Topeka ? Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Shallenburger said Wednesday that he supported “the law of the land” that guarantees children of undocumented immigrants have access to a public school education.

Shallenburger, the Kansas state treasurer, was asked his position on the matter last week and didn’t have an answer. “Ask me in about a week,” he had said.

As promised, one week later, Shallenburger issued a news release with his answer.

“I fully support the law of land which guarantees public school education to immigrants. I have never questioned the Supreme Court ruling that protects the educational opportunities for undocumented immigrants,” Shallenburger said.

He also said his first act as governor would be to establish a Cabinet-level agency to deal with issues affecting children and families, including those of undocumented immigrants.

The issue arose after fellow Republican Connie Morris, who probably will be seated on the Kansas State Board of Education, said she opposed spending taxpayer dollars to educate children of undocumented workers. Morris won the Aug. 6 GOP primary for the western Kansas district and faces no Democratic opposition in the November general election.

A 20-year-old U.S. Supreme Court ruling prohibits public schools from denying immigrant students access to a public school education.

Immigration experts said they were surprised that neither Morris nor Shallenburger seemed aware of the ruling.

After Shallenburger’s initial no-comment on the issue, Democrat Kathleen Sebelius’ campaign said the state had an “obligation to educate every child living in Kansas, period.”

Morris’ comments about illegal immigrants have some education officials concerned.

But contacted Wednesday, Morris, a former school teacher, said she did not intend to pursue the issue during her tenure on the education board.

“This is just a personal belief that a lot of people latched onto and started discussing. I don’t intend to bring it up” as a board member, she said.

Morris said she supported Shallenburger “100 percent. I appreciate his leadership and stand behind him completely.”