Challenger Emphasizes Voting Rights by Sam Dieter Kris Kobach
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75¢ COLBY Monday July 28, 2014 Volume 125, Number 117 Serving Thomas County since 1888 10 pages FFREEREE PPRESSRESS Challenger emphasizes voting rights By Sam Dieter Kris Kobach. Since taking office in 2011, law requiring just a sworn statement that said, he hears stories about the difficulties found no proof of that illegal aliens keep Colby Free Press the current secretary of state has become a voter is a citizen. people have had to go through in order trying to register to vote. The figure Ko- [email protected] known for his support of conservative- “It’s as much of a cause as a campaign,” to register. His own daughter was reject- bach gives, he says, involves just 70 re- backed laws, such as the Secure and Fair Morgan said. “What I’ve found is that it is ed by the states’s computer system after ports of violations, of which 18 involve The Kansas Republican primary elec- Elections Act, which requires voters to on more fertile ground than I expected.” having sent a copy of her passport, which immigrants and five involve immigrants tion features a challenger for Secretary of show photo identification at the polls and The voter law, which Kobach helped was lost by the system. who may have voted. State. for new voters to provide proof of U.S. to draft, has created two or three classes “All this confusion has been created “As a Republican, I got very weary of Scott Morgan has been campaigning citizenship. of voters, Morgan said, depending on and there was no problem to begin with,” the idea as though we were afraid to com- for about a month and a half for the pri- Morgan says he hopes to reverse much whether they use state or federal forms Morgan said. mary, when he will run against incumbent of Kobach’s work and return to the older to register. Wherever he goes, Morgan Over and over again, he said, he has See “CHALLENGER,” Page 2 Budget Schools, ends taxes in black matter Editor’s Note: Former Rep. By Sam Dieter Rick Billinger of Goodland and Colby Free Press Wallace County Commissioner [email protected] Adam Smith of Weskan face each other in the Republican primary The Colby Community College for the 120th District seat in the trustees heard reports from the Kansas House of Representa- college’s administrators at their tives next Tuesday. Reporter Ladd monthly meeting last Monday. Wendelin sat down with both men Chief Financial Officer Glenda to discuss the issues facing west- Overstreet said during her month- ern Kansas. Billinger will be fea- ly financial report that the college tured Wednesday. finished the fiscal year with $2.25 million of its budget remaining. By Ladd Wendelin This means that by the end of The Oberlin Herald June the college had only spent 85 [email protected] percent of its $14,520,000 budget from the 2013-2014 year. None of Ask Wallace County commis- that money was expected to be left sioner and Weskan native Adam over when the trustees passed the Smith about the differences be- budget last summer, Overstreet re- tween him and his opponent, for- ported. The college is preparing to mer representative Rick Billinger, supply information from the year and the answer may not surprise for its annual audit. you. At the end of June, the college “I share a lot of similarities with had $90,060 in encumbrances and Rick (Billinger),” Smith said. an unrestricted cash balance of “We’re your typical western Kan- $2,661,986. sas people. You don’t find a lot of In her regular report, Overstreet diversity here, unlike the politi- said two of the three planned up- Showy start to Fair week cians in eastern Kansas. But we’re grades to college computer sys- both very good proponents for the tems are done. The book store Bailey Bixenman (top) made short work of the barrels during Saturday issues that go on these days.” adjusted its inventory after a book afternoon’s horse show at the Thomas County Fairgrounds. Cadence Both men are running for state buyback, and is helping to stream- Koch and her horse (right) were among the many contestants at the open representative for the 120th, which line a process for athletic scholar- class horse show for the Thomas County Free Fair. Chandler Comfort covers five counties in northwest ships. (below) was among the contestants showing their trail riding skills in the Kansas, plus northwest Thomas Bank reconciliations for July small horse arena during the show. The 4-H show was today. County and the city of Colby. The have been completed for the ac- seat is now held by Ward Cassidy, tivity fund, adult education fund, SAM DIETER/Colby Free Press a St. Francis Republican who