8A
Tuesday, November 1, 1994
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Candidates focus on abortion
By Lew Ferguson Associated Press Writer
TOPEKA — A week before the election, abortion is becoming a more sharply focused issue in the 2nd District congressional race.
Democrat John Carlin's campaign yesterday accused Republican Sam Brownback of having what Carlin called a radical conservative position on abortion, in conflict with state law and out of step with most Kansans.
Carlin also said Brownback took "a strong pro-life stance" only in recent weeks. The former governor described his own position as "pro-choice but not pro-abortion."
However, Brownback said that he had made it clear for a year where he stands on abortion. He opposes it, except to save the life of the mother and in cases of rape and incest when police are notified, and he opposes any public funding for abortions.
The position earned Brownback the endorsement of Kansans for Life, the state's largest anti-abortion organization, in his race with Carlin for the 2nd District congressional seat being vacated by Democrat Jim Slattery.
Brownback's position is more strict on abortion than state law, which permits
abortions unless the fetus can survive outside the womb but requires women who seek abortions to undergo counseling and those under 18 to notify a parent or get notification waived by a judge.
An early-September Kansas Poll published by the Topeka Capital-Journal showed 64 percent of Kansans thought the state's abortion regulation law is about right, or maybe too restrictive. Twenty-two percent said it was not restrictive enough.
Kansans for Life declined to endorse any candidates in statewide races, Republican or Democrat, because they did not take strong enough stands on abortion to suit the organization. But it endorsed Brownback.
"There are some races where the candidates are both unacceptable," wrote former state Rep. David G. Miller of Eudora, political action director for Kansans for Life, in an Oct. 20 letter to its members.
"You can skip any race that does not include a candidate who deserves your vote. But some candidates like Sam need and deserve your support. Go vote, and please vote for Brownback."
In a letter accepting the endorsement and addressed, "Dear Fellow Pro-Lifers," Brownback wrote:
"I hope I have earned your vote on Nov. 8.
Never forget that America was a good nation before it was a great one. The loss of that basic goodness is the real cause of the currently sour state of the national mind, the cause of our discontent amidst plenty.
"How this relates to abortion is clear. I oppose the Freedom of Choice Act, I oppose the inclusion of abortion in any national health-care plan, and I oppose taxpayer funding of abortion abroad. I oppose abortion except in cases of life of the mother and rape and incest where police are notified."
Carlin said, "I trust women to make that decision more than I trust government. I also do not support federal funding of abortions, which is consistent with my belief that the government simply should not be involved in this very personal choice."
Carlin claimed Brownback adopted his strong anti-abortion stance within recent weeks, but the former state agriculture secretary said he had held his position for the past 12 months.
Until a year ago, Brownback conceded, he had no public position on abortion.
Brownback said differing with state law is irrelevant because he's running for Congress, not state office.
STOVALL: Tougher sentences for crime
court made her the best candidate for attorney general.
See BIGOTRY, Page 6.
Stovall was the Crawford County Attorney from 1984 to 1988. She was on the Kansas Sentencing Commission from 1988 to 1991, and she was on the Kansas Parole Board from 1988 to 1992.
"On the parole board, I was consistently the 'no' vote in releasing violent offenders," she said.
Stovall is a KU alumna. She received her law degree in 1982 and a master's in public administration in 1993 from the University. She received her bachelor's degree in 1979 from Pittsburg State University.
Stovall said she also would support longer sentences for criminals, enforcement of the sexual violent predator bill, the establishment of programs for children and families that promoted long-range solutions to crime and violence and the death penalty for anyone convicted of first-degree premeditated murder.
Stovall said when the campaign was over she finally would be able to spend time with her niece and nephews again.
"I don't think they really understand what's going on in the campaign," she said. "But they are very supportive, and they pretend they understand."
CARLA
STOVALL
Running For:
Kansas Attorney General
Age:37
Party:
Republican
Career:
Lawyer at Entz and Chaney Law Firm, a private practice in Topeka
Education:
Law degree and master's degree in public administration, University of Kansas
Bachelor's degree, Pittsburg State University
From firings to finances, the Board of Regents impacts KU life
Family:
Unmarried
Source: The Associated Press
the nine-member board makes policies affecting the six state universities
KANSAN
By David Wilson Kansan staff writer
When former KU law professor Emil Tonkovich was fired by administrators last year for violating the faculty code of conduct, he appealed his case to the Supreme Court of higher education in Kansas: the Board of Regents.
