The Kansas City Star from Kansas City, Missouri • 12

MID-AMERICA C-6 The Kansas City Star Saturday July 14 1990 JO Decision may put limits on home rule gave jailers headaches In validating Douglas County bond issue court concedes its rulings had caused confusion is restored Kaup said The only other way around the state law would be for local governments to change their charters but that is a time-consuming process that could be delayed by protest petitions Kaup said With its unusual action Friday the court avoided nullifying many millions of dollars in general obligation bonds that city and counties have issued in accordance with the confusing laws decision reversed the high unanimous ruling in December that the Douglas County Commission tried to circumvent the law when it issued $4 million in general obligation bonds for the South Lawrence Trafficway a popular vote The suit was filed by Leslie Blevins Sr of Lawrence a retired cycle dealer The $62 million South Lawrence Trafficway plan calls for a divided four-lane highway connecting Kansas 10 with Interstate 70 By MICHAEL MARTINEZ Lawrence Correspondent In a ruling that could reduce the authority of local governments under home rule the Kansas Supreme Court reversed itself Friday and said a $4 million bond issue for a South Lawrence rafficway was valid In its unanimous ruling the high court conceded that it had created and in prior rulings involving bond issues and home rule So while validating the Douglas County bond issue the high court said all future bonds and temporary notes issued under home rule authority had to follow certain procedures set forth by state law Home rule established in a I9S9 amendment to the Kansas Constitution grants self-government to cities and counties with the idea that locally elected officials are more qualified to deal with community issues than state legislators Jim Kaup general counsel for the League of Kansas Municipalities said that under the Supreme ruling local governments still could legislate their own affairs as long as there is no state law dealing with the matter Kaup said the court decision imposed limits on home rule think there is any way you can read the ruling without coming to the conclusion that central government state government has received more authority and local government lesser Kaup said been a little shift in the balance of power How significant that is we know Kaup said know until the next case comes down concerned the decision may cause DAVEEAMES The Star Ticketed motorist wanted jail to provide a personal dietitian By LANE BEAUCHAMP Springfield Correspondent MARSHFIELD Mo George Gordon never thought he should be arrested After all an ambassador Or at least he says the ambassador for Nation of Israel Webster County officials believe him so Gordon spent most of the last week in the county jail about 20 miles northeast of Springfield for traffic violations And in the five days he was in custody Gordon filed at least 30 administrative complaints against the Sheriffs Department asking for everything from access to a law library to his own personal dietitian For Sheriff Bill John the who is not known to officials at the Israeli Embassy in Washington has been little more than a headache can guarantee you not a diplomat or our State Department would be breathing down my John said Friday driving me run-in with Webster County officials started about 9:40 am Monday when Deputy Bill Atkins stopped car on the Marshfield square asked him for his license and he said he had diplomatic immunity because he was an Atkins said said: care I want to see a When the 50-year-old Gordon produce one he was arrested Atkins stopped the 1978 Cadillac in the first place because he thought the white-and-blue license plate was a bit fishy it proclaimed across the bottom under the large numbers 9050 In small print above the numbers were the letters UKG Gordon was charged with driving with a revoked license and failing to display proper license plates He posted $1500 bond Friday night State records show that Gordon has been ticketed repeatedly for not having a license John said Gordon gave authorities a passport which he said served as a license But John said he thought the passport was faked It lists nationality as his tribe as and his status as Officials said Gordon runs a School of Common Law named after himself at his home in Isabella Mo Just in case the passport was real on the pages reserved for foreign country entry and exit notations the sheriff obliged Gordon his second day in custody and stamped: Webster County Sheriffs Department July 10 more uncertainty and raise more questions for local government than it Cities and counties may have to turn to the Kansas Legislature to amend or abolish some laws so that their self-governing authority ethics bill Ashcroft signs But he vetoes higher pensions for state employees calling the bill fiscally irresponsible TOPEKA condition worse Hospital officials downgraded the condition of Dr Karl Menninger from fair to serious Friday citing a drop in the famed vital signs Menninger 96 widely credited with popularizing optimistic attitudes about mental illness in America is suffering abdominal cancer He has been treated at Stormont-Vail Regional Medical Center in Topeka since June 15 Hospital media coordinator Mistee Leighty said in a telephone interview that Menninger had been listed in fair condition for weeks but that officials decided to list him in serious condition Friday morning after his health worsened