Month: April 2022

KU men’s basketball team honored by governor

Gov. Laura Kelly met with KU basketball coach Bill Self and the KU men’s basketball team on Monday at the Statehouse. The governor proclaimed April 25 as KU Men’s Basketball National Championship Victory Day. (Photo from Gov. Kelly’s office)
The national champion KU men’s basketball team met with Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday at the Statehouse. (Photo from Gov. Kelly’s office)

The national champion University of Kansas men’s basketball team visited the Statehouse on Monday.

The team was honored by Gov. Laura Kelly, who proclaimed April 25 as KU Men’s Basketball National Championship Victory Day.

“It is my great pleasure to welcome the 2022 NCAA Champions, our very own Kansas Jayhawks, to the Statehouse,” Gov. Kelly said. “After an incredible season, we all saw this talented team’s grit, determination, and triumph, and I know it wasn’t easy. But, hours of practice, energy, and sacrifice paved the way for a remarkable season full of games that captivated a nation. The entire state of Kansas is so proud of these young men. They’ve brought great pride to Kansas – and so many young players across the state are looking up to them.” 

The team also attended a reception after the ceremony.

  • Information from governor’s office

Committee on government efficiency scheduled to meet Tuesday

The Mayor’s Committee on Government Efficiency will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, in the fifth floor conference room, City Hall, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas.

The special UG committee includes a listening session with each participant allowed to speak for two minutes to tell about themselves and why they are interested in serving on the committee, according to information from the UG.

Each listening session was limited to 25 participants to keep the meetings to one hour.

Volunteers who signed up for the committee have been notified about the listening sessions.

Other listening sessions for this committee are at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 27, and 11:30 a.m. Friday, April 29.

The meeting also will be on Zoom. The Zoom address is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87801895790.

For more information, see https://www.wycokck.org/Engage-With-Us/Calendar-of-Events/Government-Efficiency.

Attorney general to appeal redistricting decision

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt will appeal the decision earlier today that the Kansas congressional redistricting map that splits Wyandotte County in two is unconstitutional.

Schmidt will appeal the decision to the Kansas Supreme Court, according to a news release from the attorney general.

“Today’s Wyandotte County District Court decision may be the first redistricting case ever to make use of folk-song lyrics, the Buddha, and personal memories from the judge’s childhood. The state is promptly appealing,” Schmidt said in a statement.

In his decision, Judge Bill Klapper wrote that, “Perhaps it is first important to discover why the Kansas Courts are asked to enter this arena. We live in a time where advancing one point of view is more important than creating a functioning government that serves all its citizens. Truth has become amorphous to be shaped according to the speaker’s perspective. Science has become more dependent upon who is supporting the research than on scientific method.”

The judge also wrote, “How strong are Kansans? Strong enough to expect nothing more than a level playing field devoid of partisan advantage for one group of Kansans. Strong enough for the merits of the issue to be the deciding factor. Strong enough to make their political decisions based upon the content of a candidate’s character rather than the color of their political party.

“This court suggests most Kansans would be appalled to know how the contest has been artificially engineered to give one segment of the political apparatus an unfair and unearned advantage,” Judge Klapper wrote.

The judge’s decision is online at https://www.wycodistrictcourt.org/_files/ugd/f80b58_4e421c97418a48a5bc2a9fccf6ef2be1.pdf.