Topeka ? The chairman of the Kansas Republican Party is using the flap over the Kansas University Medical Center’s partnership negotiations to raise political funds for the GOP.

On Monday, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius vetoed a budget proviso that would have restricted KUMC’s affiliation efforts with Kansas City, Mo.-based St. Luke’s Hospital.

That prompted criticism from State GOP Chairman Kris Kobach and a call for contributions to the Republican Party.

“Your support will enable us to tell Kansans that the Governor is more concerned about protecting Missouri businesses than a long standing Kansas institution,” Kobach wrote in an e-mail to Kansas Republican Party members.

“Your contribution of $2,000, $1,000, $500, $250, $100, $50, or $25 will help us achieve that goal,” he said.

Sebelius said she vetoed the Legislature-endorsed budget proviso because she felt lawmakers were unnecessarily interfering with delicate negotiations that involve KUMC and St. Luke’s, and KUMC and KU Hospital.

The proviso said that KUMC could not enter into any affiliation agreement until it completed a new operating agreement with KU Hospital.

“Imposing these restrictions would unnecessarily interfere in ongoing negotiations with the KU Hospital and prevent the KU Medical Center from accomplishing its core mission of educating its students, which is why I veto this proviso,” Sebelius had said.

KUMC has said the affiliation with St. Luke’s is needed to improve medical research in the region and help KU attain status as a national cancer treatment center.

But officials with KU Hospital, which competes with St. Luke’s, have said the deal will hurt KU Hospital. Many lawmakers have also expressed concern that the proposal would benefit the Missouri health care system at the expense of Kansas.

Sebelius, however, has sided with KUMC officials in this dispute, arguing that the affiliation with St. Luke’s will increase the number of trained doctors in Kansas.

In his e-mail, Kobach also accused Sebelius of ignoring Kansas law in a related development.

Last week, Attorney General Paul Morrison issued a legal opinion that said KU Provost Richard Lariviere couldn’t serve by virtue of his position on KU Hospital’s board of directors. Morrison noted the state law that governs the makeup of the board doesn’t include the provost position.

Lariviere had been put on the board by other board officials. Sebelius has said she had nothing to do with that appointment.

Sebelius’ office declined to comment on Kobach’s e-mail and referred instead to her prepared statement when she vetoed the budget proviso.