House bill not worth the paper it’s written on

When teachers across the state went to sleep Saturday evening, they knew they might wake up without due process rights.

House Bill 2506, which passed, met the compliance of the court’s order to restore the equalization funding for capital outlay and local option budgets. At the same time, it took away the right of teachers to practice due process when facing termination from their jobs.

That right to due process was a six-decade-old policy for teachers. Its removal was added to HB 2506 at the bequest of lawmakers who were under the influence of the tea party Americans for Prosperity.  

Unfortunately, it’s likely the new policy is here to stay, as Gov. Sam Brownback is sure to sign the bill into law. He was AWOL all weekend and praised the legislation in a statement. It’s sad that the same man also said, “We Kansans love our schools and they are great schools,” in his State of the State speech earlier this year.

Where’s the logic behind this bill? It went from meeting funding requirements to taking away a basic right from one of the most important type of workers the state has.

It seems the GOP added the removal of due process to show they plan to use tough methods, if they are elected again come November. Passing this bill will set in stone much of the differences between Republicans and Democrats in their fight to claim public office in elections later this year. The differences between Brownback and Democratic challenger Paul Davis will especially be apparent, if Brownback does indeed sign the bill into law.

Ultimately, the bill hurts teachers and their right to defend themselves if facing termination. The need for this bill to meet the funding requirements is clear, but the removal of due process for teachers was an unnecessary addition.

Whether the passing of this bill has positive or negative consequences for those who passed it, the courts will decide whether it fixes or aggravates the funding inequities prevalent in the state. More judgment will come in August and November from the people voting for the next leaders of Kansas.