Today marks a sad anniversary in Kansas history.  On a sunny Sunday morning a year ago today, Dr. George Tiller was killed in his church in Wichita.

The aftermath of this murder was unpredictable.  In the past year, a bizarre series of events have changed much of the face of the choice movement.  With this firebomb event the pro-choice and anti-choice movements have been faced with successes, setbacks, and justice.

Scott Roeder, the man who pulled the trigger, was effectively given a life sentence in a Kansas jail.  While it is excellent that a man who has shown that he has no qualms about killing an abortion provider will not likely be released from jail, he has sent anti-choicers into changing paths on their uterine control campaigns.  It should also demonstrate the absolute need to enforce the FACE act.  Scott Roeder was seen attempting to glue locks at a clinic the day before he murdered Dr. Tiller.  The FACE Act was created to stop the harassment at clinics – but it continues to this day.

Some anti’s will continue in the path of Army of God to call for more murder.  However, most anti-choicers prefer to cloak their statements in terms of life and respect.  While their beliefs demonstrate contrastedly different values, the veil has seemingly been lifted on much anti-choice propoganda.  The outrage over the Oklahoma abortion restrictions in national mainstream press has created a consciousness among many people that anti’s do not have women’s best interests at heart.  To revictimize a rape victim by forcing her to have an object placed in her body against her will shows no respect for the woman, and has demonstrated once again that anti-choice stands more for a clump of cells than an adult woman.

This year’s barrage of anti-choice legislation has been met with national media reception and an elevated public consciousness. This elevated consciousness is bringing to light just how much anti-choice legislation is truely asinine.  State budget situations aside, many anti-choicers will cut schools before corporate tax breaks, and provide no support for children once they are no longer fetuses.  The American public is becoming aware of the unethical tactics and moral blame game being played with women’s bodies and lives.

While we will never be able to replace Dr. Tiller, we can continue his ideas and work to carry out his ideals.  Remembering to always trust women, we can support Dr. Carhart, support the Allentown, PA and Charlotte, NC clinics that are being harassed.  While May 31 may always be a day of sadness, it can also be remembered as a day when we think about what we can do as a pro-choice, pro-woman movement to keep forward and keep positive.

If you’re in Wichita today, you can stop by the KS-NOW candlelight vigil in memory of Dr. tiller tonight at 8 pm in the Old Town Square.

Don't Drink, Drive and Hide.

Below is a press release sent out to local media earlier today by the Whipple for Kansas campaign:

Candidate Brandon Whipple is outraged by the actions of State Representative Phil Hermanson, hiding an arrest, DUI charges and injuring two Kansans. According to a Wichita Eagle article, Hermanson (R-96) was arrested last November for driving under the influence after a wreck that put Kansas residents Kathy Spencer, then 46, and Mary Sheppard, then 77, in the hospital. Spencer has yet to fully recover.

Whipple’s thoughts and prayers go out to Kathy and Mary. “Phil Hermanson chose to put our community at risk and hid his arrest for more than six months,” said Whipple. “There is no excuse for his actions and our community deserves better representation.”
After hiding his arrest from the voters for more than six months, Hermanson’s moral character is in doubt. The Whipple campaign is calling for Hermanson’s resignation.

I, for one, support Brandon Whipple’s call to oust Hermanson. He withheld his DUI arrest from the public for more than six months. He injured two women, one of which has yet to fully recover.

A person of his “moral character” should not be a state representative. If he was under the influence at 11:50 in the morning, how do we know he keeps a clear mind when casting votes that affect the lives of every citizen in our community?

If you have not read the Eagle article about Phil Hermanson’s DUI arrest, I encourage you to do so.

If you intentionally misrepresent make a mistake on your campaign finance reports, at least be truthful about it when you get caught. Chris Steineger has had a  particularly rough bout with professional ethics since he announced his run to be the state of Kansas’ Chief Election Officer, the Kansas Secretary of State.  (In case you missed it, you can get caught up here, here, here and here.)

In late February, the news of Steineger’s most recent ethics probe surfaced.  He was accused of using funds from his Senate campaign account to pay for a poll for his statewide run for Supreme Ruler of the Universe Kansas Governor Secretary of State, which is prohibited by Kansas law, and soliciting lobbyists during the legislative session, also prohibited by Kansas law.

