Lawrence Journal-World 021215

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VALENTINE’S DAY EVENTS Whether you’re a couple or single, a look at what’s happening this weekend. Page 6A

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Journal-World

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THURSDAY • FEBRUARY 12 • 2015

They’re here! Tons of cookies arrive

WE’RE

MOVING

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Proposal would move all races to November, make them partisan

YOU

By Peter Hancock Twitter: @LJWpqhancock

Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo

GIRL SCOUT LEADERS BECKY MALETSKY, of Lawrence, from center left, and Gwen Craig, of Baldwin City, help unload shipments of Girl Scout cookies Wednesday at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. More than 5,500 cases of the sweet treats (with 12 packages to a case) arrived for distribution by area Girl Scouts.

SAVE!

Brownback proposes significant changes to state’s personnel policies Many workers would have civil service protections removed By Peter Hancock Twitter: @LJWpqhancock

Topeka — Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration is proposing large-scale changes in personnel policies for state workers by removing many of them from civil service protections and cutting the number of hours employees can accumulate in paid vacation or sick leave. Secretary of Administration Jim Clark announced those plans Wednesday, along with a plan to reopen all of the state’s negotiated agreements with labor unions, saying they are in-

tended to streamline personnel policies and make them more consistent with policies now widely used in the pri- Brownback vate sector. The announcement came one day after Brownback, a Republican, rescinded a 2007 executive order by former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat, that banned state agencies from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. But Clark insisted

Hearing on election bill draws crowd to Capitol

the two announcements were unrelated. “The answer is no,” Clark said when asked whether gay, lesbian or transgender employees would be treated differently following Tuesday’s announcement. “All we’re doing is following the law. ... We’re going back to what state law is.” Clark’s announcement Wednesday involved more technical changes in personnel policies, some of which the administration can do through regulatory changes, while others would require legislative approval. The changes also would not affect state universi-

EVERYTHING has been reduced for

IMMEDIATE CLEARANCE!

ties, which have all adopted their own internal human resources policies, Clark said. The changes requiring legislative approval include: l Changing a statute to give state agencies broader authority to change positions from “classified” jobs, which are governed by civil service procedures, to “unclassified” positions, which do not have civil service protection.

Topeka — Scores of people from nearly every region of Kansas packed into a Senate committee room Wednesday, while others testified by phone and Skype, to express support of and opposition to a bill that would move city and school board elections to November and make them partisan. Most of those supporting the bill said it would improve voter turnout in local elections, which are currently LEGISLATURE held in the spring of oddnumbered years. An overflow crowd showed up for a Senate committee hearing Wednesday on a bill Please see HEARING, page 2A l Legislators hold marriage hearings.

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l Foster care proposal would prefer

churchgoers. Page 5A

Town Talk

Please see CHANGES, page 2A l KU policy protects

Chad Lawhorn

LGBT workers from discrimination, despite governor’s action. Page 3A

clawhorn@ljworld.com

City outlines opposition to New KU residence halls to be named Self and Oswald election changes UP

K SAVINGS

80 ansas University has announced names for the two new residence halls being built on Daisy Hill: Madison A. and Lila M. Self Hall for the north building and Charles W. Oswald Hall for the south building. The Kansas Board of Regents approved the names during a meeting Wednesday in Topeka. The names honor three of KU’s most generous benefactors, now deceased. The Selfs are the single most generous donors in KU history. The couple’s donations supported students in

More from Regents

2014 brought their lifetime total to $106 million. Oswald is one of the university’s top five highest donors. His $22 million in lifetime giving included the creation of four professorships in the Department of Economics, as well as funds for faculty research in the department, along with unrestricted gifts. “The generosity of Al and Lila Self and Charley Oswald has truly changed the fabric of our university and enhanced the

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l Regents back KU’s quest for ‘comprehensive cancer center’ designation. Page 4A l Regents to study implications of same-sex marriage. Page 4A

OFF!

the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines, business and economics, and their final estate gift announced in December of

SEE INSIDE FOR

lives of countless students and faculty,” KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little said in a KU news release. “It is only fitting that their generosity be remembered through buildings that will house future generations of Jayhawks as they begin their lives on Mount Oread.” The two 350-student residence halls, exclusively for first-year students, are replacing McCollum Hall. The halls will be open for the fall 2015 semester.

MAJOR SAVINGS INSIDE

Sunny but chilly

EXAMPLES! Business Classified Comics Deaths

High: 33

Low: 17

Today’s forecast, page 8A

2A 5B-8B 10B 2A

Events listings Horoscope Opinion Puzzles

4A, 2B Sports 9B Style Scout 7A Television 9B

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he Lawrence City Commission is officially weighing in on the Statehouse debate about whether local elections should become partisan affairs. There is talk in Topeka of making city and school board elections partisan races that would be on the November ballots, along with races for governor, senator and legislators and other such races. Mayor Mike Amyx wrote a letter opposing the idea and submitted the letter as testimony for a hearing Wednesday by the Senate Committee on Ethics and Elections. Amyx cites a host of reasons for opposing a change in the local election cycle, which currently takes place in the spring and on a ballot that doesn’t feature statewide or partisan races. Among the reasons cited by Amyx:

Jayhawks want respect 1B-4B 6A 8A, 2B, 9B

The KU baseball team will once again have to prove doubters wrong after being picked to finish near the bottom of the conference this season. Page 1B

Please see CITY, page 2A

Vol.157/No.43 22 pages


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