Wednesday, April 20,1977
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KU bills stalled by party politics
A News Analysis By ROSS McILVAIN Staff Renorter
The Kansas Legislature accomplished less than usual during the main part of the session this year, chiefly because of an enormous division of power in state government.
Democrats control the House, the office of state treasurer and the now highly visible office of attorney general. Republicans elect the Senate the governorship and most other offices a first time in 64 years, the Democrats hold a majority in one house of the Legislature.
A political axiom says that such a division of power usually causes more conflict and work—more smoke and less fire—and the legislative session offers a prime example.
Both houses are held by narrow party majorities—21 Republicans to 19 Democrats, the state, and 65 Democrats in both houses in creating a maximum of internal conflict.
An unfortunate property of an elective democracy is that, although rule by a cohesive elite is discouraged, sometimes nobody seems to be running the show because everybody is bickering about who's going to do it.
THE DEMOCRATIC House often disagreed with the Republican Senate. Some legislators in one house couldn't even elect a senator, members of their own party in the other house.
Both houses disagreed often and heartily with Republican Gov. Robert Bennett, and the governor traded insults with his probable rival in the 1978 gubernatorial race, Curt Schneider, Democratic attorney general.
The clean-up session traditionally has been held chiefly to consider the governor's vetoes, having evolved as a simple mechanism to balance the governor's power over bills passed late in the session. The governor has 10 days to sign or veto a bill before he becomes first adjournment and the clean-up session usually is about two weeks.
This conflict, an the resulting indecision,
was the main reason the legislature adjourned April 7 without deciding several important bills—including some which
Kansas. The legislature will reconvene April 17 for a two- or three-day clean-up session.
This means that the governor usually will have acted by the final session, and the legislature will get to consider his decisions. The governor will act by the legislative, especially appropriations bills, usually has been passed during the main session so the legislature will have a chance to muster the two-thirds majority necessary such house to override the governor's veto.
The sort of political environment that leads to constructive cooperation wasn't invented until the 1950s.
A SUPPLEMENTAL appropriations bill to give KU $34,400 to cover utility cost increases for this fiscal year is in the same state as the main appropriations bill.
On both the main and the supplemental appropriations bills, the legislature couldn't decide whether to agree with the governor's recommendations—or with each other. The two houses put off the decision until they could reconvene.
THE MAIN appropriations bill for the Board of Regents schools, which included about $4.54 million for KU faculty and employee salaries, utilities, maintenance and other operating expenses, waits to be decided when the legislature reconvenes.
Both bills passed each house in different forms and are now in the same conference committee. The committee, comprising three members of each house, will try to work out an agreement between the two houses.
The legislature probably will follow the committee's recommendations with, few exceptions.
finished business and the short time will stiff lengthy consideration by either house.
A capital improvements bill that would allot KU $1.7 million for additions to Malott Hall and Robinson Gymnasium has passed the Senate but is still in the House Ways and Means Committee. According to members of the committee, Mr. Malott disagreement on the bill, but other bills they were considering kept them from getting capital improvements.
MOST LEGISLATORS, of course, deny this, because they would be admitting that major decisions are being made by only a few men and that the rest of the legislature will rubber-stamp these decisions. It's not in their best interests to admit it.
University Theatre to hold summer season auditions
The University Theatre will have auditions for their summer theater season from 10 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. The performances are on Sunday, April 24, in the Intec Theatre.
Approximately 35 to 40 actors and technicians will form a summer repertory of the show.
"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" is a comedy set in ancient Rome, "Inherit the Wind" is a Pulitzer prize-winning re-recreation of the Scopes trial, and "The Moon" is the story of a young warlock who falls in love with a mortal.
The productions are: "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," directed by Tom Rea, associate professor of speech and drama; "Inhert the Wind," directed by Bobby Patton, chairman of the speech and drama department; and "Dark of the Moon," directed by Spencer Golub assistant instructor of speech and drama.
Singers, dancers and actors will be auditioned this weekend.
Community auditions for "Inherit the Wind" will be from 2:15 p.m. Sunday.
The summer theater season will be June 11 through Aug. 6. The first four weeks will be spent in rehearsal, and performances will begin on the day of the schedule during the remainder of the season.
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Committee positions are open to all. Submit names to BOCO office, 1138 Union between 10:30-3:30 DEADLINE-FRIDAY, APRIL 29
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS and
THE SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS
present
Cosi Fan Tutte
A Comic Opera in Two Acts
W. A. Mozart April 22,23,29,30
8:00 p.m.
University Theatre—Murphy Hall Ticket Reservations: 864-3982
K. U. Students admitted without charge with current Certificate of Registration
SENIOR CLASS MEMBERS
This program is partially funded by the Student Activity Fund.
KU Women's Athletics Awards BANQUET
Sunday, April 24 6:00 p.m guest speaker... OLGA CONNOLLY
Olympic Gold Medal Winner In Women's Discus Participant In Five Olymplads Writer, Lecturer, Leader in Women's Sports
ALL ARE WELCOME
buffet supper tickets
'2.50 Women Student-Athletes
'6.00 Parents and Guests
PLEASE MAKE RESERVATIONS BY THURSDAY, APRIL 21 IN THE
Room 6, Allen Field House University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas 66045