WORTH TAKING A PEEK
Theatre Lawrence spoofs Hitchcock films with screwball comedy in ‘Wrong Window.’ 1C
L A W R E NC E
Journal-World
®
75 cents
THURSDAY • JANUARY 16 • 2014
Lawrence is starting place for mental health aid
STATE OF THE STATE
Brownback opens session lauding Kansas’ strength ———
Governor takes jab at court over school finance
By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
An idea championed by Lawrence’s Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center soon may be going nationwide. The $1.1 trillion budget bill approved by the U.S. House of Representatives today includes $15 million in funding to nationally launch a mental health first aid program that was tested in Lawrence. “This $15 million nationally will make a bigger impact on people’s lives than most things you can spend Johnson $15 million on,” said David Johnson, CEO of the Bert Nash center. The mental health first-aid program provides training to lay people on how to spot the symptoms of mental health conditions, and how to get people the help they need.
By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
Topeka — Starting a new legislative session during an election year and with a state Supreme Court ruling on school finance expected any day, Gov. Sam Brownback on Wednesday said his conservative Republican policies have helped lift Kansas from the Great Recession. “Three years in, we are in a much better position,” Brownback said in his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature. Brownback took a verbal swipe at the Kansas Supreme Court over the school finance case as five of the seven justices sat nearby. The court is expected to rule soon on Please see STATE, page 2A
“
Please see PROGRAM, page 2A
On school funding:
KANSAS’ CUTEST STREET
Downtown earns national spotlight
Too many decisions are made by unaccountable, opaque institutions. So let’s be clear. On the No. 1 item in the state budget — education — the Constitution empowers the Legislature — the people’s representatives — to fund our schools. Let us resolve that our schools remain open and are not closed by the courts or anyone else.”
Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo
GOV. SAM BROWNBACK GREETS REP. PAUL DAVIS D-LAWRENCE, as Brownback enters the House of Representatives to deliver his State of the State address at the Statehouse in Topeka on Wednesday.
— Gov. Sam Brownback
Regent rejects request to suspend policy By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
Topeka — Kansas Board of Regents Chairman Fred Logan on Wednesday refused a request from a faculty group to suspend the board’s recently approved social media policy. Sheryl Lidzy, chair of the Council of Faculty Senate
Presidents, said the them, for posts on policy has brought social media that afnegative publicity to fect the university’s higher education in ability to carry out Kansas and may hinits functions. It was der efforts to hire topenacted after a Kanquality faculty. BOARD OF sas University proThe policy, which REGENTS fessor tweeted critithe regents approved cism of the NRA last in December, allows a uni- September. versity CEO to discipline After widespread critiemployees, up to firing cism that the policy is too
Please see POLICY, page 2A
INSIDE
Mostly sunny Business Classified Comics Deaths
High: 44
vague and restricts free speech rights, the regents said it would form a working group of university representatives to review the policy and suggest changes by April. The Council of Faculty Senate Presidents approved a resolution to suspend the
Low: 14
Today’s forecast, page 10A
2A 5B-10B 9A 2A
Events listings Going Out Horoscope Movies
10A, 2B 5A-6A 9B 4A
Massachusetts Street is just plain cute. At least that’s the take from Country Living magazine, which recently named it the “Cutest Small-Town Street in Kansas.” The article on the magazine’s website highlights several downtown businesses and some of their unique elements. Alice, the cat that roams the floor of the used bookstore Dusty Bookshelf, was mentioned, as was the homemade fudge at Mass Street Sweet Shop and the ice cream at Sylas and Maddy’s. Maybe some will take umbrage at being called small town, but Sally Zogry, executive director of Downtown Lawrence Inc., thinks it’s great. “We’re loving the national attention,” she said.
Opinion Puzzles Sports Television
8A 9B 1B-4B 10A, 2B
CETE wins contract KU’s Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation won a $25 million contract with the state of Alaska. Page 3A
Join us at Facebook.com/LJWorld and Twitter.com/LJWorld
Atomic Photography
Boudoir Portrait Session
Only
75
$
reg. $150
50% Off
Includes FREE 8x10 print.
Redeem online
This Print advertisement is not redeemable for advertised deal. Get your deals voucher online at Lawrencedeals.com
Vol.156/No.16 32 pages