Analysis: Education funding debate hits key issues

By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World

Kansas Democrats hope to avoid another election-year wipeout by making funding for public schools a major issue in legislative races, and their move highlights key differences between them and Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.

Democrats are criticizing Brownback and his conservative allies over massive income tax cuts enacted this year, suggesting they’ll create big budget problems. They contend the tax cuts will force the state to dramatically reduce aid to public schools and that Brownback has shown he’s willing to slash education funding.

Brownback and House Appropriations Committee Marc Rhoades sought to undercut the criticism in separate news conferences by pointing to cuts in education funding under Brownback’s Democratic predecessor, Mark Parkinson.

The back-and-forth showed that Democrats see increased spending on public schools as a much higher priority than tax cuts, while Brownback and his allies place the biggest premium on reducing income taxes to stimulate the economy.

Also, the debate showed that Democrats view money as the biggest concern in education, while Brownback and his allies see other policy issues as important.

“For a lot of years, we’ve been high-centered on finances,” said Rhoades, a conservative Newton Republican. “I’d like to add to the conversation.”

Democrats hope a debate over education funding inoculates them against almost-certain mailings and advertising by conservative groups tying them to President Barack Obama and the federal health care law he championed.

The same tactic resulted in big GOP gains in 2010 and fueled a purge of moderate Senate incumbents in this year’s Republican primaries.

KCKCC board member launches write-in campaign

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

Kansas City Kansas Community College Board of Trustee member Mary Ann Flunder is running a "write-in" campaign in the Kansas Senate District 4 race.

Advertising herself as the "Real Democrat" in the race, Flunder is encouraging voters to write in "Mary Ann Flunder" on the ballot come November.

While Flunder believes she's the real Democrat in the race, there's already one Democrat in the race - Kansas Sen. David Haley.

Haley is the incumbent in the race, while Joe Ward has secured the Republican Party's nomination to take on Haley and now Flunder.

Flunder has served on the KCKCC Board of Trustees since 1991.

She's also served for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Northeast Optimist Club, Area Agency on Aging, White Church Chapter of the American Association of Retired People, along with the National Federation of Democratic Women.

Flunder's name will not appear on the ballot.

However, voters are allowed to write-in their own selection. 

Democrats say Brownback tax cuts will result in $900 million in cuts to public schools, higher education

By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World

Democratic legislative leaders on Tuesday said public schools and higher education will suffer $900 million in budget cuts because of Gov. Sam Brownback's tax cuts.

And their argument got support from a public policy group, the Kansas Economic Progress Council, which released a report that said the Brownback tax cuts will lead to state spending cuts, a raid on transportation funds and do little to help the economy.

In public statements, Brownback has vowed to protect school funding and what he calls core services, and his office hit back at the Democrats.

"It must be getting near Halloween season with these Democrat scare tactics," said Sherriene Jones-Sontag, a spokeswoman for Brownback.

But House Minority Leader Paul Davis, D-Lawrence and state Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, said they were just doing the math.

Displaying a tax cut projection produced by legislative researchers, Davis said, "Gov. Brownback can no longer tell people with a straight face that big cuts to their public schools, their universities are not on the way. The cuts are coming and they are coming as a result of the Brownback tax plan that disproportionately benefits the wealthiest of Kansans."

The projection showed the impact of subtracting the tax cuts from state revenue, while adding 4 percent in annual revenue growth.

Based on the overall reduction in tax revenue, if applied proportionately, public schools would be cut $750 million, and higher education $150 million over a four-year period starting next July.

Overall, the Legislature's research staff projects the tax cuts will create collective budget shortfalls approaching $2.5 billion over the next six years.

The state is decreasing its individual income tax rates for 2013, with the top rate dropping to 4.9 percent from 6.45 percent.

Democrats ask moderate Republicans, independents to join their cause

By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World

After the political massacre of moderate Republican candidates in the Kansas GOP primary, state Democratic leaders Wednesday urged moderates and independents to join with them to fight what they described as Gov. Sam Brownback's radical agenda.

"The welcome mat is front and center at the Democratic Party of Kansas," said House Minority Leader Paul Davis, D-Lawrence.

Davis said the Brownback agenda is anti-public school, anti-middle class taxpayer, and anti-woman.

Brownback, a conservative Republican, issued a statement, saying he is pro-jobs. "The people of Kansas have a clear choice: Do we want to grow the government or grow the economy? Most Kansans want to grow the economy and increase the number of private sector jobs in our state. We will continue working every day to help Kansans fulfill their aspirations.”

On Tuesday, control of the Kansas Senate appeared to be in the hands of so-called conservatives after Brownback and several wealthy contributors, including the billionaire Koch brothers, targeted for defeat a group of moderate Republican incumbents.

Ten senators targeted by Brownback were defeated in the GOP primary, and conservatives picked up two more open Senate seats.

"We had a governor and his followers who wanted to purge members of the Republican Party from the Legislature, taking on traditional Republicans who had been the bulwark of that party for years and years and years," said Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka.

Now the battle continues to the Nov. 6 general election and Democrats are in a precarious situation.

Democrats hold only eight of 40 Senate seats and 33 of 125 House seats, and are hoping to get support at the polls from moderate Republicans.

In Tuesday's GOP primary, conservative groups, such as Americans for Prosperity, which was founded by Charles and David Koch, dumped untold amounts of money on mailers that linked moderate Republicans to "Obamacare."

"They ran their campaigns on fear and they, I think, misled a lot of voters that their senator was Barack Obama's best friend," said Davis. Referring to the Affordable Care Act, signed into law by Obama, Davis said, "Nobody in this building was going to effect that."

AFP-Kansas director Derrick Sontag said, “The primary results make one thing clear: Kansans support those who promote fiscally conservative, limited government, free market policies.”