Kansas caught up with the rest of the country Friday night when legislators voted to open search and arrest warrant affidavits to the public.
Kansas has been the only state in the nation to keep such records sealed. The legislation allows those who have been served warrants to know the circumstances.
Many have viewed the Kansas law as a violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects U.S. citizens from unreasonable search and seizure.
Kansas’ version remains somewhat watered down.
County district attorneys will be allowed five days to weigh the merits of keeping the records closed, with a judge having another five days to make a final determination.
OTHER POSITIVE legislation from the recently adjourned session prevents giving health clubs exemption from property taxes. Arguments in favor said private health clubs were at a disadvantage to non-profit organizations such as the Christian-based YMCA and YWCA.
Rep. Tom Sawyer, D-Wichita, said YMCAs were putting private clubs out of business by what he considered unfair competition.
By their very nature, YMCAs are a service organization. They began more than 150 years ago as shelters for the homeless. Today, their mission has branched out to include water-based lifesaving courses, swim classes, nutrition-based classes, CPR training and much more.
For those not able to afford a typical membership — an average $30 a month — assistance is given.
Legislators didn’t use the Christian nature of a YMCA to defeat the proposal; rather they said private health clubs were no different from any other private business in the fight for survival and hence deserve no special protection.
Good enough.
HARNESSING wind and other renewable energies were also preserved, despite the lobbying efforts of Americans for Prosperity, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council.
The defeat to overturn Kansas’ effort to go green means Kansas will keep on track to make 20 percent of its energy come from renewable sources by 2020.
Americans for Prosperity is an offshoot of Wichita-based Koch Industries, which got its start in oil. The Chamber and ALEC, which counts many Kansas legislators as members, are in line with anything that pads their pockets such as Koch Industries.