With his father and brother Menninger founded the Topeka psychiatric clinic that bears their name At one time it was by far the leading training center for psychiatrists in the country letter boosts Hayden ment of a citizen petition drive that seeks voter approval for a state ethics commission and reorganization of the General Assembly Griffin and Mathew-son oppose the petition drive calling it a Republican plot to thwart Democratic majorities The new ethics law requires statewide elected leaders legislators and a variety of other officials to file annual financial statements The measure also requires greater disclosure from lobbyists The vetoed pension proposal would have increased retirement benefits for an estimated 16000 retired state workers by 1 1 percent Legislators too would have seen higher retirement payments The bill also would have allowed 200000 people who get private pensions to deduct up to $6000 of their pensions from state income taxes Estimates of the cost of the pension plan varied widely depending on whether they came from Jegislators or the Ashcroft administration By JOHN PETTERSON Kansas Correspondent Senate on Friday offered sharp words of their own for Ashcroft And the sponsor of the ethics law accused the governor of misrepresentation House Speaker Bob Griffin said the governor was off base in his comments Ashcroft Griffin said the ethics law Relations between lawmakers and the governor Griffin said have sunk to extremely low Senate President Jim Mathew-son while complimenting the governor for signing the ethics law said Ashcroft never consulted him before acting support ethics probably stronger than the governor he said Because they were not informed beforehand the two legislative leaders said they sent aides to the office to learn along with news reporters what action he would take Friday Ashcroft reiterated his endorse- By JOHN A DVORAK Missouri Correspondent JEFFERSON CITY A fired-up Gov John Ashcroft disposed of two of the nastiest controversies of the 1990 session of the General Assembly on Friday signing a new ethics law and vetoing an expensive increase in state pensions In taking the action Ashcroft aimed harsh rhetoric at legislators calling the ethics law and makes no great strides toward ethics reform but inches us in the right direction" he said The pension increase he complained would jeopardize the financial underpinnings of the state retirement programs and cost about $3 1 million a year United States government is over its head in Ashcroft said want to put Missouri in that Leaders of the House and a darn good governor been an outstanding governor and we simply afford to lose Bush urged the Republicans to make a contribution to campaign The governor is opposed in the GOP primary by five other candidates A spokesman for Republican challenger Nestor Weigand Jr of Wichita said the president should not be making endorsements in a contested party primary TOPEKA In a letter mailed to 10000 Kansas Republicans on Friday President Bush asked recipients to support Republican Gov Mike bid for a second term in office The Bush letter is the latest in a series of major endorsements Hayden received from the national administration a national leader whose 'oice is respected in Bush said of Hayden Ashcroft vetoes maternity leave measure Japan Shawnee Mission schools plan exchanges Continued from C-1 Continued from C-1 of the Missouri Political Caucus and a supporter of the bill expressed no surprise at the Ashcroft veto interested in big business and old-time political horse said Quinn a former state legislator The dispute parallels what happened recently in Washington when President Bush despite professing a commitment to families vetoed legislation to require unpaid family leaves Supporters said the Missouri bill would provide new mothers a chance to recover from childbirth and develop relationships with their babies The Missouri Department of Health estimates that intrusion into the affairs of private industry Frappier said replacing women employees temporarily and then giving them back their jobs was costly Even without a state law he said Missouri employers frequently grant pregnant workers a paid absence through some combination of maternity leave sick time and vacation time Also against the bill was the Missouri arm of the National Federation of Independent Business a group representing small companies and employees should decide the issue of parental leave not said Randy Scherr a lobbyist and state director of the organization The sponsor of the bill Sen Jay Nixon a Hillsboro democrat said groups such as the Chamber of Commerce have good deal of over Ashcroft Business-oriented contributions have flowed generously to Ashcroft and the Republican Party Democrats also count heavily on business donations Maternity leave bills have died in past sessions of the Democrat-dominated General Assembly a callous Nixon said of the Friday veto Ashcroft portrays himself as pro-family yet he vetoes a bill to help young Nixon said he sought compromise with lobbyists for business about 76000 babies will be bom in the state this year The issue of family leave has sparked debate in other state legislatures About 25 states have laws or regulations that provide some job protection for at least some pregnant workers according to the Communications Consortium a Washington-based group that studies family leave issues government mandates prove Ashcroft said should originate from the federal government in order to ensure