Lawrence-area lawmakers say they’ve gotten more than the usual number of phone calls, emails and comments from constituents since the Kansas Legislature adjourned its regular session April 6, most of it from people upset about the school finance bill that also strips teachers of tenure protection.

“Oh my, yes,” said Rep. Barbara Ballard, a Democrat, who spoke by phone from California where she was visiting family on Friday.

“You hear from some who say, ‘Why was that such an important issue for them? Why didn’t they have a normal hearing to allow people to testify’,” she said. “Schools, principals and superintendents have made changes to make sure that teachers are qualified to be teaching in the classroom.”

Ballard said she was even approached while grocery shopping by a constituent who knew that she had voted against the bill, but was upset at the Legislature’s action anyway.

The final version of the school finance bill passed the House late on a Sunday night, April 6, after a marathon series of committee meetings and floor debates that began the previous Thursday.

It includes additional funding ordered by the Kansas Supreme Court to address equity issues in two portions of the school finance formula that direct additional aid to districts with relatively low property wealth.

But in an unusual move, the Legislature tacked onto the bill several controversial policy measures, including one that repeals a law that has existed since the 1950s that says teachers who have been on the job three or more years are entitled to an administrative due process hearing with an impartial fact — finder before they can be summarily dismissed — a right commonly known as teacher tenure.

“I’m getting a lot of thank-you’s for my no vote on the school finance bill,” said Sen. Marci Francisco, also a Democrat. She added that most of the comments came from local teachers and education advocacy groups.

“Those folks have been very diligent,” Francisco said.

But Francisco said school finance isn’t the only issue she’s hearing about. She said constituents have also expressed concerns about environmental policies.

“I’m hearing from some people who are really glad they didn’t do away with the time frame to allow (conservation) easements in perpetuity,” she said. “But there are still concerns about what’s happening with the lesser prairie chicken. Natural resources are still very much in play because the conference committee was just starting to meet on those issues.”

Rep. Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, said Thursday he hadn’t had time to sift through all his phone messages and emails, having just returned home from a vacation trip to Florida. But he said from what he had seen, much of it was about the school finance bill.

“A lot of stuff from teachers who are not pleased with elimination of due process rights,” he said.

The school finance bill was presented to Gov. Sam Brownback on Monday, April 14. He has 10 days — until Thursday, April 24 — to either sign or veto the bill, or it becomes law automatically.

Lawmakers will reconvene for what is normally a brief wrap-up session starting April 30.