Kansas bill could limit education negotiations
The House Education Committee is considering a bill that would limit the amount of issues over which teachers unions and school boards would be required to bargain, according to the Little Apple Post.
The Committee conducted a hearing Wednesday on the bill which would remove 30 issues from the list of things over which the union and school boards would be required to bargain. Only salary and work hours are left on the bargaining agenda.
Rep. Ron Highland, R-Wamego, said he believes the bill would speed up negotiations. Representatives of teachers and school boards, though, testified against the bill saying a compromise last month had allowed each side to bring five issues to the negotiating table.
Wichita Police arrest Cowboys player
Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle was arrested in Wichita on Tuesday. The NFL player was arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession after a domestic violence call to police, according to the Wichita Eagle.
Randle was arrested after a small amount of marijuana was found. The 22-year-old mother of Randle’s child, the woman who made the call, showed no signs of being injured.
The arrest was Randle’s second in four months. In October, Randle was arrested on a misdemeanor charge shoplifting charge in Dallas.
Kansas House republicans elect new GOP whip
Republicans in the Kansas House voted Rep. Willie Dove, a Bonner Springs lawmaker, to serve as the majority whip, according to the Little Apple Post.
The whip is responsible for counting votes and lining up support for major GOP legislation.
Dove, who received 47 votes on the final ballot on Wednesday, beat out Rep. Brett Hildebrand of Shawnee (44 votes) in the final ballot. The position was open since Rep. Ron Ryckman of Olathe was appointed by House Speaker Ray Merrick to the budget-writing Appropriations Committee.
