LJWorld.com weblogs Statehouse Briefing
Posted
by Scott Rothschild
February 6, 2009 at noon
Republicans want Sebelius out of Kansas
TOPEKA — Republican Senate leaders who have been at odds with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius over proposed budget cuts said Friday they hope Sebelius does get picked by President Obama to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services. “It might actually be helpful,” said Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt, R-Independence. He said he thought about writing a letter to Obama on behalf of Sebelius in getting the HHS job. Both he and state Sen. John Vratil, R-Leawood, vice president of the Senate, said Sebelius hasn’t been helpful in solving the current state budget problems. Lawmakers face a growing budget deficit of nearly $200 million that is expected to increase to nearly $1 billion in the next fiscal year. Amid the state budget fight, Sebelius has been named in media reports as a top contender for the HHS job after Obama’s first pick, Tom Daschle, dropped out because of tax problems. In Kansas, GOP leaders and Sebelius have been at loggerheads over how much to cut public schools in order to bridge the current budget gap. Sebelius has praised a bipartisan plan to reduce school spending by approximately $25.3 million while Republican leaders say the cut should be at least double that to protect other areas of the state budget. But Sebelius has criticized GOP leadership plans, saying more targeted cuts are needed instead of broader across-the-board reductions.
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Comments
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Bob_Keeshan (anonymous) says…
Not helpful? This from two Senators whose own plans for reducing the budget deficit failed 25-15 amid blistering criticism from all sides.If getting Sebelius out of Topeka would be helpful, it is obvious getting these two out would be absolutely miraculous.Talk about two guys living in a glass house...
getreal (anonymous) says…
Not surprising of Vratil. This is the guy who promoted his firm as winning the school finance lawsuit, even though they got clobbered in court! I think these two guys are legends in their own minds.Ironic that John Vratil continues to cut funding for the public schools he represents as a school attorney.Patrons should question their districts about using what little money Vratil leaves them to line his and his law firm's pockets.Surely there are good school attorneys that aren't voting to cut school funding?
Akreed (anonymous) says…
The author of this article should change his name to Captain Obvious. Next headline we'll have "Bin Laden isn't friends with the west"
snap_pop_no_crackle (anonymous) says…
DonQ beat me to the draw.
pooter (anonymous) says…
Hopefully she's paid all her taxes...*
rightthinkertwo (anonymous) says…
Is She still campaigning for Abama!