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THURSDAY • FEBRUARY 26 • 2015
Spring interlude
LEGISLATURE
House rejects bill limiting teacher negotiations ———
Compromise plan advances instead By Peter Hancock Twitter: @LJWpqhancock Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo
EIGHT-YEAR-OLD ALLISON MAYHEW reads a book Wednesday in her driveway. Her sister Logan, 5, is in the background. Temperatures Wednesday reached into the 50s. Today is expected to be considerably colder with highs in the 20s.
County approves building commission By Elliot Hughes Twitter: @elliothughes12
In another effort to keep on option open to raise funds for upcoming construction projects, the Douglas County Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to establish a public building commission. Public building commissions give local governments an avenue for issuing bonds to fund the construction of government facilities without voter approval. The
“
We want to have all possible options to choose from.” — Douglas County Commissioner Nancy Thellman mechanism is being created mainly with two upcoming projects in mind: renovations to the county fair-
grounds and expanding the county jail. Still, the county may not actually use the building commission for either of those projects. In January, the commission also took steps to keep a sales tax referendum open as a fundraising option. Counties in Kansas cannot hold such elections without the Legislature’s approval, so the commission voted to pursue the passage of a bill that would allow it to hold one. “We want to have all possible options to choose
from,” Commissioner Nancy Thellman said. A public building commission is composed of individuals appointed by the County Commission. It can then issue bonds for any facilities projects when instructed by the County Commission. Various local governments across Kansas have building commissions, including Johnson County, Franklin County and the city of Topeka, for example. The bond issue is subject to Please see COUNTY, page 2A
Topeka — The Kansas House on Wednesday rejected a bill that would have drastically limited the ability of teachers unions to negotiate contracts, and instead gave first-round approval to a compromise alternative that had been negotiated among various Rep. Sue Boldra, R-Hays, said education groups. The 67-52 vote in favor of the original the compromise plan was bill would set seen as a rare victory for education “back education groups in a Leg- 40 years.” islature dominated by conservatives. But it remained to be seen whether that coalition, made up mainly of Democrats and moderate Republicans, can hold together through the rest of the session. “What it means, at this point for me, is Please see TEACHERS, page 2A l For more legislative news, see pages
2A and 8A.
School board candidates discuss budget cuts, Common Core By Elliot Hughes Twitter: @elliothughes12
The four candidates competing for a two-year term on the Lawrence school board found little to argue about Wednesday night when they gathered to outline their positions on various issues. Applied anthropologist and
school board member Marcel Harmon, former school board member Mary Loveland, graphic artist Norine Spears and Kansas State Department of Education program consultant Kelly Spurgeon all had their nuances. But throughout an
ELECTION
2015
Business Classified Comics Deaths
Low: 1
Today’s forecast, page 8A
alition. Among the topics they just this past December. When asked how to deal with discussed: that, Spears and Spurgeon both School population growth said a new elementary school As housing development might need to be considered, continues to expand in Law- while Harmon said that in the rence’s western side, school at- next five to 10 years, a new tendance boundaries will need building would “probably” be to be evaluated in the coming necessary. years, even after the board alPlease see FORUM, page 2A ready approved new changes
INSIDE
Much colder
High: 23
hour-long forum at Merchants Pub and Plate on Wednesday, they more or less stayed in line with each other. The field of candidates will be narrowed down to two in next Tuesday’s primary election. Audio of the forum will be archived at LawrenceHits.com, which hosted the event along with the Voter Education Co-
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Events listings Going Out Horoscope Opinion
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Puzzles Sports Style Scout Television
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K-State downs KU
Vol.157/No.57 18 pages
Two days after the KU men’s basketball team lost to K-State, the KU women’s team followed suit in a 5548 loss to the Wildcats on Wednesday. Page 1B
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