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'Defender of the masses
(Editor's Note. Democratic Governor Robert B. Docking says he may try for a third term. Standing against many of his recommendations during the 1969 Legislature was Republican Sen. Glee Smith Jr., president pro-tem of the Senate. Both Smith and Docking met with Kansan reporters Judy Jarrrell and Martha Mangelsdorf recently to candidly discuss issues and opinions on Kansas government.)
Some observers in Topeka feel that Governor Robert Docking came out of the 1969 legislative session so strong that he now is a likely candidate for a third term in 1970.
Such talk, of course,
overlooks one major hurdle. No
governor, Republican or
Democrat, ever has won a third
round in the office. Even the
late George Docking, father of
the present governor, failed in
such bid.
Gov. Robert Docking
This could make it just the kind of challenge Robert
Docking would relish. He is not without fault for what happened in the 1969 session, but G.O.P. actions put him in the role of defender of the masses against the special interests.
In a 40-minute interview with the Governor, Docking commented on many of the highlights of the session and aired some personal feelings on major legislative issues.
"People were ignored"
Sparing few kind words for the Republican legislature, the Democratic Governor emphasized that "many major goals of the people were ignored."
He called the Kansas Senate "irresponsible" for appropriating over $29 million with no effort to finance the appropriations. Special sessions were mandatory, the Governor said, "because we can't operate the state in this manner."
Docking suggested that the Republican legislators were trying to strengthen the role of the state government. Of 20 electoral reform measures, he said, almost none of them were included in the final legislation.
"This all destroys the authority of the Governor to protect the people's right to vote," he added.
As the subject changed to educational issues, the Governor stressed that the past session had been hit hard with such legislation.
In the last three years Kansas has increased expenditures on higher education by 35 per cent. The present administration has, likewise, been strongly oriented toward higher education, Docking said.
Education-oriented
He maintained that the legislation had concentrated on people—that is, faculty salaries and institutional funds—and that
revenue bonds were usually used for physical facilities.
16 KANSAN May 7 1969
Voicing his opinion about the increase of student unrest, Docking said he is in favor of as much flexibility as possible, rather than more stringent methods of control. Kansas has left the handling of disturbances to the University chancellor in hopes that grievance procedures will be set up to allow fluent dialogue between the University officials and the students, he said.
"Each has an area of responsibility—the chancellor, the faculty and the students. The state is responsible for seeing that each student gets the best education he can, but it is not the state's function to run the administration," he said.
Liquor-by-the-drink
Commenting on the liquor-by-the-drink legislation of the past session, Docking said he had advocated the people be given the right to vote on it.
"After all, one half of the voting population has become eligible since 1948," he remarked.
The Governor's intercom buzzed, and his secretary reminded him that he still had more appointments to keep that day. But the Governor said he wanted a little more time, and went on to discuss issues of national importance.
Docking declined a prediction of the Democratic presidential candidate in 1972, but he did say, "if Ted Kennedy runs, I do want to support him."
The subject changed to the question of a voluntary army, and Docking presented strong arguments against any changes in the draft laws.
"Our country was built on the concept of the citizen soldier. I am strongly against the building of a permanent military system, which would lead to a professional army, which would be one of the most dangerous things that could happen," he said.
Poverty-pocket army?
"No responsible leader in the government today would advocate such a plan." he added.
The Governor further suggested that if the army were made voluntary, it would be primarily a black army with volunteers coming mainly from the poverty areas.
The Docking administration has not, however, been without its shortcomings during the legislative session.
Although the party platform is an election campaign document, which means it is drafted with an eye to attracting as many and alienating as few supporters as possible, it also is an agenda for the Governor. This means that it anticipates, but not fully outlines, the shape of the program the party's candidate for governor will present to the next legislature if he is elected.
One quick glance at Docking's agenda shows numerous unchecked items on his checklist.
Backs 4-year term
The Democratic platform recommended that the term of the office of Governor be extended from two to four years with eligibility for reelection. These changes would tend to
give the Governor power commensurate with his responsibilities, promote coherence and make efficiency possible, he said. But the change has not become a reality, and Gov. Doorking now must fight for coherence and efficiency amongst the Republican legislators.
It was further proposed that under the suffrage article of the Kansas constitution, the vote should be lowered from 21 to 18 years. But the best that could be done was to call for a 1970 referendum.
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Aid to schools
In the area of education, the
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Democratic platform urged additional state aid to secondary and elementary education but the debate in favor of educational aid fell to the Republican supporters, leaving the Democrats short of appropriated funds.
And on the university scene, the platform mandate recognized that "because the stability of our society depends upon a continuing agreement in support of the ground rules which govern our political decision-making process, it is
imperative the youth be given the opportunity to voice their needs and aspirations. Accordingly, we urge all office holders, administrators, boards and commissions to be directly accessible to our youth."
But in the midst of holocausts at Kansas State University and sit-ins at Wichita State University, the administration became compelled to support a Republican-supported concurrent resolution recognizing the university authorities as supreme decision-makers in any contested situation where dialogue had broken down.