Kansas Governor Appointment Power maintains offices when emp

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24 February 2009 Tuesday 04:26 PM EST

244 words


Kansas Governor Appointment Power maintains offices when empty

Sean P Carr

Topeka, Kan.



Kansas legislators have passed a measure that would have abolished the authority of a governor to fill vacancies in the office of insurance commissioner and three other offices of the elected State.

Defeat the constitutional amendment would have given political parties the right to make appointments. A two-thirds majority in both legislative chambers was necessary, but it fell 19 votes shy in the House of Representatives. The vote on H. 5010 was 65-54 in favor, with almost all Republicans voting for it and all Democrats, but two opposites. Two other Democrats did not vote.

The amendment proposed to solve a problem the state has not, "said Beth Martin, spokesperson for Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. "The current process for filling vacancies in the offices of the state has served this state since 1927 and has been used successfully in many times," she said in a statement.

To take effect, the amendment would need the approval of voters as well.

Sebelius, a Democrat, appointed the members of his party to vacancies in office in 2008. In January, it appointed Steve Six as attorney general, after Paul Morrison resigned amid a scandal of sex, both are Democrats. In November, Dennis McKinney Sebelius appointed Treasurer of the State after Republican Lynn Jenkins won election to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger, a Republican, won election in 2002 and was reelected in 2006.

(By Sean P. Carr, senior editor, BestWeek: Sean.Carr @ ambest.com)

25 February 2009

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