School finance countdown

41 days: The state Supreme Court has given lawmakers until April 12 to produce a constitutional school finance plan.

Wednesday’s highlights

• Republicans in the Kansas Senate scaled back the three-year $455 million school finance plan to a one-year $169 million plan. But after four hours of debate, the Senate adjourned without completing work on the bill so that some senators could get to the Kansas University-Kansas State basketball game.
• Anti-abortion advocates are renewing calls for safety standards for abortion clinics. A group of Republican legislators said they would reintroduce a bill that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius had vetoed in 2003.

Today’s schedule

11 a.m.: House convenes and is scheduled to take up House Select Committee on Education school finance plan.

1:30 p.m.: Senate Education Committee hearing on bill limiting the use of seclusion and restraint used on students with disabilities.

2 p.m.: Atty. Gen. Phill Kline conducts news conference on legal brief he plans to file with Kansas Supreme Court concerning his investigation, seeking medical records at two abortion clinics.

2:30 p.m.: Senate takes up education bills.

Quote of the day

“Athletics is more important than education, and once again the Senate is proving it.”

— State Sen. Janis Lee, D-Kensington, complaining after the Senate adjourned during school finance debate so that some senators could go to the KU-K-State basketball game.