Brownback Pulls Kansas Out of Federal Refugee Plan April 26, 2016

TOPEKA, Kan. – Governor Sam Brownback on Monday notified the Obama Administration that the state of Kansas is withdrawing from the federal government’s refugee relocation program due to concerns for the safety of Kansans.

Beginning in November 2015, the governor attempted to work with the federal government to address security concerns related to resettlement of some refugees in Kansas.

“We made a reasonable request of the Obama Administration to provide us with information we need to help protect the safety and security of Kansans,” Brownback said in a statement. “Because the federal government has failed to provide adequate assurances regarding refugees it is settling in Kansas, we have no option but to end our cooperation with and participation in the federal refugee resettlement program.”

Brownback, along with governors of several states, asked White House officials in November to share vetting information as President Obama pledged to take in 10,000 Syrian refugees.

The administration, Brownback said, declined citing the privacy rights of the refugees.

Cold Missouri Reception for Brownback’s Border War Truce April 20, 2016

(AP) – Missouri lawmakers appear uninterested in Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback’s proposal to end the business “border war” between the two states.

Brownback last week offered to reduce his state’s efforts to lure jobs away from the Missouri side of the Kansas City metropolitan area if Missouri’s lawmakers would in turn weaken a law they approved in 2014 addressing the issue.

The Kansas City Star reported Wednesday (http://bit.ly/1WFSKXT ) that some Missouri legislators say Brownback’s proposal wouldn’t completely stop incentives for businesses to relocate from Missouri to Kansas.

A current Missouri law offers a truce in the business fight if Kansas agrees to the law’s terms by Aug. 28.

Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard, a Joplin Republican, says he has no desire to change the 2014 law in response to Brownback’s offer.

Merrick Says Equalization May never be Achieved April 11, 2016

Kansas House Speaker Ray Merrick says it might be impossible to keep all Kansas School district equalized.
Equalization is providing all school districts a uniform method of paying for its students need school needs. It does not mean each district gets an equal amount of money.
“It’s a moving number. A moving target,” Merrick said Olathe Monday afternoon.
Equity, equity, equity,” That’s a problem that will never be solved, he added.
Equalization is a key element to the on-going dispute between the Kansas Supreme Court and the Legislature.
The courts ruled earlier this year that the state’s equalization plan was not constitutional. The court gave lawmakers until June 30 to come up with the plan the Justices will accept, or risk a school shutdown in the fall.
Lawmakers passed a new school funding bill and Governor Sam Brownback signed the measure last week.
“We did take a piece of the formula the court had already declared was constitutional for equalization and applied that formula to the rest of the plan. So it should pass a constitutional challenge,” Brownback said Monday.
The Kansas Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing on the legislature’s school funding plan on May 10.

Brownback Signs Legislature School Funding Fix April 7, 2016

(AP) – Republican Gov. Sam Brownback has signed an education funding bill designed to prevent the state Supreme Court from shutting down the state’s public schools.
Brownback announced Thursday that he had signed the measure. He took the action Wednesday.
The bill is a response to a Supreme Court ruling in February that the state isn’t providing enough aid to its poor districts. The justices threatened to shut down schools if lawmakers didn’t act by June 30.
The bill redistributes $83 million of the state’s $4 billion-plus in annual aid.
Critics contend that the bill doesn’t solve the problems identified by the court. But Brownback said in a statement that the bill arose from what he called a “delicate legislative compromise.”
He called on the court to review it with “appropriate deference”.

Soa e Confirmed as Ks Commerce Secretary January 28, 2016

AP) – The Kansas Senate has approved Gov. Sam Brownback’s appointments of a new commerce secretary and three members of the board overseeing the state’s higher education system.
All four votes Thursday were 40-0.
Antonio Soave (SWAH’-vay) has served as interim commerce secretary since December.
He formerly was chairman and CEO of a company that helps businesses with mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and expanding foreign markets.