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KS Supreme Court Justice Urges Mutual Respect Amid School Funding Debate

Sean Sandefur
/
KMUW
Kansas Supreme Court Justices Carol Beier and Caleb Stegall attended a Rotary Club of East Wichita event on Wednesday.

Kansas Supreme Court Justice Caleb Stegall says it’s important for each of the state’s governmental branches to remain respectful. He said this as the issue of public school funding continues to play out over the next few weeks.

On Tuesday, State Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce told the Associated Press that Kansas Supreme Court Justices have “gone out of their way to pick a fight.” It was in reference to the state’s highest court deciding that an attempt by the Legislature to make school funding more equitable wasn’t good enough.

The Supreme Court gave lawmakers until June 30 to the fix the issue or schools could close down. Bruce said that talk about defying the court’s order should be taken seriously.

Justice Stegall has recused himself from the school funding case over a conflict of interest, and won’t comment specifically about the case, but says mutual respect is needed.

“It is important for each branch to respect the others," Stegall said. "And I think, in my experience in government at least, there’s a great deal of effort put into that, and I hope that continues to be the case.”

The Legislature has not yet convened again on school funding. In order for lawmakers to act further, Gov. Brownback will have to call a special session.

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