Is the Republican Party the champion of legislative up-or-down votes? Do they stand on the principle that an entire legislative body should have an opportunity to vote on the most important issues, and that the majority view should win the day?
You'd never know it by looking at the Kansas legislature.
There, a minority of state House members have stalled legislation designed to satisfy a state Supreme Court damage award to plaintiff school districts who successfully sued the state for increased school funding. A compromise bill with bipartisan support passed the State Senate and is clearly supported by a solid bipartisan majority in the House. However, the House leadership, led by die-hard conservative Speaker Doug Mays, has used procedural gimmicks to block a final vote on the bill, leading to a showdown Friday at which the Supreme Court will consider an injunction that would block all school funding until the logjam is broken.
As many are aware, the Kansas Republican Party is split into two warring camps, made up of radical conservatives on one side and moderates on the other. The conservative wing takes its marching orders from Sen. Sam Brownback, the presidential candidate who has already demonstrated that up-or-down votes are not a principle, but an issue of convenience to be either defended or ignored on a case-by-case basis.
Any Republican calls for an up-or-down vote on Supreme Court nominees will ring hollow and demonstrate utter hypocrisy as long as the Kansas Republicans continue to flout this principle at Brownback's behest.
Show a little faith! There's magic in the night.