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Author: Staff
Energy and Environment Committee Hears from Panel on Fracking
Graphic courtesy Mike Norton/Creative Commons
By John Carmichael
Just over a year ago, we felt at least one of the earthquakes occurring near Jones, Oklahoma at my house. I’ve lived in Wichita for over 50 years, and had never felt an earthquake here. Just a few weeks ago, another quake occurred near Caldwell, Kansas. Some suggest that horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (”fracking”) may be related to these events.
On January 21, the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) appeared before the House Energy and Environment Committee to answer questions about the possible environmental hazards caused by fracking and the accompanying disposal of waste fluids. A representative from the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) also appeared and addressed the risk of earthquakes in Kansas. He stated that while the risk of a major earthquake in Kansas is slight, Kansas is not immune to tremors. Over a span of 12 years, more than 200 small scale earthquakes were recorded in Kansas and Nebraska.
In matters of science, it is important not to jump to unfounded conclusions. The leading peer‑reviewed study regarding fracking and earthquakes was published by the National Academy of Sciences in October of 2012. The study concludes the preponderance of evidence fails to presently establish a link between fracking and seismic events.
While many of the study’s conclusions are controversial and hotly debated, my questions in committee to representatives of KGS established that all sides agree better monitoring of seismic events leads to better data and will assist in reaching scientifically valid conclusions regarding a relationship between fracking and underground disposal and seismic events.
No matter where you stand on the fracking debate, valid conclusions require valid data. Protection of life, property and the environment requires Kansas to make the investments necessary to properly monitor oil and gas production.
School Finance Ruling Looms Over Session
By John Carmichael
During his State of the State address, Governor Sam Brownback affirmed, “the Kansas Constitution empowers the Legislature – the people’s representatives – to fund our schools.” With a ruling expected any day by the Supreme Court in the school finance case, I am sure we can expect a heated debate involving the constitutional separation of powers and the Governor’s attempts to block the courts authority. The showdown between Governor Brownback and the Kansas Supreme Court could have historic consequences.
During that debate, we must remember Kansas has a moral and constitutional obligation to provide our children with a proper education. Prior to the Governor’s cuts to education, total state aid per pupil in Kansas was $7,344.00, today it is $6,984.00. No amount of creative accounting will make up for this deliberate reduction in funding. Kansas teacher salaries are now the 42nd lowest in the nation.
As we work toward improving our state’s economy, we must not forget our greatest economic development investment is our commitment to children. Kansas has enjoyed a national reputation for quality schools, both K-12 and higher education. Employers know that good schools are vital to providing quality employees.
Good schools lead to a well-educated and well-trained workforce. As we seek to turn around our state economy we must not forget the importance of investing in education.
John
Copper dome’s fleeting shine changes city skyscape
Dome to gradually turn brown over next 10 years, may be green again in 40
By Andy Marso
andy.marso@cjonline.com
Attorney and newly minted state legislator John Carmichael was arguing a case Wednesday morning in Topeka and afterward asked one of the other lawyers if she would like to visit the Statehouse.
She said she hadn’t been there since high school.
“I told her you’ve got to go over there and take a look,” Carmichael said while admiring the dome outside the Statehouse. “It’s just fantastic.”
The new copper roof and dome are in place as 12 years of Capitol renovations grind to a close, the interior touches all expected to be done in time for the 2014 session that starts Jan. 13.
But the shine will be fleeting. Kansans should expect the dome to become progressively brown each day until the familiar green hue returns.
“It will start out as a bright shiny copper and really because the scaffolding was all up, by the time we took the scaffolding down it had moved to the dull copper phase,” said Barry Greis, Statehouse architect.”It will stay in the dull copper until it is a rich brown color. It could stay that color for 40 years. We don’t know how long it will take for the green patinazation, which is the final phase.”
Greis said after the initial construction in the early 1900s, the dome turned green in just 15 years. But back then the city’s homes and businesses were burning far more coal for heat, he said, including at the Statehouse, where horses pulled loads of coal to the building to keep it habitable. Now, with less sulfur in the air, Greis said the dome’s copper coloration should last longer.
