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Senate panel recommends confirmation of Stegall Critics question ability to be impartial on the bench
By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
TOPEKA — A Senate committee on Tuesday recommended approval of Gov. Sam Brownback’s nomination of Caleb Stegall to the Kansas Court of Appeals under a new judicial selection
process that has generated criticism from Democrats and open government advocates. Stegall’s supporters described him as a top-notch lawyer with a pristine rep-
utation, while detractors called into question his ability to separate his political beliefs from rulings he’ll be asked to make on the state’s second highest court. Stegall, 41, who is Brown-
back’s chief counsel, faced questions about a written statement from 2005 in which he advocated “forcible resistance� to a court order to remove life support from Terri Schiavo. The
Florida woman had been in a vegetative state and was at the center of the national right-to-die debate. Stegall said his support of Please see PANEL, page 5A
Stegall
House passes Hard 50 revision
For a day, dogs rule the pool
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Lawmakers meeting in special session to adjust state sentencing law By John Milburn Associated Press
ENJOYING THE ANNUAL Pooch Plunge Tuesday at the Lawrence Outdoor Aquatic Center are, clockwise from far left, Sammie Messick and dog Rufus; Ginny Wessels and dog Dash; Ilanna Ferrari, 10, and dog Trixie; and Carrie Hall and dog Boo. Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photos
TOPEKA — Lawmakers began revamping a long-used state law on Tuesday that automatically imposes a 50-year prison sentence on some convicted murderers, an effort sparked by a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down a similar law in Virginia. The House voted 122-0 late Tuesday afternoon to approve the fix, sending the measure to the Senate which will take up LEGISLATURE the measure today. The bill was amended slightly from a version discussed last week by a special legislative committee charged with reviewing the issue. In Kansas, the only penalties tougher than the “Hard 50� are capital punishment and life without parole, the alternative to death in a capital case and a sentence also possible Please see HARD, page 5A
Proof-of-citizenship requirement unlikely to change. Page 3A
Smoke coming out of toilet? Don’t panic; it’s just a test, city says By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
Smoke coming out of your toilet is never a good thing, but in a few areas of Lawrence in coming weeks, it may not be as concerning as you would think. City officials on Tuesday were alerting residents that they may begin seeing harmless
smoke in a variety of places in their homes and yards as the city embarks on a nearly $20 million project to improve the community’s sewer system. “Don’t panic,� said Jeanette Klamm, a spokeswoman for the city’s utility department. The smoke will be caused by private contractors pumping nontoxic smoke into city sewer
rience the smoke testing, which is expected to begin in about a week. In many cases, the testing might result in smoke escaping into people’s homes. If a system is relatively free of leaks, the smoke should come out the vent pipes that run through the roofs of many homes. But in other cases, homeowners may
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lines. The crews then monitor where the smoke comes out, and use that information to determine where the city’s large underground sewer pipes might be leaking. Neighborhoods near the Ninth and Emery area in central Lawrence and neighborhoods east and north of 23rd and Haskell will be the first to expe-
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Today’s forecast, page 10A
see smoke coming out of floor drains, sump pumps or even from underneath their toilets. Cliff Cate, a project manager for the city-hired contractor TREKK Design Group, said it is not uncommon for the wax ring of a toilet to shrink and allow a place for the smoke to escape. Please see SMOKE, page 6A
Art teacher wins award
Vol.155/No.247 28 pages
An art teacher at Free State High School has been named one of the school district’s two Horizon Award winners for exemplary service as a novice educator. Page 3A
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