Lawrence Journal-World 06-01-2015

Page 1

Riding ‘two horses at once’

USA TODAY

As presidential campaigns pick up, Bob Dole recalls juggling his past bids for the White House and his duties as a senator. 4A

Patriot Act provisions are set to expire. 1B

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MONDAY • JUNE 1 • 2015

‘We don’t turn anyone away’

KANSAS BUDGET

Bid to end sales tax exemptions is defeated Senate budget talks to continue today By Peter Hancock Twitter: @LJWpqhancock

Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo

PASTOR GARY MYER, OF LAWRENCE BAPTIST TEMPLE, 3201 W. 31ST ST., WALKS A GROUP OF KIDS across the street to the church bus Sunday. Myer picks up children and adults each Sunday to take them to his church for services, Sunday school and a hot breakfast.

Bus-driving pastor marks 50 years of ministry

By Rochelle Valverde

ONLY IN LAWRENCE

Twitter: @RochelleVerde

I

t’s early Sunday morning, and Pastor Gary Myer is starting up a 21-passenger bus. He will spend more than two hours on his route this morning, picking up kids to take them to his church for breakfast and Sunday school, and then taking them back home afterward. Myer has been doing the bus route for almost 40 years. This morning, Myer, 72, makes his way up an uneven front sidewalk to knock on the door of the first house on his route. The morning is unseasonably

A Monday feature highlighting the behindthe-scenes stars and unsung heroes who make Lawrence a special place to live. To suggest someone for an Only in Lawrence feature, email news@ljworld.com. Put Only in Lawrence in the subject line.

Please see PASTOR, page 2A

Topeka — The Kansas Senate met late into the night Sunday debating a proposal to balance the state budget next year, mainly by repealing a number of sales tax exemptions. In the end, though, the Senate could only agree on one part of the proposal, reducing the overall sales tax rate. But it voted 30-9 against the main part repealing a host of sales LEGISLATURE tax exemptions that would have raised nearly $600 million in new revenue — enough to pay for the rate reduction and still fill in the $400 million revenue shortfall in next year’s budget. It was expected that the vote would send the Senate back to the drawing board today, the 102nd day of the session, to come Please see TAX, page 6A

l Judicial funding bill clears Senate, called unconstitutional by Dems. 3A

Police headquarters study could go on into November By Chad Lawhorn Twitter: @clawhorn_ljw

A proposed study on how the city should move forward on a multimillion dollar police headquarters project could last into mid-November, creating questions about whether city commissioners can feasibly address the issue during the upcoming 2016 budget session. Commissioner Stuart Boley has released more details about what he would like an ad hoc

citizens committee to “We know it is going to study, and he has sug- cost money to build.” gested a Nov. 17 deadline Boley listed seven for its report. That broad topics he is well past the Auwants an ad hoc gust deadline the committee to city has for passing study. They are: l Review the a 2016 budget. But Farmer consultant re- Boley Boley said he thinks ports and docuthe commission can CITY l Review plans for a still work on ways COMMISSION ments that previto fund the police facility, ously have been prepared new facility with an eye even if it doesn’t exactly on the police headquarters toward gaining efficiencies with other agencies. know what shape a facility issue. l Consider the assump- Specifically he mentions may take. “We can have a dis- tions that have been made whether the city’s Mucussion about a funding about staffing levels for nicipal Court should also be located in a new police mechanism,” Boley said. the police department.

INSIDE

Mostly sunny Business Classified Comics Deaths

High: 73

Low: 53

Today’s forecast, page 10A

5A 5C-8C 8A 2A

Events listings Horoscope Opinion Puzzles

6A, 2C Sports 10C Television 9A USA Today 10C

1C-4C, 9C 10A, 2C 1B-8B

facility. l Review “any other appropriate topic that relates to the group’s report and recommendations.” l Consider funding options for improving police facilities. l Deliver a report that provides recommendations to the City Commission. Commissioners are scheduled to debate Boley’s proposal for a new committee at the commission’s Tuesday evening meeting.

“We have done listening sessions,” Mayor Jeremy Farmer said of several sessions that were held after voters rejected a sales tax proposal for the police project in November. “We love to have conversations in our community about the best way to move forward with things. What would be tragic is if we continue to have conversations and nothing happens in two or three years and Please see POLICE, page 2A

Vol.157/No.152 28 pages

Fighting trafficking Kansas University Hospital and KU law students partner to better identify, treat victims. Page 3A

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