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Regents reduce budget request
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A rendezvous with history
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KU building project also put on hold By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
TOPEKA — Hoping to appease Gov. Sam Brownback and the state Legislature, the Kansas Board of Regents on Thursday approved a slimmed-down budget request and put a major Kansas University building project proposal on hold. The total increase sought by the regents was $31.8 million, down from the nearly $60 million that higher education institutions had sought. The request will now go to Brownback’s budget office. Brownback will propose a state budget in January for the Legislature to consider. The biggest hit by the regents was to community colleges for technical education. Studies have indicated that workforce-related training is underfunded and needs a $60 million increase. A staff proposal recommended $20 million, but, on a 4-3 vote, the board lowered that to $8 million. Regent Fred Logan Jr. of Leawood said the $20 million request would produce “eyerolling” among state leaders. But Regent Tim Emert, a former Senate majority leader from Independence, said that asking for a lower amount at the start of negotiations was not a good strategy. “I am no fortune-teller, but you will not get the $8 million. You might get closer to the $8 million” if the original recommendation is higher, he said. Regent Christine DowneySchmidt of Inman said she agreed with Emert, but because of the tight budget situation and Brownback’s stated support of technical education, she was willing to “gamble” and ask for $8 million in the hopes of getting the full amount. Regent Kenny Wilk of Lansing told community colleges not to get discouraged,
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Renters dominate Lawrence market By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
Kevin Anderson/Journal-World Photos
DORIAN CARLSON, 3, GOES FOR A RECREATIONAL RUN while his family attends the eighth annual Bald Eagle Rendezvous on Thursday in Lecompton. The event includes history re-enactments, BELOW LEFT, and discussions, as well as demonstrations of knife throwing, blacksmithing, tanning and other activities. BELOW RIGHT: Randy Hittle, of Mayetta, demonstrates how mountain men built fires from found materials. The event goes through Saturday at the Democratic Headquarters on East Second Street in Lecompton.
See the video at LJWorld.com
Please see REGENTS, page 2A
It has been a decade of adding renters and adding empty houses in Lawrence. New numbers were released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau that show a snapshot of the 2010 demographics of the city, and also provide a glimpse at how much the city’s housing market has changed. Here’s a look at what the numbers, which are part of the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, say about everything from During the housing to health insur- last decade, ance to jobs: Lawrence !" Lawrence’s population is becoming more added renters dominated by renters. at about five Lawrence, because of its times the nalarge number of university students, long has tional average. had a higher percentage of renters than an average community. But the new numbers show that renters now make up 58.2 percent of the city’s total occupied households. That’s up from 54.1 percent in 2000, according to data from the 2000 Census. The influx of renters means that homeowners now make up 41.8 percent of the city’s total occupied households. !" Lawrence is adding renters faster than other places. During the last decade, Lawrence added renters at about five times the national average. Despite a decade of low interest rates, the percentage of renters in the U.S. as a whole did increase slightly, by 0.8 percent. But that was nothing compared with here. Lawrence’s share of renters grew by 4.1 percent during the decade. !" Renters may be part of the reason the city’s growth rate has slowed. The average size of a rental household in Lawrence is 1.94 people compared with 2.54 people in an owner-occupied household. What’s more, the average size of a rental household in Lawrence dropped significantly during the decade. The average size of a Lawrence rental household in 2000 was 2.07 people. That’s a drop of 6 percent. City leaders may pay more attention to those numbers as they try to determine Please see CENSUS, page 2A
Brownback endorses Texas Gov. Rick Perry for president By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
TOPEKA — Gov. Sam Brownback, who has said he wants to make Kansas more like Texas, now wants to make the whole United States more like Texas. On Thursday, Brownback endorsed Texas Gov. Rick Perry for president. “Rick Perry is the right leader for this moment in history,” Brownback said of his fellow Republican. “Now more than ever, America needs a president who knows how to create
jobs and stop Washington’s runaway spending,” he said. Brownback, a friend of Perry’s, made headlines over the summer as the only governor to appear in person with Perry at a stadium prayer event in Houston that was put on by several groups that are highly critical of homosexuality and abortion rights. On Thursday, he praised Perry’s record as governor in Texas, saying he cut taxes and helped Texas become a leader in job creation. “On the most important issues of our time, his record of leadership serves as
Brownback was set to travel to Florida later Thursday as Perry’s guest at a Republican presidential candidate debate. Brownback Brownback’s office said that no state of Kansas funds are being expended for the trip. Asked if he had any aspirations in a potential Perry administration, Brownback, who took office as governor in January, said, “No, thank you. I’m very happy with
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a blueprint for America’s renewal,” Brownback said. Perry returned the praise, calling Brownback, a Perry former senator and U.S. House member, “one of the most respected voices for conservatism in the country.” Brownback has often used Texas as an example when touting his proposals to lower taxes and reduce regulations in Kansas.
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what I’m doing right now and fully occupied.” In 2007, Brownback, then a U.S. senator, ran for the Republican Party nomination for president, but his campaign failed to gain any traction. Shortly afterward, he endorsed the eventual GOP nominee, Sen. John McCain. During that campaign, Brownback was critical of Mitt Romney, who is seeking the nomination again and is seen as the chief rival to Perry. Bob Beatty, a political science professor at Washburn University, said Brownback’s endorsement is a “natural fit”
and will be of political value to Perry. “The timing is very logical because what we could have in this Republican nomination is a mirror of the Democratic side in 2008 (between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton). “We might be seeing a more drawn-out contest between Perry and Romney; both are well-funded and both have strengths in certain areas. That means the March 10 Kansas Republican caucus plays a role,” he said. — Statehouse reporter Scott Rothschild can be reached at 785-423-0668.
COMING SATURDAY Find out how Free State and Lawrence high schools fare on the football field tonight.
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