John Hanna Posts

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback pushed through much of his far-right agenda during his now three years in office. Turns out, most Kansans are not fans of the consequences of business-first, citizens last. It's given Democrats a fighting chance to contest Brownback in 2014's elections, even though the state leans strongly red.

An anti-gay marriage proposal that roiled Kansas politics is dead, the chairman of a state Senate committee assigned to review it said Tuesday. But the declaration from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Jeff King didn't appear likely to end the debate over providing legal protections for people and organizations refusing for religious reasons to provide goods and services to gay and lesbian couples.

Minority Leader Paul Davis, the head of the House Democrats and candidate for governor, was lackluster in his opposition to the deplorable Kansas bill that enshrines discrimination against gay people, said LGBT-rights advocates. In a press release Davis made no mention of the civil rights violations, only briefly mentioning "critical challenges" for families.

Kansas has paid more than $913,000 to two private law firms that are helping the state defend anti-abortion laws enacted since conservative Republican Gov. Sam Brownback took office, and such expenses appear likely to grow.

Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit Thursday over a new Kansas law requiring doctors to inform women seeking abortions that they're ending the life of a "whole, separate, unique, living human being."