Repealer says he has received hundreds of suggestions to erase state laws / LJWorld.com

Topeka — From laws dealing with lynching to the recent smoking ban, Kansas Department of Administration Secretary Dennis Taylor on Monday said he has received hundreds of suggestions on measures to be repealed.

Taylor, who also was appointed by Gov. Sam Brownback as the state’s repealer, said he would present his report to the governor soon.

He said Brownback would then make recommendations to the Legislature on what laws to repeal. Brownback, through an executive order, created the Office of the Repealer, saying he wanted to get rid of outdated, unreasonable and burdensome laws.

Taylor has been receiving suggestions from the public through a website and a recently completed statewide tour. “We are listening to people,” he said.

He said that among the many laws people have suggested be repealed is one from the early 1900s that states a sheriff should lose his or her job if a person in custody is lynched. The statute also outlines a process for the sheriff to get reinstated.

Taylor told a legislative committee dealing with rules and regulations there have also been many public comments both for and against the law that allows the eradication of prairie dogs.

Sen. Ralph Ostmeyer, R-Grinnell, asked if that recommendation was suggested at a meeting in Lawrence. There was no repealer meeting in Lawrence, and Taylor said it was suggested at other meetings. But Ostmeyer persisted, saying he wanted to know if Taylor would accept a suggestion from a Lawrence resident on something “that affected my district.”

On the 2010 law that prohibited smoking in indoor public places, Taylor said some people are unhappy with it.

There has been talk by some in the Legislature of trying to get rid of the law, but Taylor would not say whether Brownback would propose such a move.

During his campaign for governor, Brownback said it was hypocritical for the state to ban smoking in most indoor, public places but not in state-owned casinos.

pace 2 years, 4 months ago

I hope he kept a list of all laws suggested for repeal. Maybe he could share all of them rather than a couple. Sen. Ralph Ostmeye loves Lawrence, he want to be with Lawrence, He wants to marry Lawrence.

Katara 2 years, 4 months ago

Perhaps State Sen. Ralph Ostmeyer would prefer to eradicate prairie dogs by lynching them.

Keith 2 years, 4 months ago

'State Sen. Ralph Ostmeyer, R-Grinnell, asked if it was suggested at a meeting in Lawrence to do away with that law. There was no repealer meeting in Lawrence, and Taylor said it was suggested at other meetings. But Ostmeyer persisted, saying he wanted to know if Taylor was going to accept a suggestion from a Lawrence resident on something "that affected my district." '

Oxygen thief

Kirk Larson 2 years, 4 months ago

In Kansas it's illegal to fish with a telephone. Sounds stupid until you realize that you can throw the lines from an old crank phone into a pond and stun fish. I don't know, but I think we should keep laws that encourage Sheriffs to at least TRY to protect their prisoners.

thebigspoon 2 years, 4 months ago

Goodness! Just imagine a hypocritical law being repealed by the hypocritical governor. What a laugh.

clovis_sangrail 2 years, 4 months ago

Except for the prairie dogs, I would expect this list to be nothing more than a wish list from the Chamber of Commerce to get rid of those pesky irritants like minimum wage and the Kansas Department of Labor and the bank regulators.