Last week, a quartet of Kansas judges, including Lyon County Administrative Judge Merlin Wheeler, filed suit against the Kansas Legislature as a way to get more money for the judicial branch as a whole. One area lawmaker is taking a dim view of the lawsuit and the precedent he says it sets for different departments and agencies.
51st District Representative Ron Highland tells KVOE News the lawsuit is tone-deaf when it comes to the struggles many Kansans are facing with their own bills.
The suit, filed Dec. 20 with the Kansas Supreme Court, wants lawmakers to send supplemental funding to the judiciary through June 1. The judicial branch was cut by $11 million in 2009 and since then has grown at an average rate of 1.2 percent. Judges are getting faulted by several lawmakers, mostly Republicans and including Highland, for seeking funds for the judiciary branch when they receive annual salaries above $100,000. The suit says nearly a third of the judiciary’s support staff have starting salaries below the poverty line for families of four people, meaning ongoing issues in finding and retaining qualified workers. Highland says the push to increase salaries for support staff is valid, but he also says that has to be balanced with the needs of other departments.
Wheeler has not commented on the lawsuit since it was announced. Neither have the other lawmakers serving Lyon County — Senate Vice President and 17th District Senator Jeff Longbine, 60th District Representative Mark Schreiber or 76th District Representative Eric Smith.
