Lawrence Journal-World 01-12-13

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Level of school funding ruled unconstitutional By Peter Hancock phancock@ljworld.com

The Kansas Legislature has violated its constitutional duty to provide suitable funding for public schools, a threejudge panel ruled Friday. Gov.

Sam Brownback warned that the decision could lead to “drastically” higher property taxes for Kansans. In a 326-page opinion, the judges, ruling in the case of Gannon vs. Kansas, effectively ordered the Legisla-

with that part of the court’s ruling would cost $442 million per year. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said Friday the state will appeal the decision. “Today’s ruling has enor-

mous consequences for the state of Kansas,” Schmidt said. In a statement, Gov. Brownback called the decision “disappointing” and Please see FUNDING, page 2A

COURTS

A lunch fit for a King

Colder

High: 39

ture to fund public schools at $4,492 per pupil, about $600 higher per pupil than present funding levels. Dale Dennis, Kansas deputy education commissioner in charge of finance and administration, said complying

Low: 17

Today’s forecast, page 8A

The Cider Building

INSIDE

Public funding sought for art gallery

LHS boys defeat Olathe South The Lawrence High School boys basketball team used a balanced offensive attack to take down secondranked Olathe South on Friday night, 48-44. Page 1B

By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com

ACCIDENT

Student seriously injured while skiing A 20-year-old Kansas University student remains in serious condition in a Denver hospital after a Wednesday skiing accident in Winter Park, Colo. Page 3A TRANSCRIPTS

District Court record missing A missing court record upsets an area woman, though Douglas County District Court gives assurances that such mishaps are rare. Page 3A

QUOTABLE

By the end of next year, 2014, the transition will be complete — Afghans will have full responsibility for their security, and this war will come to a responsible end.” — President Barack Obama, who met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the White House on Friday and agreed to accelerate their timetable for putting the Afghanistan army in the lead combat role nationwide. Page 4A

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Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo

ANGELA LONGHURST, CIRCULATION ASSISTANT at Lawrence Public Library, reacts to Bob Lockwood singing “(Let Me be Your) Teddy Bear.” Lockwood performed as Elvis Presley during a library staff lunch Friday at Liberty Hall. The gathering was to celebrate the staff’s work this week during the library’s move to its temporary location at Seventh and New Hampshire streets while the facility at 707 Vermont St. undergoes an $18 million expansion.

Mental health leaders encouraged by governor’s plan, want more details By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com

Mental health advocates on Friday welcomed Gov. Sam Brownback’s attention to mental health needs, but said his proposal to shift $10 million in funds must ensure that other services aren’t left wanting. “There are a lot of details to be worked out,” said David Johnson, chief executive officer of Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. “There will be the challenge of how this money gets used, coupled with the challenge of how to make sure we are not dropping the ball someplace else,” Johnson said.

On Thursday, Brownback announced an initiative that he said was aimed at providing $10 million to help treat the most at-risk and challenging popuBrownback lations. “While many Kansans and their families currently live under the dark cloud of mental illness, my hope is that this new initiative will be the start of a brighter day,” Brownback said. House Democratic Leader Paul Davis of Lawrence applauded Brownback for directing attention to mental health services. But Davis added he was con-

cerned “whether we’re simply robbing Peter to pay Paul.” Brownback’s proposal would establish a regional system of services for those who need intensive mental health care. He said he would also appoint a task force to evaluate the state’s current mental health system and make recommendations. Brownback said the task force would include experts in mental health, medicine and criminal justice. State grants to the 27 community mental health centers, which provide care for 123,000 Kansans per year and are required to serve all patients regardless of their ability Please see MENTAL, page 2A

INDEX Business Classified Comics Deaths Events listings Horoscope Movies Opinion Puzzles Society Sports Television Vol.155/No.12

5A 1C-4C 6C 2A 8A, 2B 5C 4A 7A 5C 6A 1B-7B 8A, 2B, 5C 22 pages

Kansas gun prosecutions ranked 3rd in nation By Roxana Hegeman Associated Press

WICHITA — The U.S. attorney’s office in Kansas has filed so many firearms cases that the Midwestern farm state ranked third last year among the 93 judicial districts nationwide in the numbers of gun prosecutions, Justice Department figures show. Only Puerto Rico and the Western District of Texas had more federal gun prosecutions than Kansas in the fiscal year ending September 2012. Kansas was first in the nation in gun prosecutions in 2011,

but fell to third place in 2012 despite prosecutors filing even more cases. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom credits the growing number of gun prosecutions Grissom in the state to his office urging local law enforcement agencies to refer to federal prosecutors cases of convicted felons who are unlawfully in possession of firearms — even when they do not have enough evidence to pursue other state charges.

Grissom told the Wichita Pachyderm Club on Friday that he told the local agencies, “If they are felons and you can pull them over and they are armed, give them to us and we will cut them out of your community. You can have a huge impact on the crime rate.” Federal prosecutors in Kansas filed gun-related charges against 447 people last year, up nearly 85 percent from the average of the four previous years. Firearms prosecutions nationwide remained relatively Please see GUNS, page 2A

Lawrence is on track to get a multimillion-dollar, privately owned art gallery in East Lawrence, but first city taxpayers will be asked for another round of public assistance. City commissioners at their Tuesday evening meeting will consider approving about $800,000 worth of street improvements and other construction-related expenses to upgrade the area around the recently r e n o v a t e d Krsnich Poehler Lofts building near Eighth and Pennsylvania streets. The proposed improvements are designed to assist a renovation of the Cider Building, a turn-of-the-20th century warehouse building that developer Tony Krsnich is working to convert into an art and events gallery. “I hate to overpromise, but I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t turn into a real destination,” Krsnich said. He and his partners are investing $1.8 million to convert the building, and Krsnich confirmed the gallery will be run by Kim Weinberger of Weinberger Fine Art Gallery in Kansas City. Krsnich said Weinberger currently is in New York working to bring significant works from noted artist Hunt Slonem to the gallery. All told, Krsnich said the gallery is expected to have more than $1 million worth of art in it when it opens, likely in the next two months. “This is probably the riskiest deal I have ever done in my life, but the importance of it in terms of what it can do for East Lawrence is so great,” Krsnich said. “I really think it will solidify East Lawrence.” Now, city commissioners will have to decide whether the area should receive another round of public infrastructure funding. The bulk of the projects sought by Krsnich are improvements to existing pieces of city infrastructure. They include:

$263,000 to rehabilitate Pennsylvania Street between Eighth and Ninth with new brick pavers. Please see GALLERY, page 2A


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