Replacing the copper roof and dome cost $24.5 million, part of an estimated $332 million in Capitol renovations that include an underground parking garage, a soon-to-be-completed visitor center and a raft of interior fixes. Greis said the project should come in “several million under” the overall price tag.
Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat recently picked to succeed retired House member Nile Dillmore, called it a worthy investment in a landmark that will “be around long after we’re all gone.”
“This building, it’s been here for 140 years, plus or minus,” Carmichael said. “We invested a lot in it, but it should last us another 140 years.”
Brian Brown, a Leavenworth resident walking past the Capitol on Wednesday with his wife after a trip to the Docking State Office Building, said he found the coppery shine pleasant, but wasn’t surprised that it won’t last.
“I would have put something else up there instead of copper,” Brown said. “That’s because I’m a painter. But, yeah, it’s nice.”
“It’s pretty,” said his wife, Ashley Brown.
The shiny penny look is already giving way to a less-burnished brown, but Carmichael said that is all the more reason for Kansans to come and admire the dome as it changes.
“We ought to consider this a unique opportunity,” Carmichael said. “Because it won’t stay copper forever.”
Andy Marso can be reached at Capital: (785) 233-7470; Office: (785) 295-5619 or andy.marso@cjonline.com.
Follow Andy on Twitter @andymarso.
KWCH: School funding lawsuit could cut higher ed dollars
Lauren Seabrook, lseabrook@kwch.com
POSTED: 11:09 PM CST Nov 06, 2013
UPDATED: 11:15 PM CST Nov 06, 2013
WICHITA, Kan. –
The last thing students at Wichita State want to hear about is the University losing money, which could lead to higher tuition. But some republicans say it is a definite possibility.
“With this new lawsuit, we really are kind of playing what if right now. What might they say,” said Rep. Steve Brunk, (R) Wichita.
A decision from the Kansas Supreme Court could come by the end of the year and some lawmakers say if the state loses the lawsuit, and the court requires it to increase K-12 dollars, higher education could pay. “If it comes out of existing resources than it’s going to have to come from human services, higher education, public safety, transportation or it’ll have to come from some other entity,” said Brunk.
Education makes up about 62% of the state’s general fund budget. That represents elementary, secondary, and higher education. “To suggest that we have to adequately fund elementary education in Kansas at the expense of higher education in Kansas is absurd,” said Rep. John Carmichael, (D) Wichita.
That is what Rep. Jerry Lunn, (R) Overland Park, told Kansas higher education leaders to expect. “I think the representative was just trying to give the colleges and universities just a good heads up that’s certainly a possibility and they should be preparing for that,” said Brunk.
“This is a dilemma that has been created by the Governor’s state income taxes for doctors, lawyers and the wealthiest Kansans,” said Carmichael.
Some democrats say the state needs to reverse income tax cuts and rearrange dollars. “If we don’t balance the overall revenue approach, what we are going to see is dramatic increases in property taxes in Kansas,” said Carmichael.
But many republicans say people are taxed out and any additional K-12 funding needs to come from another piece of the pie. “The only other entity left after that then would be to come from the tax payers and that would mean a tax increase on a population of people that are already struggling,” said Brunk.
Brunk says the last time the Legislature increased funding to K-12, the money was supposed to go into the classroom. He says it went into administration instead. If the state increases funding again, Brunk says he wants to see better accounting of where the money goes.
Eyewitness News reached out to Wichita State President John Bardo on the issue. Bardo says he does not want to comment until after the Kansas Supreme Court makes a decision.
Wichita Democrat Carmichael sworn in to fill seat in Kansas House
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
October 16, 2013 – 11:31 am EDT
TOPEKA, Kansas — A 56-year-old Wichita attorney is sworn in as the newest member of the Kansas House of Representatives.
John Carmichael, a Democrat, took his oath of office Wednesday at the Statehouse. Carmichael fills the seat vacated by Rep. Nile Dillmore in the 92nd House District.
Carmichael won a special election in September to fill Dillmore’s seat. He will face re-election in November 2014.
Carmichael is the former chairman of the Kansas Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. He is a graduate of Wichita State University and the University of Kansas.
