Late appointment

On his last work day as attorney general, Phill Kline appointed journalist John Marshall to the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission.

Marshall, editor and president of The Lindsborg News-Record, will take his position Wednesday, and one of the first items of business he will face is a hearing on a complaint against Kline, alleging improper campaign use of state computers.

Under state law, the attorney general gets an appointment to the commission, but in his four years as attorney general Kline had made no appointment, which allowed the appointment of his predecessor to serve on the panel.

But on Jan. 5, Kline appointed Marshall.

Senators on task forces

Two Lawrence legislators are working on Senate task forces this session.

Marci Francisco, a Democrat, is on the task force that will recommend proposals to pay for a backlog of repairs at state colleges and universities, and Roger Pine, a Republican, is on the health care task force that is looking at expansion of access and other programs.

Iowa envy

After hearing that Kansas trailed most Midwestern states in several economic indicators, state Sen. Roger Reitz, R-Manhattan, said Kansas needed to find out Iowa’s secret.

“It seems to me that Iowa and Kansas ought to be about the same,” Reitz said.

“Obviously, they are doing something right,” he said during the meeting of the Senate Commerce Committee. Officials with Kansas Inc. said they would draw up a comparison of business taxes between the two states to see whether there are areas Kansas could improve its tax policy.

All gone

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ chief counsel, Matt All, of Lawrence, is leaving the administration to handle legal work for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, the state’s largest health insurer.

The irony is that in 2002, All was fighting Blue Cross attorneys as an assistant state insurance commissioner when Sebelius, then insurance commissioner, rejected the proposed sale of Blue Cross to Anthem Insurance Cos. of Indianapolis. At the time, it was a transaction that Blue Cross wanted.

Bishops state policy positions

Three bishops representing 200,000 members of the Methodist, Lutheran and Episcopal churches wrote Gov. Kathleen Sebelius urging compassion for undocumented workers, abolition of the death penalty, access to health care, assistance for the needy and upkeep of university buildings.

The letter was from Scott Jones, bishop of the United Methodist Church-Kansas area; Gerald Mansholt, central states Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church; and Dean Wolfe, of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas.

“While there are narrow and more strident voices that seek to speak for the Christian community, we come from traditions representing a broad and inclusive understanding of the Christian faith as it pertains to the public good,” they said.

Alarming inaugural

After her seven-minute inaugural address last week, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius received a ground-shaking 19-gun salute from four 75 mm howitzers. As the thundering blasts faded, they were replaced by the wailing of dozens of car alarms.

Quote of the week:

“You wouldn’t want to compare Kansas with granola country.”

– House Speaker Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, when asked whether California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s call for universal health care signaled a shift in Republican thinking on the issue.

What’s next

10:30 a.m. Tuesday: hearing before Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee on SB 29, which would exempt Social Security income from state income tax. Room 519-South, Capitol.

11 a.m. Wednesday: hearing before Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission on complaint against former Attorney General Phill Kline, alleging improper campaign use of state computers. 109 S.W. Ninth Ave., Suite 504.

9 a.m. Thursday: hearing before House Taxation Committee on HB 2031, which would repeal the franchise tax. Room 519-South, Capitol.