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Thursday, March 6, 2008
Sebelius decries 'auction' politics
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Gov. Kathleen Sebelius accused the House's top leader Thursday of starting a legislative ''auction'' to get votes to override her threatened veto of a bill allowing two coal-fired power plants in southwest Kansas.
Sebelius said she is ''stunned'' by talk that supporters expect to get enough votes by making trades on other issues. House Speaker Melvin Neufeld, a strong supporter of the bill, said opponents will ''let me know what they want'' on the budget and other issues.
''He seems to be inviting a legislative auction on a very important policy decision,'' Sebelius told The Associated Press. ''I think their constituents would be disappointed that they would be playing 'Let's make a deal' with energy policy.''
Supporters of the bill expected it to clear the Legislature easily but are lobbying for more votes because of Sebelius' expected veto.
The Senate was to vote on the bill Thursday, with only its approval needed to send the measure to Sebelius. The House approved it Wednesday.
DRUG TESTS IN ACCIDENTS: A Senate Judiciary subcommittee plans to study a House-passed bill that requires law enforcement officers to request alcohol and drug tests for drivers involved in accidents where there's a death or serious injury.
Chairman John Vratil assigned the bill to the three-member group Wednesday after the committee heard witnesses offer differing views on the bill. Some wanted to expand it to include everyone involved in such accidents, and others said it was too complicated.
''I think it's a lot of show and no substance and requires medical personnel to be law enforcement personnel in taking blood and urine,'' said Vratil, a Leawood Republican.
Heading the subcommittee is Sen. Terry Bruce, a former Reno County assistant district attorney.
''It's a mess,'' Bruce said. ''It's a complicated area of the law dealing with implied consent. You could have cases where a person withdraws implied consent and then what do you do?''
The Hutchinson Republican said if a person refuses to submit to a test, the officer still would have to have probable cause to force the test.
Another subcommittee member, Sen. Phil Journey, a Haysville Republican, called the bill ''an answer for lack of training by law enforcement.''
As passed by the House, the bill allows an exception when investigators determine a driver's action didn't contribute to the accident.
Supporters say requiring testing in such cases could mean law enforcement officers don't lose valuable evidence of alcohol or drug use, which could disappear if testing is delayed.
Among those testifying for the bill was Dennis Bixby, of Tonganoxie, whose 19-year-old daughter, Amanda, was driving home from work last year when she was killed by a driver who was tested for alcohol but not drugs.
''As we have searched for answers to the cause of the crash, the lack of drug testing of the driver continues to be a glaring reminder that Kansas laws need to be updated,'' he said.
DISASTER RELIEF: State officials said the winter storm that knocked power out to thousands of customers across Kansas continues to get costlier -- which could create a budget issue for legislators.
The newest damage estimate put the figure at $381 million. The Kansas adjutant general's office and the Federal Emergency Management Agency said that makes it the most expensive storm ever to hit the state.
Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting said the damage was particularly bad for rural electric cooperatives, which lost meters, poles and transmission lines when the ice and snow fell in December. Adding to the cost was that many of the lines were made of materials no longer manufactured, so they had to be rebuilt.
The storm caused six deaths and injured 11 others.
CHINA PROTEST: A Topeka human rights activist has organized a protest against China at noon Thursday outside the University of Kansas' Confucius Institute in Overland Park.
Two groups are behind the protest, both led by Sonny Scroggins: Bias Busters of Kansas and the Save Darfur Coalition.
Like other human rights activists, Scroggins believes China isn't putting enough pressure on Sudan's government to end violence in the Darfur region, a suggestion the Chinese government disputes. China is a major buyer of Sudan's oil and is considered one of its closest international partners.
Scroggins also wants Kansans to boycott companies that are helping sponsor the Summer Olympics in Beijing.
UNDER THE DOME: Wednesday was the 52nd day of the legislative session, out of 90 scheduled.
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