Legislators will start the 2014 session on Jan. 13.
John Carmichael to be Sworn in as State Representative
Winner of September special election to complete unexpired term of retired Nile Dillmore
October 16, 2013 – Topeka, Kans.
John Carmichael, winner of last month’s special election to replace the retiring State Representative Nile Dillmore, will be sworn into office today in a ceremony officiated by Kansas State Supreme Court Justice Carol Beier. The ceremony, scheduled for 9:30am, will take place in the House of Representatives chamber in the Kansas State Capitol.
“It will be an honor to serve the people of the 92nd District and all the people of Kansas,” said John Carmichael. “Nile Dillmore was a dedicated public servant who worked hard to serve his constituents, and I look forward to continuing his work as an advocate for the residents of the district, and indeed all of Kansas,” Carmichael said.
Carmichael expressed his willingness to tackle the difficult issues facing the state. “When the legislature goes into session early next year, we will have to deal with the thorny issues of tax fairness, fully funding public schools, and preserving the integrity of our judicial system,” said Carmichael. “The past few years have seen an erosion of the balanced, moderate approach to state government that Kansans expect and deserve. I will work hard to restore that balance, and pledge to have an open door to the people of this district,” he said.
John Carmichael to replace Nile Dillmore in Legislature
By Denise Neil
Posted on Sat, Sep. 28, 2013
John Carmichael, a local lawyer and state Democratic Party secretary, was unanimously elected by Democratic Party precinct members on Saturday to replace Nile Dillmore, D-Wichita, who announced in August that he would resign his seat in the Kansas House of Representatives.
Three of the four precinct members were present for the vote, which took place at the jury room at the Sedgwick County Courthouse. The fourth couldn’t make it because of a business obligation.
Carmichael, who was unopposed in his bid for the seat, will represent the 92nd District at least until the 2014 election.
“I’m looking forward to carrying on the fine legislative tradition of Nile Dillmore,” Carmichael said Saturday.
Carmichael will not officially begin his term until after Dillmore’s retirement date, which is Sept. 30. Then, he’ll have to be sworn in. The process could take about two weeks, he said.
But he’s already been hearing from constituents about problems in the district, he said.
“I’ve got a steep learning curve ahead of me,” he said. “ I have about 90 days to get ready before I have to be there in January.”
Dillmore, a 13-year veteran of the Legislature, said in August that he wanted the end of his time with the Legislature to coincide with his October retirement from his regular job with a Wichita credit union.
Reach Denise Neil at 316-268-6327 or dneil@wichitaeagle.com. Follow her on Twitter: @deniseneil.
© 2013 Wichita Eagle and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.kansas.com
John Carmichael Endorses Former Senator for Kansas Secretary of State
Jean Schodorf to challenge Kris Kobach
August 26, 2013 – Wichita, Kans.
John Carmichael, candidate for Kansas House of Representatives District 92, today endorsed former state senator Jean Schodorf’s bid for Kansas Secretary of State. Schodorf, who had been mentioned as a potential competitor to Carmichael for the House seat being vacated by Nile Dillmore, will instead seek the office currently held by Kris Kobach.
“I have been a friend and supporter of Jean for many years,” said Carmichael. “I enthusiastically endorse her candidacy. Kansas must return the Secretary of State’s office to a public servant who will fight for every citizen’s right to vote, instead of using the office for personal political gain,” he said.
Schodorf, a Democrat, previously served in the Kansas State Senate as a Republican. Her announcement ends speculation that she would seek to return to the legislature as a Democratic member of the House.
“It’s time to end Secretary Kobach’s divisive, partisan warfare on Kansas voters, and I will do all I can to help Jean win,” Carmichael said. “Additionally, I am announcing now that my first priority, upon being sworn into office, will be the introduction of a bill to repeal Kobach’s voter suppression law,” he said.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a nearly identical Arizona law, and the ACLU has said it will bring legal action to compel Kansas’ compliance with the ruling. “Kansans cannot afford to pay Kris Kobach’s legal bills to defend his unconstitutional war on voters,” said Carmichael.
