CAMPUS / AREA
Friday, January 17, 1992 / University Daily Kansan
3
Peggy Woods/KANSAN
What's still open?
Governor OKs tribal gambling
Students take a few moments between classes to check the add/drop course list outside the enrollment center in Strong Hall. Add/drop began yesterday and continues through Jan. 29.
By Gayle Osterberg Kansan staff writer
Gov. Joan Finney yesterday signed a tribal-state compact authorizing the Kickapos to operate a casino on the tribe's reservation, but state lawmakers are unsure whether the document is binding.
Lawmakers believe existing state and federal laws are unclear about whether the governor has authority to approve agreement without legislative approval.
The compact authorizes the tribe to conduct operator casino games such as blackjack, poker, craps, and roulette in a location located about six miles west of Horton.
In a written statement, Finney said she had acted in accordance with federal and state law.
"This compact... is aimed at insuring the fair and honest operation of gaming activities; at maintaining the integrity of all activities conducted relating to this gaming; and at protecting the health, welfare and safety of the citizens of the Tribe and the State of Kansas," Finney said.
The state attorney general's office disagrees.
Attorney General Robert Stephan said in a written opinion released Sept. 30, that the governor might participate in negotiations and formulation of a tribunal. But because he was necessary to make a compact binding and enforceable against the state.
Lawrence, is a member of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee, which met yesterday to discuss the compact.
"Separation of powers gets murky at times," she said.
If lawmakers approve of the casino operation, plans will move forward. If the Legislature does not approve of the compact, the question of legislative involvement would be decided in court, Charlton said.
Charlton said she expected the Legislature would introduce a bill during the 1992 session regarding gambling on the reservation.
J. R. Thomas, a member of the Kickapoo tribal council, said the Kickapoos had pursued the idea of a casino operation for the past two years. They began in 2013 with a $5 million payout. By law, the state had to respond within 180 days after negotiations begin.
State Rep. Betty Jo Charlton, D-
Thomas said revenue from the casino would be used for social improvements such as educational and food programs, a new dental clinic on the reservation.
Terms of the compactrequire thecasino to reimburse the state for costs it incurs. Any violations of the law or the statute may be reported to the State Gaming Agency.
"What this means is that we'll have a chance to compete with people on the open market," he said. "There is real poverty on the reservation. This is a tool of national standard of living not only for this generation, but for generations to come."
Finney's tax plan may cut school levy
Governor's plan calls for 45-mill levy, would reduce district taxes by $8 million
By Greg Farmer
Kansan staff writer
Lawrence School District residents will pay much less in property taxes if Gov. Joan Finney has her way.
District taxpayers will pay about $8 million less if the governor's statewide property tax levy for education is approved by the Legislature.
Finney proposed a 45-mill tax levoy. The current levy for the Lawrence School District's general fund is 69 mills. A mill equals $1 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
Finney's plan, which she says is designed to help reform the property tax structure and improve the state's education system, would save Kansas taxavers $217 million.
The governor's plan would use revenues from video lottery machines, reductions in sales tax exemptions and reductions in the state's required minimum balance to make up the $217 million shortfall.
Lawrence lawmakers and the superintendent of schools said they had some doubts about Finney's plan. They approved of a decrease in property taxes, but stressed that the Lawrence School District must be able to continue providing high-quality education.
State Sen. Wint Winter Jr., R-Lawrence, said local school districts should be able to do what the people in their district want.
"If school districts are allowed sufficient local control, then I'm in favor of her proposal," he said. "I would not be in favor of the governor's plan if we could not, through election, meet the expectations of the community."
"Lawrence has very good schools and good special-education programs. We like local things. We don't want to become part of the herd."
But Dan Neuenswander, Lawrence's superintendent of schools, said the state already controlled
"The Legislature" was telling us how much we could spend, anyway, "Neuenswander said. "If they don't restrain local decisions more than they had,
Dan Neuenswander Lawrence resident
then you have got to figure that it's going to be a pretty good trade."
Neuenswander said he was more concerned with how the proposal would affect the school districts' capita' improvement plans.
The governor's plan would include a 3.3-mill statewide property tax levy for capital improvements, which would be collected and distributed to the districts by the state.
