Gov. Brownback Wants to Be King

Governor Brownback signing the judiciary bill that includes "the" rider.

In 2014, Kansas' conservative legislative bloc, with the support of Governor Sam Brownback (R), passed a bill that removed the authority to appoint chief judges or to set the budgets for the district courts from the state Supreme Court. The law would seem to be at odds with Kansas' Constitution which reads: the state Supreme Court "shall have general administrative authority over all courts in this state."

Not surprisingly, critics say the law is nothing more than an attempt by the governor to stack the district courts with judges who will look upon his policies favorably. 

Arguing that appointing judges and setting budgets falls under the "general administrative authority" given to it by the Constitution, the state Supreme Court is about to decide if the law is constitutional. Needless to say, Mr. Brownback is not happy.  He has indicated his feelings by signing a lengthy bill  that allocates money for the judiciary branch this year, but not before making sure the bill included a rider stipulating that if any state court strikes down the 2014 law, the entire judiciary will be defunded. 

what eye thynk:  Because who needs state courts, right? Especially when the judicial branch insists on getting in the way of what a Republican wants--democratic process be damned!   

Maybe Mr, Brownback is planning on using the judiciary budget to make up some of his state's $400 budget shortfall.  That would relieve him and his conservative-dominated legislature from having to raise some of the taxes they so recklessly lowered just a few years ago, a prospect the legislature has already indicated they oppose.

Or maybe Mr. Brownback thinks that defunding the judiciary will relieve him of having to accede to the Court's recent decision directing Mr. Brownback to add money to the states' education budget after they decided he had cut education funding to a point so low that it was unconstitutional.

If Kansas has become the poster child for everything that is wrong with Republican economic policies; it has also become a living lesson in the elegance--and necessity--of our three branch system of government. 

Because somebody has to stop Republicans like Sam Brownback before he schedules a fitting for his crown and scepter.