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MONDAY • APRIL 14 • 2014
PLANTING SEASON
Cold spring stalls farmers
Governor’s pen likely will doom tenure ———
Analysis: Pressure on Brownback won’t stop him from signing school bill By John Hanna Associated Press
equipment prepared. “Normally, we’d really be starting to get a lot of corn in the ground now, but it’s a little bit too cold,” Mary Ross said. With a snow-and-rain mix possible this morning and a low tonight of 24 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, it’s a good thing they waited. “We’re not going to hit it very
Topeka — Republican Gov. Sam Brownback is all but certain to resist pressure to veto a proposal that would end tenure for public school teachers, approved by the Legislature as part of a court-mandated education funding plan. Brownback must act on the bill before April 26. Signing the anti-tenure proposal into law could complicate Brownback’s reelection by energizing thousands of angry educators to work against him. He’s avoided public statements about the measure’s merits. Gov. Sam But Brownback, his aides Brownback and high-ranking Republi- will be forced can allies in the Legislature to take action already have explained why on the GOPthey believe the measure authored school should become law. bill in the next Top GOP legislators ar- two weeks. gue that the anti-tenure Members of policy is not as harsh as it both parties has been portrayed and will say a veto help remove bad teachers is unlikely. from classrooms. Brownback and his staff have noted that the measure is part of broader legislation increasing aid to poor school districts, and the whole thing probably would have to be sacrificed to save tenure. Lawmakers face a July 1 deadline, imposed by the Kansas Supreme Court, which gives them little time to start over. “We need to continue funding our schools,” Brownback spokeswoman Eileen Hawley said, promising the governor will “take a very careful look” at all the bill’s provisions.
Please see FARMERS, page 2A
Please see TENURE, page 2A
John English/Special to the Journal-World
A FARMER WORKS ON HIS SPRING PLANTING Thursday in a field east of Lawrence, along County Road 442, while a flock of hungry birds looking for turned-up worms and insects follows. Most local farmers say soil temperatures are still too cold to start their spring planting.
Many have delayed planting for warmer days; freezing temperatures tonight won’t help “Nowadays guys don’t go by the calendar; they go by the soil temperature and weather forecast,” said hile the weather has Scott Spear, agronomist with J.B. been warming up lately, Pearl Sales and Service of Perry. it hasn’t been quite “I’d say only about 20 to 30 percent warm enough for most of guys have started planting. Most local farmers to start planting of them are trying to get the cobspring crops. webs out of everything, making sure A handful of Lawrence-area proeverything’s ready to go.” ducers have begun to plant corn, while That’s the case over at Nunemakermany others are preparing to begin as Ross farms northeast of Lawrence, soon as soil temperatures rise. where farmers are getting their By Giles Bruce
Twitter: @GilesBruce
W
Sebelius: Health care launch ‘terribly flawed’ but ended in success By Philip Elliott Associated Press
Washington — The Obama administration’s timeline for having ready the new health care law’s online sign-up system “was just flat out wrong,” outgoing Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in an interview that aired Sunday. The departing health chief
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impact and said millions of Americans now have access to health care because of it. “People have competitive choices and real information for the first time ever in this in— Kathleen Sebelius, outgoing Health and Human Services surance market,” said Sebelius, secretary, on NBC’s “Meet the Press” who last week announced her resignation. But she acknowledged the also said the two months when “a pretty dismal time” and the rocky rollout for the online healthcare.gov was plagued low point of her five-year ten- sign-up system fraught with with technical problems were ure. But she defended the law’s technical problems that left
INSIDE
Morning snow Business Classified Comics Deaths
High: 45
Low: 20
Today’s forecast, page 10A
8A 5B-9B 10B 2A
Events listings Horoscope Opinion Puzzles
6A, 2B Sports 9B Television 9A 9B
1B-4B 10A, 2B
Please see SEBELIUS, page 2A
Vol.156/No.103 20 pages
East side fitness center The Lawrence-based company that hosts Color Run events throughout the country is planning to open a major new fitness center in East Lawrence. Page 8A
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Americans frustrated. “Clearly, the estimate that it was ready to go Oct. 1 was just flat out wrong,” Sebelius said. HealthCare.gov was envisioned as the principal place for people to buy insurance under Obama’s health care law. But its first few weeks were an embarrassment for the administration and its allies.
Having failed once at the front of October, the first of December became a critical juncture.”
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