Media demand disclosure of Kline's meetings

[coda]

Media demand disclosure of Kline's meetings
Talks with conservative Board of Education members called ‘defiance' of Open Meetings Act

By Scott Rothschild, Journal-World


TOPEKA — Six media organizations, including the Lawrence Journal-World, on Friday demanded that the State Board of Education members who met secretly with Atty. Gen. Phill Kline provide details on what occurred at those meetings, admit they violated the state open meetings law and promise not to do it again.


Mike Merriam, a Topeka attorney representing the media, said the meetings were "in intentional and direct defiance" of the Kansas Open Meetings Act and that a maneuver by Kline to comply with the law was a "crude attempt to skirt policy of the state of Kansas."


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Under the state's open meetings law, meetings with a majority of a quorum of a public board must be held in public. A quorum on the education board is six members, and a majority of that is four.

Kline held two meetings with three members each (on the same day). He and members who attended those meetings said Kline discussed school finance litigation and a proposal to put stickers on science books that say evolution is a theory and not a fact.


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"My understanding is that the same topics were discussed in each group; that the public is unable to determine the extent to which consensus was attempted for the obvious reason that the meetings were closed; that only those members who are widely considered conservative members of the Board were included, which also suggests attempted consensus, or at least like-minded discussion," Merriam said.


more......

http://6news.ljworld.com/section/legislature/story/196000

[atommom]

1. Of course, Kline still proclaims his innocence!

The political atmosphere is turning the discussion of science education into a bloodbath. I'm afraid things are bound to get even nastier, when the conservatives on the BOE hold their own hearings and call ID wingnuts to the stand to testify against evolution. The conservative movement in Kansas is turning into a run-away train....
(Whose SUV shall we park on the tracks?)

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Looks like ole double L Phill

is up to his dirty tricks again.

I absolutely can't stand this man.

[Red State Rabble]

3. Tell Kansas BOE Members What You Think About Secrecy

Supporters of science education in Kansas have been sending letters to protest the secret meetings between Phill Kline and the creationist board majority.

You can find the contact information for the board majority members, including email addresses here: http://redstaterabble.blogspot.com/2005/02/phill-kline-consevative-board-members.html

You can find contact information for the media and legislators in the Kansas House and Senate who are members of the Education Committee here: http://jgrr.blogspot.com/

Kansas Citizens for Science is asking concerned citizens to comment on the science standards issue on the Kansas State Department of Education site. You can get more information here: http://redstaterabble.blogspot.com/2005/02/call-to-action.html
Red State Rabble