Topeka ? 6:10 p.m.

Asked what he thought of former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole’s statement that health reform is needed, U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., said he agreed, but that “incremental” change was better.

Brownback said Thursday the proposals put forth by Democrats represent a massive government intrusion in health care.

Dole, speaking Wednesday at a health care reform summit in Kansas City, said health reform was “one of the most important measures members of Congress will vote on in their lifetimes.”

Dole said he opposed President Obama’s public option for health insurance. But Dole and former Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota released a statement, saying Congress should move forward on health reform. “The American people have waited decades and if this moment passes us by, it may be decades more before there is another opportunity.”

2:40 p.m.

U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Hays, who is running for the Republican nomination for Senate, says he has introduced a resolution calling on President Obama to cease appointing “czars.”

“The Obama administration’s excessive ‘czar’ appointments exemplify the ever-expanding federal bureaucracy and big government that Kansans and Americans have grown tired of,” Moran said.

The Kansas Democratic Party said Moran is kowtowing to right-wingers.

“For eight years Jerry Moran said nothing as Bush made a record number of executive appointments,” said State Democratic Party executive director Kenny Johnston. “To speak up now is nothing more than an attempt to court far-right primary voters,” he said. Moran faces U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, in the GOP primary for the Senate seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., who is running for governor in 2010.

Johnston pointed to an analysis done by FactCheck.org, a non-partisan, non-profit group that analyzes U.S. political issues and claims for accuracy.

The group said “czar” is a label mostly used by the media as shorthand for long titles of people who advise the president. And it said that President Bush’s administration had more “czars” than the Obama administration.

Moran has also sponsored legislation to prohibit paying the salary of “czars” that haven’t been confirmed by the Senate.

1:41 p.m.

U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Topeka, held a news conference today via telephone to try to straighten out reports about what a conference committee did with funding for a bio-security lab in Kansas.

The appropriations bill includes $32 million for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, $27 million of which can be spent upon the bill being enacted, said Brownback, who is a member of the conference committee.

About $5 million slated for construction of a central utility plant cannot be spent until more studies are done on the safety of the proposed lab, he said.

But those studies are expected to be completed before construction was to begin on the facility at Kansas State University, he said. “Bottom line, the bill keeps NBAF on schedule,” he said.

Wire reports yesterday initially said funding for the project was removed from the conference committee bill.

11:55 a.m.

A state senator says he will probably re-introduce legislation that would provide for higher tolls on the Kansas Turnpike for people who travel in excess of the posted speed limit of 70 mph.

State Sen. David Haley, D-Kansas City, said such a system would help produce revenue for a new transportation plan, and help avoid systemwide toll increases on the turnpike.

In addition, he said, “This new toll system would promote fuel economy, reduce vehicle emissions and save lives by diminishing accident risk.” He said his bill would not limit the Kansas Highway Patrol from issuing speeding citations on the turnpike.

Haley has had the legislation in previous sessions, and turnpike authorities have opposed it saying it would be unpopular among drivers. The legislative session starts in January.

Democrat Charles Schollenberger at news conference Thursday announcing his candidacy for U.S. Senate. His wife, Jennifer, is holding umbrella. The news conference was held across the street from the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka.

10 a.m.

Democrat Charles Schollenberger of Prairie Village today announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, hoping to break the 70-year grip held by Republicans on Senate seats from Kansas.

Schollenberger, who has been a communications executive, newspaper reporter and teacher, said he supports national health reform, including a public option insurance plan.

He is running for the seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., who is running for governor.

Schollenberger said Kansas has too long been represented by conservative Republican senators who are career politicians. He said the two Republicans seeking the GOP nomination for the contest — U.S. Reps. Jerry Moran of Hays and Todd Tiahrt of Goddard — fit the same mold.

“We’re going to send a U.S. senator to Washington who is going to represent the true interests of the people of Kansas, the working men and women of Kansas, their children, and our senior citizens,” he said. So far, no other Democrats have announced for the race.

Schollenberger made his announcement in a field across the street from the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. Because it was raining, he tried to move the news conference inside the building, but employees said he couldn’t hold a political announcement there.

Outside, he took the steady rain in stride, noting that when he was a farm reporter, rain in western Kansas was considered a blessing. “Better rain than drought,” he said.