has capital account, special student decided not to run for re-election. account, federal funds and flex ac- Smith said education, property counts. The general fund has been taxes and helping western Kansas reconciled through June and the to grow are all issues that have student union’s account through become central to his campaign, May. which has kept him busy over the The college paid $563,067 in last month, making stops in towns accounts payable last month, and throughout the district. received $97,501 in student ac- Education, he said, is some- count payments and $69,743 in thing that he feels strongly about, remittance payments. making sure that the state puts in • George McNulty, vice presi- enough money for schools. But dent of student affairs, reported don’t expect him to beat that horse that the admissions department to death. processed 92 applications and had “That issue is a given,” he said. 15 campus visits last month. For “We’ve put schools in a lot of hurt the year, 1,404 applications were in Topeka…. Expenses for schools processed, with 496 visits. The de- have increased, and something’s partment had enrollment days on gotta give. We’re getting to the June 9 and 23. point where we can’t give teach- The financial aid department ers and staff raises or benefits. Do is preparing for disbursement of that long enough, and you won’t aid to students this October. The have teachers anymore.” department got new comput- Along with the continued fight ers and monitors with Title III for school funding and county grant money, and plans to train revenue in Topeka, he said, one of in preparation for the accredita- the main reasons he is running for tion visit from the High Learning the Legislature is to keep property Commission in September. The taxes low. department is reviewing several “The schools get a lot of press documents relating to financial aid on the money they get from the guidelines to prepare for the visit. state,” he said. “There’s a lot of Forty-seven associate of sci- things the counties pay into what’s ence degrees, 71 associate of arts Fair breakfast has new menu, caterer called demand transfer funds that degrees and 205 associate of ap- we pay to the state, and we’re plied science and technical cer- The menu for the Thomas County Commu- Virginia Umberger was catering it. Umberger biscuits and gravy, hash browns, fresh fruit, supposed to get back a portion tifications were awarded at the nity Foundation’s fair breakfast has changed has catered the breakfast in recent years, said juice and coffee. The breakfast will be from of those, but in the six years I’ve graduation this spring. since the last year. Karla Haggard, executive director for the 7:30 to 10 a.m. Thursday morning in the 4-H been a Wallace County commis- Two hundred fifty-four hours of Due to a mix-up with information in the an- Community Foundation, but will not be doing Building. sioner, we’ve never gotten these nual fair section of the Colby Free Press, last so this year. That job has gone to Dana Leija. funds refunded…. See “BLACK,” Page 2 year’s menu was used and the article said that This year, Leija plans a menu of casseroles, “That’s one of the biggest issues I see, especially with the mortgage registration fee bill going through the state Senate.” Another issue that western Kan- sas counties have struggled with in recent years, he said, is declin- ing population. The people who See “SCHOOLS,” Page 2 SAM DIETER/Colby Free Press These National Guard soldiers stayed at Colby High School Thursday night on based 134th Cavalry unit of the Nebraska Army National Guard, which camped their way back to Nebraska. Dozens of vehicles lined up in the parking lot of the here earlier as they headed to training in Colorado. school belonged to the 67th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, part of the Lincoln- Page 2 Colby Free Press Monday, July 28, 2014 Area/State Weather Schools, taxes matter to district Briefly From “SCHOOLS,” Page 1 County actually saw a lot of young people Smith said that he has enjoyed campaign- The deadline for Briefly is noon move back home, because there were op- ing for a seat in the Legislature, and he the day before. Items submitted in the have settled down in the area are growing portunities in agriculture rather than profes- hopes that it’s enough to win the support of morning will be set up for the following older and dying, while younger people are sional work…. his fellow Republicans. But ultimately, he day, space available. The deadline for moving to the cities, which offer more jobs “If we can get large-town amenities in said, he hopes that people will vote for the Monday’s paper is noon Friday.