Schools in areas represented by legislators who voted to hike spending fail to meet federal minimums.

More money hasn't bought success for some Kansas districts

Despite a massive infusion of money into the state's education budget since 2005, 31 Kansas school districts and 139 schools failed to meet the Annual Yearly Progress standards mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act for the 2007-2008 testing cycle, according to the Kansas State Department of Education.

Among the failing schools were those in districts represented by legislators who have fought hardest for education funding increases in the years since the 2005 special session, called to respond to the state Supreme Court's order to increase spending on education.

Salina, Topeka, Wichita and Kansas City, for example, are all represented on the list of sub-standard schools. Most legislators from those areas voted in favor of the spending hikes. [ Read more...]

UnCOOL: Swift and Tyson say they'll try to avoid the USA label

Ag groups, senators say country-of-origin labeling law needs changes

The country of origin labeling act finally goes into effect Oct. 1, six years after it was included in a U.S. farm bill.

After much delay, Americans interested in supporting the U.S. agriculture industry will now know for sure the steak they’re buying is from livestock safely born, raised, slaughtered and processed right in the good old U.S.A.

Or maybe not. [ Read more...]

Realtors and brokers across the state say their communities are faring well

Kansas weathering national financial storms well

The chaos and uncertainty rattling Wall Street and the problems altering the national financial landscape seem to have missed Kansas so far, according to an informal survey of realtors and brokers across the state.

Realtors and brokers in Lawrence, Hays and Wichita told Kansas Liberty the housing and business markets in Kansas are doing well in comparison to the rest of the country.

Realtors in all three cities agree the news isn't bleak for homeowners who are trying to sell houses, despite the pressures on the mortgage market. [ Read more...]

Kansas Department of Labor wage survey likely to cheer doctors

Top 10 paying jobs in Kansas all in health care

It’s no wonder health care is so expensive.

According to a report issued Wednesday by the Kansas Department of Labor, the top 10 paying jobs in Kansas are all in the health care industry.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons were the top earners, at $98.66 an hour, or $205,210 a year. [Read more...]

Republicans both have a twenty-point lead over their Democratic rivals

Poll shows steady support in Kansas for Roberts and McCain

Pat Roberts, the Republican running for a third term representing Kansas in the U.S. Senate, has maintained a solid lead over his Democratic challenger, Jim Slattery, according to the most recent Rasmussen poll.

The latest figures give Roberts a 20-point lead, 58 percent to 38 percent. The Senate race numbers have remained virtually unchanged since June.

Republican John McCain also continues to enjoy widespread support in the state. [ Read more...]

Sebelius signs on to the Pickens Plan - as Pickens loses $1 billion on energy

Tax break for wind producers advances in Senate

The U.S. Senate approved a massive tax package Tuesday that included a one-year extension of a Production Tax Credit for wind power producers - and also allows 20 million taxpayers to avoid paying the alternative minimum tax.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and wind power producers in Kansas strongly supported the tax credit and so did Republicans and Democrats in the Senate. The vote was 93-2.

“Gov. Sebelius is pleased with the Senate's action on this critical issue and looks forward to the same outcome in the House,” said Nicole Corcoran, Sebelius’ press secretary. [ Read more...]

Republicans say governor should spend her work day working for Kansans

Sebelius out of the office campaigning for Obama

It was quite an itinerary for any person taking time off from work, let alone one with a full-time job as the sitting governor of a state.

Last week, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius campaigned for Sen. Barack Obama's presidential run in Iowa on Tuesday, in Wisconsin on Wednesday and Thursday, in North Carolina on Friday and then in Florida on Saturday.

This week, she already has traveled Tuesday to Virginia for an appearance on Obama’s behalf. [ Read more...]

Brownback asked Senate to vote on confirmation before adjourning

Melgren judicial confirmation possibilities seemed dim

On Tuesday, Eric Melgren, Kansas' U.S. Attorney since 2002, appeared before a U.S. Senate panel Tuesday to seek confirmation to the federal judiciary to replace U.S. District Judge Monti Belot of Wichita.

Just getting the committee hearing was something miraculous. The committee date came after Sen. Sam Brownback appealed earlier this month to Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Commitee asking for Melgren to be given a chance to be heard.

The confirmation however may be out of reach. The Senate is due to adjourn before a vote can take place. Brownback is appealing again, this time for a rules exception that would speed the vote. [ Read more...]

But that 'Hail Mary' gained some precious yardage...

Melgren's nomination to federal bench still alive

The nomination of U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren for a seat on the federal bench may advance after all.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to send Melgren’s nomination to the full Senate for a vote. Melgren had appeared at a hearing before the Senate panel on Tuesday. Usually, the committee waits a week after a nominee’s appearance before voting on whether to advance a nomination to the full Senate.

The committee referred a total of nine judicial nominees to the Senate for consideration. [ Read more...]

Comment: Call it 'early childhood education' and it sounds wonderful. But if you call it what it really is - the state doing the job of a parent - you get a little closer to the truth, says John R. LaPlante

A warning about preschool—from one of its advocates

When the Kansas Legislature meets next year, it will surely talk about more taxpayer money for preschool programs. But the recent words of an advocate of such programs should serve as a caution to Kansans expecting great things from expanding preschool.

In the Fall 2008 edition of Education Next, Craig Ramey, a professor at Georgetown University, argues that the evidence these programs benefit some children is “quite strong.” But his remarks also warn against overreach.

Start with the question of how many children should be included. Some people want to offer taxpayer-funded preschool to all willing comers. The group Pre-K Now, for example, favors pre-K programs “for all children.” [ Read more...]

Week on the web

Playing the odds. Give a monkey a piano and enough time and eventually you get Mozart. Give Dolph Simons Jr. enough paper and ink and he eventually gets it right. His Saturday column in the Lawrence Journal-World on Sebelius' politicization of the Kansas Bioscience Authority is a story you won't see in the Star or the Eagle, but it's a pretty good tale of Regents running wild.

KBA is in control of many millions of dollars and, consequently, there are many who would like to be able to control who gets these dollars. Some even go so far as to suggest that with tight state budgets, Gov. Sebelius might try to divert KBA funds to help meet state budget needs.

"Bioscience" apparently has little to do with science or biology, but a whole lot to do with money. Imagine our surprise.

Chiefs win. World ends? KC's victory over Denver on Sunday - the Chiefs' first win since 1902, approximately - lit up the flat, dry, treeless part of the blogosphere, where guys like Kansas Bob (his four-i motto: "Inane, insane and inspirational intuitions") are waxing rhapsodic, in that Kansas sort of way: "Even the defense played okay." Kansas Bob is prone to saying wild things like that because he's originally from New York. If he were a native Kansan, he might not be so excitable.

The revolution will be televised. 'Sit means sit' is the name of a blog site where puppy pedagogues like Kansas City's Tom Mancuso have devoted themselves to "revolutionizing the world of dog-training." The current communique from Comrade Tom:

This Sit Means Sit trained dog is nearing the world record in Dock Dog’s Extreme Vertical competition. Less than 15 dogs in the world have ever jumped this high!

Tom's got the tape to prove it, so go get Old Shep, sit him down in front of the PC and show him how real dogs earn their chew toys. Arf.

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