With a Democrat as the next governor of Kansas and a Republican-controlled legislature, this would seem to be an opportunity for bipartisan cooperation in the Kansas statehouse . . . right after Kris Kobach tears up his NRA membership card.
Ultraconservatives quickly showed they had no interest in pursuing the middle ground when they successfully ousted Rep. Don Hineman (R-Dighton) as the House Majority Leader.
A political moderate, Hineman was far too critical of the fiscal irresponsibility demonstrated by the Brownback tax cuts. Hes been an ardent supporter of public education. And he dared to call the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity (AFP) political terrorists.
Rep. Hineman simply refused to be a go along to get along lackey in the House.
Speaker of the House Ron Ryckman retained his leadership role, after which he offered a rather hollow pledge to look for ways we can work with Governor-elect Laura Kelly. But if Ryckman and ultraconservatives are incapable of working with centrist members of their own party the likelihood of finding middle ground with Kelly is even more remote.
Ryckmans disconnect with the best interest of Kansans and reality was further exemplified when he declared, A majority of the state still believes in core Republican principles.
Of course, if that were true a Democrat wouldnt have been elected governor.
Which further begs the question: What are these so-called Republican principles that Ryckman is talking about?
Fiscal responsibility must not be on the list.
It was former Gov. Sam Brownback and his ultraconservative brethren who abandoned that principle with tax cuts that gutted our state budget, downgraded our bond rating and forced lawmakers to steal (they call it sweep) over $1 billion from the Kansas Department of Transportation and transfer that money to other agencies in order to keep government operating.
A transportation task force recently calculated it would take $600 million for the state to catch up with delayed road projects and stabilize funding for transportation infrastructure.
The welfare of children is not a core principle.
The lack of funding, and lack of commitment at the state level, has seen the states foster care system fail our youngest, most vulnerable citizens.
According to a lawsuit filed against the state, churning has become a common practice of having foster children stay overnight anywhere a bed, couch, office, conference room, shelter or hospital can be found.
One boy included in the lawsuit has been in more than 130 placements since entering the foster care system in 2012.
