THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012
PAGE 7
KANSAS GOVERNMENT
New faces come to Statehouse
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOPEKA, Kan. — Nearly a third of the Kansas Legislature's members will have no previous experience in either chamber when lawmakers convene in January, bringing new energy and less predictability to their next annual session.
The large freshman class is likely to have a big influence over how lawmakers and conservative Republican Gov. Sam Brownback close a projected budget shortfall and follow up on massive income tax cuts enacted this year. Turnover in the Senate will push it to the political right following the ouster of moderate GOP leaders who worked with Democrats to stall initiatives from Brownback and other conservatives.
Some veterans believe that new legislators' impatience will be a significant issue for their leaders and expect some early hitches in drafting policy as lawmakers receive on-the-job training. But Brownback also will have solid majorities of fellow GOP conservatives in each chamber.
In the House, 49 of the 125 members will have no prior legislative experience. Four of 40
senators will have no previous service in the Legislature, though 12 are new to the chamber after serving previously in the House.
"Everybody's going to come in with the attitude of, 'I know what's wrong, and I'm going to fix it' — you know, be a giant," said Sen-lect Jim Denning, a conservative Overland Park Republican, who's coming off of two years in the House. "We think we're going to get in here and fix it by the end of the day."
Newcomers already were a significant voting bloc as legislators prepared for party caucuses in both chambers Monday to pick new leaders. Candidates for the top jobs in both the House and Senate wooed them and promised open communication and a significant role in policy-making for freshman.
In the House, Republicans retained their 92-33 majority in this year's elections, and 40 GOP lawmakers-elect have no legislative experience. Nine Democrats also are newcomers.
The Senate's party division also remained unchanged, with a 32-8 GOP advantage. But 14 Republicans will be new to the chamber next year, including the
four with no legislative experience. Democrats have two new senators, both former House members.
The Legislature has so many new faces partly because of political redistricting. A bitter stalemate between GOP factions prevented lawmakers from approving any redistricting legislation, forcing three federal judges to redraw political boundaries to ensure equal representation.
Also, Brownback's fellow conservatives and allies such as the tea party movement, abortion opponents and the powerful Kansas Chamber of Commerce made a concerted and largely successful effort to defeat GOP moderates in the Senate.
Conservatives are eager to push legislation that previously stalled in the Senate, such as a proposal backed by Brownback to give the governor and legislators more power over appellate court appointments. There are also initiatives pushed by House members who will be joining the session, such as a measure aimed at allowing concealed weapons on university campuses.
SPACE
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
This image released by NASA shows the work site of the NASA's rover Curiosity on Mars. Results are in from the first test of Martian soil by the rover Curiosity. So far, there is no definitive evidence that the red planet has the chemical ingredients to support life. Scientists said that a scoop of sandy soil analyzed by the rover's chemistry lab contained water.
Rover finds no life on Mars
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — Results are in from the first test of Martian soil by the rover Curiosity. So far, there is no definitive evidence that the red planet has the chemical ingredients to support life.
Scientists said Monday a scoop of sandy soil analyzed by the rover's chemistry lab contained water and a mix of chemicals, but not the complex carbon-based compounds considered necessary for microbial life.
The latest findings reported at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco came from an instrument aboard the six-wheel rover that baked the soil and analyzed the gases released.
Curiosity landed in Gale Crater near the Martian equator in August on a two-year mission to study whether the environment on Mars could have been favorable for life.
The dirt at Curiosity's landing site appeared similar to that found in regions visited by other Mars spacecraft, scientists said. It contained water, sulfur and possibly perchlorate, a compound made up of oxygen and chlorine. NASA's Phoenix lander, which touched down near the Martian arctic, previously found perchlorate in the soil.
The rover did find a simple carbon compound, but scientists have yet to determine whether it's native to the red planet, or came from elsewhere.
Scientists think the best chance of finding complex carbon is at Mount Sharp, a 3-mile-high mountain rising from the crater floor. Curiosity won't trek there until early next year.
A comment two weeks ago by the mission's chief scientist led to speculation that Curiosity had made a major discovery that would be announced Monday. But NASA last week said that wasn't the case.
The rover is the most sophisticated spacecraft sent to Mars. The rover Opportunity has been exploring craters in Mars' southern hemisphere since 2004. Opportunity's twin, Spirit, fell silent in 2010 after getting stuck in a sand trap.
NATIONAL
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
This undated photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard shows Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Terrell Horn III, stationed on the Cutter Halibut. Horne III, a Boatswain Mate, was killed early Sunday from injuries sustained during law enforcement operations near Santa Cruz Island, Calif.
Coast Guard member killed during anti-drug operation
Chief Petty Officer Terrell Horne III, 34, of Redondo Beach, was pronounced dead Sunday after he was brought ashore at Port Hueneme, said James Baroni, Ventura County chief deputy medical examiner.
VENTURA, Calif. — A suspected smuggling vessel rammed a U.S. Coast Guard chase boat during a counter-drug operation off the California coast, killing one Coast Guard member and injuring another, authorities said.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The second man was treated for minor injuries. His name wasn't released.
Horne suffered a traumatic head injury in the crash near the Channel Islands west of Malibu, Coast Guard officials said.
The cutter deployed a smaller inflatable chase boat, but as that vessel approached the panga with its blue light flashing, the panga veered toward it at high speed and struck it before fleeing.
Janet Napolitano said Monday that Horne and fellow crewmembers of the Coast Guard cutter Halibut "were engaged in an atsea interdiction when they came under threat by a small vessel that rammed their small boat."
Horne and another crewman were thrown into the water.
A Coast Guard maritime patrol aircraft spotted a panga — an open, low-sided fishing boat favored by Mexican smugglers — before dawn and the cutter was to intercept it, officials said.
Another Coast Guard vessel stopped the fleeing panga and detained two suspects.
Homeland Security Secretary
"Our fallen shipmate stood the watch on the front lines protecting our nation, and we are all indebted to him for his service and sacrifice," said Admiral Robert J. Papp, Coast Guard commandant.
Smuggling boats carrying drugs or illegal immigrants from Mexico have been ranging farther and farther north along the California coast.
Asked whether any drugs were found, Coast Guard spokesman Adam Eggers said he could not immediately comment.
Napolitano said the tragedy was a reminder of the dangers men and women in uniform face daily while protecting the nation. She said her thoughts and prayers were with Horne's family and all Coast Guard personnel.