The Regents decision to uphold the firing of Tonkovich was the final word. The nine-member board, established by the state legislature in 1925, is the highest educational authority in the state. Tonkovich's only recourse is to file a lawsuit, which he plans to do within the month.
Almost every month, the Regents gather in aplush meeting room on the 14th floor of the Security Benefit Building in downtown Topeka to set policies for the 81,000 students and 9,700 staff members of Kansas' six public universities: the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Wichita State University, Emporia State University, Pittsburg State University and Fort Hays State University.
The Regents aren't always firing professors, but even the more mundane decisions made by the Regents have an immediate impact on the lives of students and faculty.
In December, the Regents will choose the next chancellor of KU from a list of five finalists submitted by the search committee.
The Regents decide how much tuition students will pay. They approve tenure for professors. They are the frontline in the battle to secure money from the Legislature.
Members of the board are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. At
least one member is appointed from each congressional district; the rest are at-large. No two Regents may live in the same county.
Regents terms are four years. They must be reappointed at the end of each term if they want to stay on the board. Regents are paid $35 for each meeting they attend and are reimbursed for travel expenses.
Ed Meyen, executive vice chancellor, attends most Regents meetings along with other high-level administrators at KU and other Regents schools.
The Regents set the pace for higher education in Kansas, Meyen said. They also make
The newest Regent, Gene Bicknell, was appointed by Gov. Joan Finney last week. He replaced Catherine Conger, a high school principal from Iola now living in Las Vegas.
The executive director, Stephen Jordan, is a full-time employee of the board. Jordan was hired in January after a five-year stint as the executive director of the Arizona Board of Regents.
the pitch to the legislature for the almost $1.1 billion needed every year by the six schools.
"There's no question that when resources are tight, the leadership of the board becomes all that more important," Meyen said.
Here is a list of the Regents:
Frank Sabatini, 62, is chairman of the Regents. He is president of Capital City Bank in Topeka and owns 29 Pizza Hut restaurants in Kentucky and Ohio. Sabatini graduated from KU. He attended KU on a football scholarship.
Tom Hammond, 40, is a Wichita lawyer. He is a graduate of KU and Washburn Law School.
John Hiebert, 56, is a Lawrence cardiologist. He is a graduate of KU and the University of Kansas Medical School.
Karen Krepps, 51, is vice president of Sprint and lives in Leawood. She is a graduate of Wayne State University in Wayne, Neb.
Phyllis Nolan, 54, is director of retail concepts for Hallmark Cards and lives in Louisburg. She graduated from the University of Nebraska.
John Montgomery, 54, is a newspaper publisher living in Junction City. He graduated from Yale University.
Sidney Warner, 60, manages a cattle and farming business and lives in Cimarron. He graduated from K-State.
Robert Caldwell, 81, is a retired teacher living in Salina. He is a graduate of Pittsburgh State. Caldwell, an African American, is the only minority Regent.
Gene Bicknell, 62, is chairman of the board of NPC International, a restaurant franchise management company in Pittsburg. Bicknell ran for governor but lost to Bill Graves in the Republican primary. He has since endorsed Democrat Jim Slattery. He is a graduate of Pittsburg State.
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We won't bribe you to vote for
(but there's $125 in it for somebody)
The mission of KU's Top of the Hill is to determine Lawrence's elite restaurants, bars, retailers and places on campus. Entry forms will be published in The University Daily Kansan, as well as distributed in Wescoe Terrace, Kansas Union Cafeteria (3rd floor of the Union) and at the Information Counter on the main level of the Kansas Union.
Look for it in next week's Kansan
All respondents will be eligible for a drawing for the Best of KU Gift Certificate Package. The package will include gift certificates for the Best Men's or Women's Clothing Store, the Best Grocery Store and the Best Overall Music Store worth a combined total of $150.
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