Judicial Impeachment Eyed In Kansas

Kansas Republicans want to expand grounds for judicial impeachment to include “attempting to usurp power” of the legislature. A bill introduced in the state’s GOP-controlled Senate targets judges who have been pushing for more school funding. Since the GOP won supermajorities in the Kansas statehouse and governor’s office, “conservatives have passed a steady stream of bills cutting income taxes and spending, expanding gun rights and restricting abortion,” AP reports. But the State Supreme Court has issued rulings forcing increased spending on public schools, citing a constitutional requirement that schools be funded adequately. Republican lawmakers have accused the justices – four of whom were appointed by former Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius – of overreaching. No public official has been impeached in the state since 1934.