When approached by Topeka Capital Journal reporter Tim Carpenter and asked about the statewide polling, the Chris Steineger of February 26th said he paid for the polling with his own funds.  But then refused to prove it…

So, this guy wants to be the Chief Election Officer for our great state, but doesn’t think he needs to prove who paid for his statewide polling?

Over two months after that interview, though, the memory of Chris Steineger of May 14th had improved about who actually paid for his statewide polling…

To recap, the Steineger of February 26 says he paid for his statewide polling from his own personal account, but the Steineger of May 14 says he paid for his statewide polling from his Steineger for Senate campaign account.  Confused yet? You’re not alone.

Let’s see which Chris Steineger shows up to the Government Ethics Commission tomorrow, Tuesday, May 18th. More importantly, let’s see which story gets told to Kansas ethics regulators.

Protect jobs being created in Wyandotte County!  Call your Senator and urge a no vote on Sub 2180.   This bill changes the rules for gaming facilities and puts at jeopardy the jobs being created at the new destination casino.  If you are proud of Wyandotte County and want to protect the jobs being created – let your voice be heard!

Editors Note: Colin Curtis advocates for Wyandotte County issues.

Controversial evangelical leader Lou Engle arrived in Uganda from Kansas City last week.  His trip coincides with a rally in support of a bill that suggests life imprisonment, and the death penalty in some cases, for homosexuals and prohibits the advocacy of gay rights.

For over a century, some in American politics have attempted to keep certain groups of people from voting. Traditionally, going back to ancient Rome, the only people who could vote were those who owned property and the people who owned the property were men. But over the years, the United States passed laws and constitutional amendments to expand voting rights to other groups of people. In spite of Jim Crow laws and other similar means of disenfranchisement, we are generally quite proud of our efforts in suffrage, though the reality is we have a very long way to go.

Last week, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law a new measure to “crack down” on undocumented workers. It requires, among other things, for immigrants to carry their papers on them at all time that prove they are in the country legally. As these papers are important legal papers, it is dangerous to carry them around all the time. Kansas Secretary of State candidate Kris Kobach says this will apply only to immigrants and not US citizens as it is a federal crime to say one is a citizen when they are not. This is a curious statement. People who push for employer use of the E-Verify system say undocumented workers routinely fake identification. What stops police from not believing a Latino from saying he is a US citizen and taking him into custody anyway? This is already happening in Phoenix.

But there is more to this law than the stated purpose of preventing undocumented residents from committing crimes such as murder and drug trafficking, even though immigrants are significantly less likely to commit crimes, regardless of their immigrant status, than native-born Americans. Perhaps Kobach himself says it best an amnesty bill combined with the recently-passed health insurance reform will add 10.8 million voters to the rolls, all of whom are presumably Democrats and want “free” health care. These arguments almost always devolve into an “Us v. Them” argument: citizens deserve things before non-citizens. Why all this pitch about citizens and undocumented immigrants, often ignoring the immigrants who went through the expensive and incredibly arduous process of immigrating to the US?

Because it’s never about what it’s “about”.

10.8 million Latino voters scares Kobach and Tea Party-goers, a largely white male group. Disenfranchisement is something hard-right Republicans and Kobach do very, very well. And it’s something Governor Brewer also knows how to do very well: when she was the Arizona Secretary of State, she purged over 100,000 voters, largely Hispanic, from the voting rolls. And even though she purged all these voters, she prosecuted no one for registering illegally under federal law. A federal investigation lasting 2 years focusing on the Southwest found not one single prosecutable case of voter fraud. Greg Plast covers the case in Arizona much better than I can. Conservative columnist Cal Thomas stated, “Democrats want more illegal immigrants in the country because they are a potential source of votes they hope will contribute to a permanent Democratic majority.”

But this should be of grave and immediate concern to Kansans. Kobach is convinced this law is fair, constitutional, and necessary. Of course he would: he helped write it. He said, “this law threads the needle perfectly.” The one that requires people who “look” undocumented to present papers proving otherwise? How does one “look” undocumented? And while Kobach says the law specifically forbids racial profiling, will law enforcement officers really be looking for white undocumented residents (or do they come through the Canadian border)?

Along with Arizona’s requirements that people registering to vote prove they are citizens when registering, this measure further pushes Latino residents and citizens – including the ones who cannot be deported for any reason – to the edges and out of community life. And pushing Latino citizens out of community life means (in the eyes of the Tea Party, at least) more conservative Republican wins.

