Jayhawks roll past Canada
USA TODAY Obama marks Charleston tragedy remembrance. 1B
SPORTS, 1C
L A W R E NC E
Journal-World
®
$1.00
LJWorld.com
SATURDAY • JUNE 27 • 2015
Same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. 1B
Reagan justice casts deciding vote. 6A
‘Battle has just begun’ in Topeka, activists say. 6A
COURT: ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE In Kansas, issue will continue to divide By Peter Hancock Twitter: @LJWpqhancock
G
ay rights activists in Kansas were elated Friday by news the U.S. Supreme Court had declared same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. But conservatives who support the state’s 10-year-old ban on gay marriage decried it as an “activist court” trampling on states’ rights. “Today is a day we cease to be second-class citizens in the state of Kansas,” said Tom Witt, executive director of Equality Kansas, a gay rights advocacy group. Witt was in the Statehouse in Topeka on Friday for a previously scheduled rally that coincided with the Legislature’s “sine die” ceremony to officially end Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo the 2015 session. He said it GEORGE HARRIS, 82, LEFT, AND JACK EVANS, 85, kiss after being married by Judge Dennise Garcia, foreground, in Dallas on Friday. was poetic justice that he Gay and lesbian Americans have the same right to marry as any other couples, the U.S. Supreme Court declared in a landmark ruling would be in that building on deciding one of the nation’s most contentious and emotional legal questions of the past century. National perspective, 1B the day the court decision came down. “I didn’t get involved in politics until the marriage ban started getting moved through this building back By Karen Dillon never thought I would in 2004 and 2005,” he said. Twitter: @karensdillon live to see this day,” “So to be here at the moSince same-sex said Bergeron, a retired ment they overturned that marriage became legal avid Bergeron, Kansas University ban was a great moment.” in Kansas on Nov. 12, of Lawrence, English professor, who 49 same-sex couples Please see COURT, page 6A let go with a married Geraldo Sousa have submitted marpeal of laughter on on Nov. 17, 2014, at riage applications in Friday when he was Plymouth Congrega“We’ll make Douglas County, acasked what he thought tional Church, during a cording to the Douglas about the U.S. Supreme time of legal seesawing sure it’s legal County District Court Court’s ruling just a few and uncertainty when in Kansas, Clerk’s office. Of those hours before that made marriages were permit49, 41 couples have it legal everywhere in ted in Douglas County too, whether completed all the America for same-sex but not in other counRichard Gwin/Journal-World File Photo steps necessary and couples to marry. ties in Kansas. the governor — Rep. Boog have been granted their Lawrence residents Geraldo Sousa, left, and David “In a word, it’s likes it Bergeron were married here last November. marriage licenses. Please see DAY, page 6A fabulous. Amazing. I Highberger,
‘I never thought I would live to see this day’
Douglas County
D
or not.”
D-Lawrence
School finance: Court orders state to pay $49.6 million “ “ Tax lid tweaked By Peter Hancock
The three-judge panel has once again Topeka — A three-judge dis- violated its Constitutional trict court panel ruled Friday authority with this ruling.”
All that remains is for the Legislature to adequately and equally fund education.”
Twitter: @LJWpqhancock
Kansas legislators moved quickly Friday to fix a technical problem with a new law for limiting local property taxes starting in 2018, but they’re likely to face more debate next year over whether the policy should be modified. 2A
that the state’s new block grant system of funding schools is unconstitutional, and it or- — Gov. Sam Brownback dered the state to immediately pay nearly $49.6 million to lo- funding system in March. cal school districts to restore The state also will have to money that was cut from the add that much each of the next current year’s budget when two years, the court said. lawmakers passed a new school The court also struck down
Business Classified Comics Deaths
Low: 62
Today’s forecast, page 10A
key provisions of the new law districts, and it did so in a way that change the way certain that appears to put the old forkinds of “equalization” aid for mulas back in place, despite the general operations and mainPlease see SCHOOL, page 2A tenance is distributed to local
INSIDE
Mostly sunny
High: 83
— Rep. Tom Burroughs, of Kansas City
2A 7C-13C 14C 2A
Events listings Horoscope Opinion Puzzles
5A, 2C Sports 7A Television 9A USA Today 7A
Join us at Facebook.com/LJWorld and Twitter.com/LJWorld
1C-6C 10A, 2C 1B-8B
‘Racist’ remarks A complaint against Kansas Rep. Valdenia Winn over comments she made to a special House committee has been dismissed. Page 3A
Vol.157/No.178 32 pages