Ad Astra has been per aspera on the campaign trail.

The Kansa American Indian statue called Ad Astra is slated to be placed on top of the Statehouse dome soon at a cost of $750,000.

The statue’s name comes from the state motto ad astra per aspera which means “to the stars through difficulties.”

But after a round of state budget cuts and tax increases, the statue has become a symbol to many Kansans of a frivolous expense.

At forums and debates, Republican candidates for governor are frequently asked why the state is spending money to mount a statue during such hard economic times in state government.

The answer is that term-limited Gov. Bill Graves, who will leave office in January, wants it.

“If he and Linda (Graves’ wife) have to put it on their backs … that is going to happen,” said House Speaker Kent Glasscock, R-Manhattan, who is running for lieutenant governor with Bob Knight. Glasscock was faced with the question when he filled in for Knight at a recent appearance.

Lawmakers passed a bill during the last legislative session that would have prevented Graves from using state funds to pay for reinforcement of the dome for the 21-foot-tall, 6,000-pound statue. But Graves vetoed the measure.

Candidates critical

Senate President Dave Kerr, R-Hutchinson, who also is running for governor in the Aug. 6 primary, said he didn’t agree with his fellow Republican Graves about putting the statue on top of the Capitol.

But when an effort was made in the Senate to override the veto, Kerr stood by Graves, saying the attempt was pushed simply “to poke a stick in the governor’s eye.”

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, made the motion to override the veto. He said it was not an attempt to embarrass Graves, but simply to save some money.

The money to reinforce the dome is seen as an unnecessary expense by taxpayers, Hensley said.

“These are issues that the average voter understands. It’s wasting their tax dollars,” he said.

Knight has deflected questions about the statue, saying Graves has made the decision and it’s time to move on to other matters. Candidates Tim Shallenburger and Dan Bloom have criticized the expense for the project.

Reinforcement funded

The statue by Salina sculptor Richard Bergen was paid for with private funds, but the Capitol dome must be reinforced to hold the object. The statue, depicting a Kansa with an arrow pointed toward the sky, is being cast in Loveland, Colo.

Currently, cranes are being put in place around the Capitol to hoist scaffolding and then iron beams, which will be lowered through the 3-foot-wide lid on the dome, according to Ben Bauman, a spokesman for Graves’ Department of Administration.

The reinforcement part of the project will take several weeks. Officials said the statue would be put in place in late September or early October. The placement will include public events and ceremonies.

Graves is paying for the project with money that originally was earmarked to pay off bonds for the Capitol restoration project. According to the Governor’s Office, about $900,000 to pay off bonds was not expended in fiscal year 2002, which ended June 30.

So of that amount, $750,000 was set aside to reinforce the dome, and the rest will be used to pay for insurance on state buildings, said Kristin Heuertz, a spokeswoman for Graves.

Graves has promised further budget cuts because of the state’s worsening financial condition, but he has refused to back off his promise to put the statue on top of the dome. He said the state committed to the project years ago and should honor its commitment.