Supporters say a proposed change in the Kansas Constitution is necessary to curb court rulings that infringe on the Legislature's authority to appropriate money.
The change would specify that only the Legislature has the authority to make decisions regarding financing of education in Kansas.
Legislators are considering the change in response to a recent Shawnee County District Court ruling ordering the state to increase school spending by at least $440 million.
Supporters told a Senate committee Wednesday that the judicial branch has the authority to rule if legislative policies are constitutional. But they say the courts overstep their boundaries when they require increased state spending on education.
Opponents of the proposal are scheduled to testify before the committee Thursday.
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t--bone
Thursday 14 February 2013 00:26 Report this comment
I hope they publish a list of the supporters so we can vote them out of office.
InsideOut
Thursday 14 February 2013 18:15 Report this comment
The "don't change our constitution" crowd actually has 13 constitutional change bills in the hopper this year. Talk about plundering our heritage and tradition. Maybe we'll vote in some common sense people next time.