school advocates is only citing the base state aid K-12 receives for gauging funding levels
Union uses incomplete funding data to argue for tax hikes
In a recent press release, the Kansas National Education Association complained that K-12 education is being funded at the 2006 level and stated that legislators should increase taxes to create more school funding. [Read more...]
“They put these prohibitions on local authority and … for that reason it is very discriminatory.”
School advocacy group not supporting tax increases until school finance formula is changed
The Shawnee Mission Committee for Excellence is taking a strong stance in opposing tax increases during the 2010 legislative session unless the state first completes an overhaul of the state's school finance formula. [Read more...]
ESCR: Kinzer: “Unfortunately, I think a lot of folks haven’t recognized the very significant ethical issues that are embedded in the whole idea of creating a human life for the purpose of destroying that life."
Kansas lacks laws prohibiting taxpayer dollars from being used for embryo destruction
Though President Barack Obama’s recent decision to allow federal dollars to be allocated to embryonic stem cell research is a well-known fact to those in the scientific community, many Kansas residents are not aware that the state does not, and has never had any restrictions on taxpayer dollars being used for the purpose of embryonic stem cell research. [Read more...]
POLITICS: Moore drops out and more candidates jump in
Yoder enters Third District race
Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Overland Park, announced today he is officially entering the Third District congressional race. [Read more...]
Tom Wiggans no longer campaigning but has created controversy in the Fourth District congressional race
Democrat drops out of governor's race
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Wiggans announced yesterday that he was dropping out of the race amid allegations that he had acted in an ethically questionable manner at a previous job. [Read more...]
RINO SPOTTING: Despite tax-and-spend record, Huntington says she’ll fight for low taxes
House Republican who votes with the left to take vacant Senate seat
Left-wing Republican Rep. Terrie Huntington will be taking over the empty Senate seat left by Sen. David Wysong, R-Mission Hills, during the 2010 legislative session. [Read more...]
TAXES: “They look at those sin taxes as easy money, but it never produces the dollars that are estimated.”
Legislative leaders warn that a tobacco tax would cost the state revenue
A national taxpayer watchdog organization, Americans for Tax Reform, sent out a statement yesterday warning Kansans of the possible economic losses the state would incur if Gov. Mark Parkinson were successful in passing a tobacco tax increase. [Read more...]
COMMENT: You will be equal and you will like it — religious freedom be hanged. Bill Sutton gives the inside scoop.
Forced match
I think we can agree that discrimination is a bad thing, right? Maybe we can also agree that the equal opportunity to succeed in America is a very important freedom; after all, it’s the essence of Americanism. While we may disagree how to ensure such an environment, I don’t think there’s a sane person in America who would disagree. [Read more...]
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