Remember, Kobach wants to help introduce similar measures in Kansas. He runs around saying ACORN is committing massive voter fraud in Kansas, fraud that no one other than Kobach and his “sources” can find, including people investigating the claims. Kobach wants to disenfranchise voters right here in Kansas. This isn’t a problem for some other state that a court will handle: this is our future.

As Americans, we generally take a positive view of our electoral system. It seems as if all citizens can vote and vote easily, conveniently. While this is true for most citizens, it is not true for all of us. Our system intentionally and accidentally leaves many people out. Participation is discouraged, and even when one does vote, our votes seem not to matter. We ought to be doing everything we can to encourage more US citizens to vote and to have more options when voting. We should not follow the paranoid path of Kris Kobach and limit voting only to those who will vote the way we want them to.

The House Committee on Education and Labor released a list of 48 mines labeled by federal mine safety officials in August 2009 for “increased scrutiny.”  According to the site none of these mines have resolved these issues but have not been targeted “due to unresolved appeals filed by mine operators. The list includes the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia where 29 miners lost their lives in an explosion on April 5.”

The Bourbon County mine Garland Mine is on that list.  No word from Rep. Lynn Jenkins on whether or not we should check on if this mine is safe for people working in it.  I mean, its in her district but I’m sure she hasn’t visited or checked it out at all.  Probably not a big deal.

According to Committee Chairman George Miller:

“In the name of deep public interest, today I am releasing information important to the immediate health and safety of our nation’s miners. We owe it to the families of these fallen miners, all mining communities across the country, and the American people to ensure that all relevant information regarding potentially dangerous conditions at mines be made public, especially as investigations into the explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine continue. Mine operators who game the system to avoid tough scrutiny by federal safety officials must be held accountable,” said Miller.

The release continues:

Under current law, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration issues a letter to frequent violators warning them that they may be sanctioned under a so-called ‘pattern of violation’. Once a mine is notified that they may be under a pattern of violation, the mine must take immediate actions to reduce future violations – approved by federal mine safety officials – or face drastic sanctions including mine closure for any future significant and substantial violation.

Again, probably not a big deal, we probably don’t need to worry too much about these places being safe, I’m sure they’re safe enough.  What’s the worst that could happen, right?

Additionally:

“In February, the committee held a hearing on how these flood of mine owner appeals of violations were undermining efforts to protect miners by delaying tougher sanctions. According to the Department of Labor,  once a mine is notified that they may be subject to a pattern of violation sanctions, mines reduced future citations of serious problems by 72 percent.

“In addition, MSHA also announced yesterday that a computer error prevented the Upper Big Branch mine from being notified that it could be subject to a potential pattern of violation. As the result of this disclosure, Miller and U.S. Reps. Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) asked the Labor Department Inspector General to investigate.”

I noticed a Letter to the Editor in the Wichita Eagle the other day that sparked my interest. “Boycott Chamber Businesses” spoke of John Eaton’s frustration of our legislators’ refusal to follow Gov. Mark Parkinson’s recommendation of a temporary 1 percentage point sales-tax increase. Since I share the same frustration I felt the need to spread the word of Mr. Eaton’s letter.

I am very frustrated by our legislators’ refusal to follow Gov. Mark Parkinson’s recommendation of a temporary 1 percentage point sales-tax increase. His plan would prevent serious harm to education and other Kansas services. I am equally frustrated by the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce’s public stand against any sort of temporary tax increase.

I have written my district legislators by both e-mail and letter, with limited results. Recently, I had an idea that might help.

I visited the chamber’s Web site. I noticed it had a great membership directory with excellent contact information for Wichita business owners and managers. I can only assume that if a local business is in the membership directory, then it supports the chamber’s stand against a temporary tax.

I intend to write every business owner on the list with whom I do business, express my disappointment with its association with the chamber, and explain, in a polite way, that unless its position on the tax can be proved otherwise, my future purchases may be with a business not in the directory.

If I am the only one who writes, business owners will think that I am an eccentric and ignore my letter. What would happen, though, if a business received 50 letters? How about 100?

Don’t assume that someone else will do something. Take an hour; write a few letters.