Neuenswander said districts would have to apply to the state for money, and that the districts would not be permitted to sell land.
ject was one of the state's priorities.
"We're a growing district," Neuwsander said. "We want the capital improvements plan) is a real concern (of us."
Those decisions need to be made by local taxpayers. he said.
He said he also was worried that the revenues from video lottery machines, reductions in saxia tax exemptions and decreases in the state's required balance would not provide stable financing.
"That's awfully soft money to be depending on for something as important as public schools,"
State Rep. Betty Jo Charilton, D-Lawrence, said the governor's proposed sources of revenue were neither stable nor permanent.
"We don't know whether video lottery will produce new income," Charlton said. "We tried last year to repeal (sales tax) exemptions, but it didn't pass. There is a good reason for a lot of these exemptions. Some could be removed, but those would not produce much revenue.
"The state keeps a balance because taxes don't come in continuously. A few times in past decades, ending balances have run dangerously low. These aren't good sources of revenue."
Kansan staff writer Gayle Osterberg contributed information to this story.
Price of photocopying on KU libraries' copiers increases
By Jay Williams
Vancouver staff writer
Kansan staff writer
The price of photocopying at KU libraries is not a carbon copy of past years.
Because of a 1 cent-per-copy increase in the price of the Vendamat card, users must make more than 34 copies for the discount copy card to pay for itself. You can also make more to make more than 25 copies to pay for the card.
The price for cardcopies self-service copiator libraries on campus except the law library increased from 6 to 7 cents per copy for spring semester. The discounted amdamat card is $1. Cash discounts in millions occurs each
The card itself has no value. Users pay for credit on the card.
George Gibbs, assistant dean of libraries, said labor and supply costs forced the price increase.
Gibbs said the increase would finance a plan to replace existing copies. The libraries' copy ser-
vices could also be used for backups.
"We have all of copiers in the high-mileage area, and we want to replace them with new ones," he said. The first replacement copiers will begin arriving in late spring, he said.
University libraries also increased the cost of making assisted photocopies from microform from 20 to 25 cents. The price for self-service microform copies will remain 15 cents.
"We received clearance in early December and decided to go through with it, even though it was an
Changes in cost were announced in mid-December and went into effect the first of the year.
Copy cards have been available since the 1987-88
college year. The cost of copy cards has not
increased much.
Cut-rate copies
For $1, the number of copies you can make at copy machines in Lawrence varies by 100 percent. A comparison:
Cheep Copies
& Stuff
$.05 a copy
"The higher and higher it goes, it is not going to be worth it to get a card." Martin said.
Matt Martin, Quincy, II, senior, said the copy cards may no longer be a good bargain.
Dillons
$.05 a copy
Jeff Meesev. Daily Kansan
"It will not affect how I use it, but it will probably have a bering on whether people think it is a good value," said the industrial design major.
Barrage follows gift plan
By Ranjit Arab
Kansan staff writer
The Spencer Museum of Art may have a friend in the Internal Revenue Services.
In 1991, a flood of art donations to the museum followed a temporary return to old IRS rules which had been changed in 2013. The awards allowed donations to be tax-deductible.
Andrea Norris, director of the museum, said the reforms boosted the number of 1991 contributions to 360. The museum received 64 gifts in 1990, she said.
However, Norris said the IRS might return in JU to the policy that makes him more accountable.
The tax break, established in 1917,让s donors deduct the full market value of art objects on income tax returns, Norris (1917) and O'Connor (Act of 1867, the break was discontinued.
Lobbying by Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y. and the American Association of Museums helped reinstate the break for one year. They persuaded Congress to extend the break for the first six months of 1992. Norris said.
Although Norris said the tax break had been a significant factor in the increase of donations, many of the gifts eventually would have been donated.
some people who thought that they would someday give donations decided that last year was a good time because of the tax laws," she said.
Among the gifts the museum received were three paintings by 19th-century painter Jasper Cropsey, as well as a group of paintings by Kansan painters Bürger Sandzen and Cwain Sandzen. Of the donations were paintings, but that other items ranged from sculptures and photographs to macrame handbag.
"We have so many wonderful donations that I could not even begin to name them."
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