that all employers and employees regardless of state of residence receive uniform and equitable Business lobbyists saw the Missouri bill as an improper School in Roeland Park that will offer language and cultural programs to be funded in part with grants and donations David Wolfe the director of the center was in Japan in late June and early July and met with Iwate officials think we are going to have a national model he said Wolfe said the Japanese spent Friday morning discussing details of possible exchanges with Raj Chopra Shawnee superintendent Shawnee Mission would like to have the services of a Japanese teacher in September 1991 for one or two years Chopra said Shawnee Mission teachers could be going to Japan in two years to teach English he said In addition the district is considering the possibility of sending area students to Iwate next June if the international studies center is under way Chopra said Topeka The Japanese group met with area mayors legislators and school district representatives at a reception Thursday evening at the Overland Park Marriott Iwate is a prefecture north of Tokyo with a diverse economy largely dependent on agriculture Like Kansas the citizens have a conservative outlook Nakashima said Nakashima said his goal was to expose students in his prefecture to American culture through the exchanges with the Shawnee Mission School District He formerly was the chairman of the Iwate Prefectural Board of Education which oversees the schooling of 1 50000 students Shawnee Mission with 31000 students is planning to open an international studies center at the former Old Mission Junior High Suspect uses Highway Patrol car to escape Admissions halted at nursing home the car when he failed to follow a short jog in a country road But he said the suspect got out and ran away He said that police already had taken away weapons from the three suspects earlier and that the Highway Patrol shotgun was still in the car after the wreck so the suspect probably was unarmed now looking for an unarmed handcuffed man out running through he said is not your average run-of-the-mill Continued from C-1 give chase in his mail car they started shooting at him and making what call a wise decision he called in someone who could shoot Mills said Mills said police stopped the station wagon on US 54 three miles west of Wichita Without incident they recovered a big-screen television a microwave oven and some other household appliances They also had the suspects how many officers took part in the arrests but at least three squad cars were present He said the fugitive fled down country roads with officers close behind and others converging on the scene was a high-speed he said not too difficult to drive a patrol car fast when handcuffed The problem comes when you have to make a sharp Mills said the suspect flipped However while Highway Patrol officers were being interviewed by reporters one suspect stole a patrol car and escaped While television cameras filmed the getaway two officers jumped in squad cars and gave chase The other suspects remained in custody a general sense we apprehended Mills said were some details like one of them fleeing in a patrol car that had to be worked Mills said he was not quite sure Continued from C-1 residents Linens and patient gowns were worn and tom Nursing home staff did not provide prompt assistance in the feeding of residents Some residents who were not eating were given no assistance Comatose residents were not turned or repositioned for several hours Staff members did not wash hands between medications being administered to residents Patients with wounds were not treated properly resulting in more serious medical conditions Florist charged after DEA delivers cocaine to his shop Every Wednesday the all new Amateur Dance Contest begins No Pros Please Bring your friends and win CASH Prizes New winners every week Call for Details PROUDLY PRESENTS THEIR FABULOU REVIEW OF SHOWGIRLS DANCERS GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS Luncheon Specials from $395 Featuring Prime Rib $595 FREE HORS M-F that no one by the name of Ed Walker worked there Fortner was called and he signed for the package Hicks said he told Fortner he was a DEA agent and that he believed the package contained narcotics Fortner told him that he was accepting the box for an employee naihed Fortner told Hicks that A had told him to accept boxes ad- dressed to Ed Walker The federal agent said he asked Fortner if he could open the box and stated that I could do whatever I wanted to He then opened the box and found the cocaine wrapped and heavily taped in four equal packages inside a metal briefcase Hicks said Hicks then arrested Fortner Continued from C-1 his attention because it was heavily taped and hand-addressed from one business to another The package purportedly was sent by a Floral in Altadena Calif to Steves Floral It was addressed to the attention of Ed Walker Hicks said he called Det Paul Carrill of the Platte County Sheriffs office and asked him to bring his trained narcotics dog Gunner to examine the package examined the box that I had in my custody and gave a positive reaction to the presence of narcotics inside the box by biting and scratching at the the affidavit said Posing as a delivery man Hicks brought the package to Steves Floral but was told by an employee IT'S ALWAYS SHO AT ZIEGFIELD'S 75th Nieman Shawnee Kansas 268-7990 niawiicc xuuiBits jaio asnj If! 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