Political postcard inquiry continues

The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission is satisfied with the information it has received from a group that sent a political postcard targeting City Commissioner David Schauner during the last election.

Carol Williams, executive director of the ethics commission, said Monday that the organization previously had concerns that a campaign finance report filed by Teachers for a Better Lawrence was not signed by its treasurer, Mike Capra, an area plumber and frequent Schauner critic. But Williams said that Capra has since signed the document.

A U.S. Postal Service investigation into another postcard – one spuriously claiming Schauner had been involved in domestic abuse – continues, postal inspector John Salanitro said.

Salanitro said there was no timeline to complete the investigation. He said the Postal Service was investigating whether the postcard, also mailed just days prior to the election, paid the proper amount of postage. That postcard was mailed anonymously, but two Lawrence printers have said Capra approached them about printing the postcard.

Senate bill provides water-project funding

The U.S. Senate last week passed an Energy and Water Appropriations bill that will provide funds for several Kansas projects.

Notably, the bill included continued funding of the work of the Corps of Engineers for operations and maintenance on Clinton Lake and Perry Lake. Clinton will receive $1.987 million and Perry $2.211 million.

The bill also includes $1 million for a study of the degradation of the Missouri River riverbed and $100,000 for the study of the Kansas River in Topeka.