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When ya got the power, ya tend to use it - and disregard yer state constitution, 'cause it's only a bunch of paper with words on it.
The Lawrence Journal-World has a few words to say on the subject, with what I think is a very appropriate headline
For those 'conservatives' and 'libertarians' who have supported Kansas in recent days, as its governor has led a charge into the fantasy world of Austrian economics and "reduced government regulations", what do you say in regards to this apparent attempt to negate the "separation of powers" enshrined not only in the Kansas Constitution but also in the US Constitution?
Article 3 of the Kansas Constitution gives the Supreme Court, "general administrative authority over all courts in this state."Bill threatens to defund Kansas judicial branch
TOPEKA — Kansas lawmakers are threatening to cut off all funding for the judicial branch of state government if the Kansas Supreme Court strikes down a law enacted last year spelling out how chief judges in the district courts are selected.
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Both last year's bill and the one being considered this year would contain a "non-severability" clause, meaning if one part of the bill is struck down by the courts, the entire bill, including its funding provisions for the courts, would also be struck down.
The Lawrence Journal-World has a few words to say on the subject, with what I think is a very appropriate headline
Budget Blackmail?
Blackmail is a strong word, a word that Kansans certainly wouldn’t want to have attached to actions of their elected state representatives. And yet, that word comes dangerously close to describing the approach some members of the Kansas Legislature are taking toward the bill that funds the state’s judicial branch.
Last year, legislation that tied funding for state courts to several policy changes was passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Brownback. Among those changes were provisions that removed the Kansas Supreme Court’s authority to name chief judges and oversee budget allocations in the state’s district courts. Proponents called the shift a matter of local control, but opponents, including some state judges, saw it as a possible violation of the Kansas Constitution which says, “The supreme court shall have general administrative authority over all the courts in this state.”
For those 'conservatives' and 'libertarians' who have supported Kansas in recent days, as its governor has led a charge into the fantasy world of Austrian economics and "reduced government regulations", what do you say in regards to this apparent attempt to negate the "separation of powers" enshrined not only in the Kansas Constitution but also in the US Constitution?