Kansas lawmakers may comply with a court ruling over school funding, but they could also take a swipe at the courts in the process.
Legislators want to avoid a school shutdown in a legal fight over school funding, but Gov. Sam Brownback and some other legislators aren’t happy with the Kansas Supreme Court ruling on the matter.
Patrick Miller, a political science professor at the University of Kansas, says Republicans have already started a campaign to remove several Supreme Court justices during the upcoming election. Miller says that means there could be some jabs at the court as part of the final school funding proposal.
“Whatever resolution we see in the end, it will be something that both keeps the schools open one way or another, but yet gives Brownback and his allies some ammo for that campaign against the judges,” Miller says.
Brownback has said there may have to be other policy issues offered to get enough lawmakers on board to pass a solution. There's already been a constitutional amendment proposed that would block the courts from closing schools in the future.
The Legislature returns to Topeka later this month for a special session focused on school funding issues.
