Sports: Duffy, Royals topple St. Louis See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER
Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Tobacco 21 repeal effort falls short Emotional debate splits City Council By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register
Iola’s Tobacco 21 ordinance, prohibiting the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to adults under 21, will remain on the books. Like the impassioned, hour-long debate before it, a vote to repeal the ordinance split the eight-member Iola City Council Monday. With four council members — Aaron Franklin, Bob Shaughnessy, Austin Sigg and Jon Wells — in favor of repealing the ordinance, and four others — Donald Becker, Nancy Ford, Beverly Franklin and Sandy Zornes opposed — the matter went to Mayor Joel Wicoff, who after a moment’s hesitation said he was opposed to the repeal. The debate covered myriad issues, including civil liberties, a loss of income to area retailers, and whether Iola would be better served if Tobacco 21 were a state law versus a local ordinance. THE
approved
ORDINANCE
unanimously
School funding lifts 257 (for now)
A group of teenagers speak at Monday’s Iola City Council meeting in favor of keeping an ordinance that prohibits the sale of tobacco products to those under 21. The demonstrators are, from left, Sierra Petty, Klair Vogel and Sierra and Isaac VanHouden. At left, Mayor Joel Wicoff and Councilman Bob Shaughnessy listen to the debate. REGISTER/RICH-
was by
ARRD LUKEN
See TOBACCO | Page A6
The Kansas Legislature “did its job” last week when it met in a special session, Jack Koehn, USD 257 Superintendent of Schools, told board members at their meet- Jack Koehn ing Monday night. They “passed a clean and constitutional school finance bill,” Koehn said, reverting back to a tried-and-true funding formula that legislators had used since the early 1990s to ensure schools are funded as equally as possible. For Iola, it means an additional $90,418 in funds that can be used in the classroom, and about $70,000 in property tax relief to area taxpayers. The district also saw a loss of $15,000 that was budgeted for its virtual aid program, leaving it almost $133,000 for See 257 | Page A3
Abortion restrictions on hold in Kansas By ROXANA HEGEMAN The Associated Press
High riser A worker does repair work this morning to the Monarch Cement smokestack in Humboldt, while an approaching cloud bank nears the facility. Crews do periodic repairs to prevent the stack from eroding. Monarch employee and photographer Mike Myer snapped this picture and shared it with the Register.
Quote of the day Vol. 118, No. 171
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Abortion opponents vowed to keep fighting in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Monday that struck down Texas’ strict regulations of abortion clinics that closely mirror regulations currently on hold in a Kansas court. The nation’s highest court held that the Texas regulations are medically unnecessary and unconstitutionally limit a woman’s right to an abortion. Texas rules require abortion providers to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and force clinics to meet hospital-like standards for outpatient care. Kansas lawmakers passed similar requirements in 2011, but that law has been temporarily blocked pending trial in Shawnee County. “We are disappointed in the Supreme Court’s ruling, but the Governor will continue the fight to make Kansas a pro-life state,” Eileen Hawley, spokeswoman for Gov. Sam Brownback, said in an email. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s office said through a spokeswoman only that it was
Pro-choice demonstrators, above, and pro-life demonstrators, below, at the U.S. Supreme Court react as they learn the court struck down the Texas abortion law on Monday in Washington, D.C. CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY/NEWSCOM/ZUMA PRESS/BILL CLARK/TNS
reviewing the ruling. Monday’s decision was lauded in Kansas by abortion rights supporters who contend it clearly tells legis-
“The purpose of education is replacing an empty mind with an open one.” — Malcolm Forbes 75 Cents
latures that such laws are unconstitutional. Abortion opponents contend the decision See ABORTION | Page A3
Hi: 87 Lo: 69 Iola, KS