Schodorf bows out, backs Carmichael for House seat, says she may challenge Kobach
By Dion Lefler
Posted on Mon, Aug. 26, 2013
Former Republican state Sen. Jean Schodorf has dropped out of the race to finish retiring Democratic Rep. Nile Dillmore’s term – possibly to run against Secretary of State Kris Kobach.
Her move clears the way for state Democratic Party Secretary John Carmichael to represent the northwest Wichita district for at least the next year.
Schodorf, an educator and political moderate who joined the Democratic Party in January, said she is withdrawing her name and endorsing Carmichael for the Dillmore vacancy while she explores other 2014 election options. She said party members at the DemoFest held in Wichita a week ago encouraged her to challenge Kobach.
“It is a possibility,” she said. “I’m studying it to see if it’s viable.”
Of Carmichael, she said, “John’s worked for me and he’s worked for Nile over many years – I think he’ll do a good job” if, as expected, Democratic precinct committee members choose him to finish the last year of Dillmore’s term.
As a state party officer, Carmichael said he couldn’t endorse any 2014 candidates until after next year’s primaries. However, he issued a statement praising Schodorf’s service as a senator and encouraging her to run against Kobach.
“It was a sad day for Kansas when she was pushed out of the Senate by Governor (Sam) Brownback’s allies,” he said. “I know Jean truly lives to serve the people of Kansas, and I encourage her to take on the next big challenge.
“It’s time to end Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s divisive, partisan warfare on Kansas voters, and I believe Jean Schodorf is the person to run against him next year,” Carmichael said.
Already running against Kobach is businessman Randy Rolston of Mission Hills, the co-founder of Victorian Trading Co., an Internet and mail-order catalog business based in Johnson County.
Schodorf originally voted in favor of a Kobach-sponsored voter ID and proof-of-citizenship bill in 2011 but later that year voted against a follow-up implementation bill and said she deeply regretted her earlier vote.
Kobach responded that regardless of who the Democratic candidate is, it will be “someone who wants to dismantle our photo ID processes versus someone who wants to keep them in place.”
Schodorf and Carmichael both expressed interest in the 92nd District House seat following Dillmore’s surprise announcement in mid-August that he would retire after 13 years in office.
Dillmore’s immediate replacement, who will serve in the 2014 session, will be selected by the precinct committee members after Dillmore makes his retirement official. Carmichael, a Wichita lawyer, is a longtime Democratic activist who has served in several party positions and has held appointed state board positions under the last three Democratic governors.
Carmichael is a member of the precinct committee that will choose Dillmore’s replacement and appeared to have the inside track with the group.
There are only four voting members of the precinct committee in the 92nd District, according to Sedgwick County Democratic Party Chairwoman Terese Shumaker Johnson.
Precinct Committeewoman Jenna Engels said she never imagined when she ran for the ordinarily obscure position in 2012 that she’d be one of four people choosing a state representative.
But she said now she expects that Carmichael will be the only contender.
“I have not heard of any other hats in the ring,” she said. “I know he’ll be a good representative, and I wholeheartedly support him.”
Of Schodorf, she said, “I think she’s destined for bigger and better things.”
Schodorf was a Republican member of the Senate from January 2001 to January 2013 but switched parties after her Senate term expired, saying that the GOP had left its moderates behind.
She was ousted from office in a 2012 primary race against then-Wichita City Council member Michael O’Donnell, who was backed by conservative and business interests.
Dillmore said he plans to turn in the paperwork just after the upcoming special session that begins Sept. 3 in Topeka, with an effective resignation date of Sept. 30.
If the precinct officials install Carmichael as expected, he could face former Rep. Brenda Landwehr in the 2014 election.
Landwehr had laid the groundwork to challenge Schodorf in the 2012 Republican Senate primary, but a court-ordered redistricting plan put them in different districts.
Landwehr then sought to win re-election to the House but lost to Dillmore in the also redrawn 92nd District.
Reach Dion Lefler at 316-268-6527 or dlefler@wichitaeagle.com.
© 2013 Wichita Eagle and wire service sources. All Rights reserved