Topeka ? Court-ordered school funding, angry Republicans, casino gambling and a possible preview of next year’s governor’s race.

These subjects and more will collide today at the start of the special legislative session, the first in Kansas since 1989.

On June 3, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled the $2.8 billion school finance system was inadequate and ordered the Legislature to increase funding by $143 million by July 1.

On Tuesday, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius urged lawmakers to comply with the order and also expand casino gambling to shore up the budget.

Her advice to the Legislature was “focus on the job at hand, find a way to fund this very critical investment, and then go home.”

Senate committees in recent days have informally prepared school finance and gambling legislation.

The school bill would cost $160 million and include a $27.4 million decrease in property taxes, all financed by larger than expected tax receipts over the last few months. The Lawrence school district would receive an increase of $3.86 million.

The casino measure would allow resort-type casinos in Wyandotte County and southeast Kansas, and slots at pari-mutuel tracks.

Sebelius said she was encouraged by the Senate movement.

But the wrangling and debate during committee meetings showed deep divisions, mostly based on geography and how the proposals affected local areas.

“Trying to get a consensus on the best course of action won’t be easy,” said Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton.

Court-bashing continues

And rumbling continued among conservative Republicans who say the state Supreme Court was out of bounds in ordering lawmakers to increase school funding by July 1.

“There is a lot of angst,” said House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka.

Mays, who is running for governor, was invited to speak at noon today at a Republican rally whose theme was “Just say no to judicial tyranny.”

A spokesman for Mays said he didn’t know whether the speaker would attend the rally.

The court-bashing may be good politics for conservatives but probably doesn’t reflect the opinions of most Kansans, Washburn University professor Bob Beatty said.

“Most Kansans are pretty clear-thinking people and don’t want to see Kansas on CNN for abolishing the Supreme Court,” he said.

Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka predicted the rally would be “just a bunch of hot air.”

Morris said he wasn’t pleased with the Supreme Court decision, but at this point lawmakers must obey the order.

“I don’t like it either, but we have a responsibility,” he said.

No taxes

About the only thing settled among Sebelius, Morris and Mays is that a tax increase won’t be needed. All have agreed that better-than-expected revenue in tax receipts can take care of the immediate court order.

Even so, budget problems are on the horizon.

In addition to new spending needs next year, the Supreme Court has stated that it would consider ordering an additional $568 million for schools.

A coalition of social service groups wrote a letter to state leaders urging them to increase funds for education, but not at the expense of programs helping the elderly and disabled.

Sebelius and Morris have said one way to avoid a budget meltdown next year is to allow expanded gambling.

School battle lines

Meanwhile, the school funding dilemma was tackled by the Senate Education Committee. Chairwoman Jean Schodorf, R-Wichita, tried to rally support for a proposal but found divisions along parochial lines.

Legislators representing large districts in wealthy Johnson County were at odds with lawmakers representing rural districts in sparsely populated west Kansas over the way dollars flowed to different-sized school districts.

The same kind of geographical fights were going on over casino gambling. In addition, there is major disagreement over whether to opt for state-owned casinos or enter into compacts with American Indian tribes, which own the four existing casinos in northeast Kansas.

Even renovation of the Capitol was providing hurdles for returning lawmakers.

Because of construction in the Senate chamber, the Senate will have to meet in the old Supreme Court room in the Capitol, without the aide of telephones or computers.

Morris gave Sebelius a brief tour of the setup.

“This is the first time the Senate has been outside the Senate chamber in history,” Morris said.

“It does strike me as somewhat ironic that you are in the old Supreme Court room,” Sebelius said.