IN 1977

A bill to authorize cities or counties to impose a local sales tax of one-half of 1 percent was passed 108-15 by the Kansas House and sent back to the Senate. The bill was due to have a major effect on Lawrence’s ability to raise additional money for its police and fire departments.

Kansas House Speaker John Carlin requested equal time on television to present the Democrat view of Gov. Robert Bennett’s address to the people about overspending and the dangers to the state financial structure.

A bill allowing cities and counties in Kansas to levy a “guest tax” on hotel and motel customers was signed into law, and there was substantial interest in it locally because of the sizable transient population of Lawrence.

The Lawrence Citizens Advisory Council was studying ways to get more grassroots opinions and involvement in local government.

Kansas University declined to reveal the details of a complaint filed by one Iranian student against another after an alleged personal attack, presumably involving the clashing factions in Iran.

The Lawrence Police Department admitted one of its officers had been lobbying for the Kansas Fraternal Order of Police with local pay, and city commissioners ordered an immediate halt to such activity, pending a study of the amount of time involved in the effort.

IN 1962

The Carnegie Foundation showed its faith in the Kansas University-Costa Rica faculty exchange program with a $100,000 grant for expansion.

Work on the new Douglas County State Lake in the Vinland area was about to get under way.

IN 1902

On April 1, 1902, the Lawrence Journal noted sentiment was growing for a meeting regarding paving. The Journal reported the comments of an unidentified “Massachusetts street business man” who stated: “It seems to me that with the big business blocks in sight, that the property owners along Massachusetts street can afford to pay the expense of paving. Mr. Bowersock assures that we are nearer a post office building than ever before, and that will mean the expenditure of $100,000; the new court house will cost $80,000; the new Fraternal Aid building will cost $50,000 to $60,000 and a communication received yesterday from Mr. Carnegie, in which he says previous papers sent him have been lost, and asks for a restatement of the case in Lawrence, indicates that the chance of for a Carnegie library is not yet lost.”