Panel on state legislative issues to feature state lawmakers, KU faculty
LAWRENCE – Lawmakers, University of Kansas faculty and a veteran journalist will take part in a public panel discussion focused on top issues in the 2012 session of the Kansas Legislature.
The panelists will offer insight into major topics including redistricting, school finance and tax policy. The audience will also have the opportunity to learn more during a question-and-answer session with the panel.
The event, Key Issues in the 2012 Legislative Session, will be hosted at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 31 at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 SW 10th Ave., Topeka. It is presented by KU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The Dodge City Public Library will also show the discussion as a live video feed.
Panelists represent a broad spectrum of political leaders and experts in the state.
• Sen. Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, state Senate President
• Sen. Laura Kelly, D-Topeka, state Senate Assistant Minority Leader
• Rep. Lance Kinzer, R-Olathe, state House Judiciary Committee Chair
• Rep. Paul Davis, D-Lawrence, state House Minority Leader
• Martin Hawver, independent Kansas statehouse reporter with 35 years’ experience
• Mike Lynch, assistant professor of political science at KU
Charles Jones, director of KU’s Public Management Center, will act as moderator for the panel. Jones’ experience in state policy issues includes appointments in the state Department of Health and Environment, the Douglas County Commission and as a professional development trainer for public sector organizations statewide through the Public Management Center.
KU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences organized the event as part of its CLAS Acts lecture series, which aims to take KU research off campus and into the community. Both Jones and Lynch are faculty in the College.
“It’s important to us as a state institution to make sure our work is accessible and relevant to the public,” said Danny J. Anderson, dean of the College. “The College is the largest academic unit at KU, so we have a wealth of knowledge we are eager to share. It is exciting to present a forum that offers Kansans an opportunity to learn more about issues that impact their lives directly.”
Co-sponsors include the League of Women Voters of Kansas, the Shawnee County Legislative Delegation, Douglas County Senior Services, the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library and WIBW TV.
The KU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences encompasses study in natural sciences and mathematics, social and behavioral sciences, humanities, international and interdisciplinary studies, and the arts. More than 60 percent of KU faculty teach and research in the College, making it the largest academic unit at the University of Kansas.