JOHN EATON

Wichita

The Wichita area Chamber of Commerce’s website is wichitakansas.org which would lead one to believe they have Wichita’s best interest in mind. Really? If the Wichita Area Chamber of Commerce thinks that paying one cent on the dollar is too much to keep vital programs open and sustain the quality of life we have here in Kansas they do not have our best interest in mind. I would encourage every citizen with a child in school, every citizen who uses our highways, and every citizen who depends on any state funded program to boycott the businesses that belong to the Wichita Area Chamber of Commerce, and follow up by writing letters to the businesses letting them know why. Maybe if we hit them where it hurts…their bottom line, maybe then they will listen to the average everyday citizen.

Read more: http://www.kansas.com/2010/04/09/1261564/letters-to-the-editor-on-chamber.html#ixzz0ktlcJIMM

Today, the sentencing hearing in Wichita for Scott Roeder ended with a “Hard 50″ sentence.  Since the life sentence will not be eligible for parole until 50 years (2060), Roeder will be dying in a Kansas prison.

I can only applaud the sentence, and the judgement of Judge Wilbert.  The sentence was even advocated by public defender Mark Rudy.  I also applaud Nola Foulson, Sedgwick County District Attorney for her statement in the courtroom: “Why are we calling him Mr. Tiller?  He is Dr. George Tiller!”  She also continued to state the ridiculousness of Scott Roeder in ending Dr. Tiller’s life because he disagreed with Dr. Tiller’s constitutionally-protected medical service, and then complaining because he thought he was being disallowed his constitutional rights.

The “Hard 50″ rule was used, requiring 50 years instead of the usual 25 before parole, because of the heinous, atrocious and cruel method of committing the crime.

Roeder was allowed to bring character witnesses to the trial to testify on his behalf.  Judge Wilbert stated multiple times that speaking about and discussing abortion would not be allowed, but every single person who stood up to testify focused on the abortion issue.  Testifying on his behalf were a who’s who of anti-choice activists: Eugene Frye, Katherine Coons, Regina Dinwiddie, David Leach (head of the Army of God group, who publishes how-to guides and target lists of abortion providers), George Hough and himself.  Testimony focused on how others “slander” Roeder (such as his ex-wife), and Regina Dinwiddie stated how he would not pay child support to his ex-wife because “she was not saved”.  Roeder made a notable long winded diatribe that Judge Wilbert eventually interrupted as he was not “giving you [Roeder] a soap box for a political diatribe”.

What struck me with the character witnesses was that they repeatedly stated that Roeder was an independent, intelligent man.  What is intelligent, independent, noble or just about opposing social justice, reiterating sexism, reiterating the social norms that have caused our great issues with sexism, pay difference, racial socioeconomic differences.  By sentencing Roeder the state of Kansas has stood up against domestic terrorism, and for the law.  Vigilante justice does not work, and violence is never the answer.  Only one person died in Wichita versus dozens in Oklahoma City.  These are still both domestic terrorism, and should be seen as such.  Bible quotes do not justify murder.  We cannot let anyone take the law into their own hands, and today I’m proud of my home state for standing up and sentencing Roeder.

For play-by-play coverage of what happened during the hearing, Twitter proves it’s relevance with these timelines from RSylvester and Roeder_Watch.

This week President Obama signed the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. This common-sense reform that will generate an estimated $80 billion in savings by bypassing for-profit lenders in the loan process and will instead provide loans directly to students. This reform makes government more efficient and invests the savings in the education of young Americans without raising taxes or adding to the deficit, this is the largest investment in higher education in history that will put the country on track to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.

However the Kansas Republican delegation continues to put the interests of Wall Street, banks, and lenders ahead of the interest of Kansas students and their families. This law will not only make college more affordable but it will also save taxpayers billions of dollars.

The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act will eliminate wasteful subsidies to private bankers by switching to a system of direct lending of federal student loans.

It will make historic investments in America’s workforce by making college dramatically more affordable – at no cost to taxpayers. I will invest $36 billion over 10 years to increase the maximum annual Pell Grant scholarship to $5,550 in 2010 and to $5,975 by 2017. It will reduce the deficit by $68 billion over the next 11 years and meets Pay-As-You-Go fiscally responsible principles. By standing against this law Lynn Jenkins, Todd Tiahrt, Jerry Moran and Sam Brownback have once again turned their backs on the Kansans they represent. Once again their talk of Kansas values and fiscal responsibility has proven to be nothing but empty words.

It’s unfortunate they don’t support a law that will make government more efficient and effective, will allow more Kansans to pursue higher education at lower cost, and allow Kansan families to keep more of their money.

Colin Curtis

State President

Kansas Young Democrats