Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman of Olathe has continued his pattern of working against Johnson County public school students throughout this legislative session. Despite a united plea to the Kansas Legislature from all JoCo school districts, Ryckman refused to lead the House in adjusting the education funding formula for inflation.
Instead, Ryckman directed House efforts to undercut the funding formula, defy the Kansas Supreme Court, and create chaos throughout the session.
Ultimately, Ryckman was thwarted by a coalition of Democrats, Republican centrists, and even prudent conservatives who recognized the futility of his efforts and finally passed an inflation adjustment.
Amusingly (and infuriatingly) Ryckman is now working to re-write history and cover his tracks. His recently-published editorial in newspapers across the state was so outlandish that it called for this response from all JoCo Education Advocacy groups, plus other similar groups across Kansas.
The legislature has been on break for a couple of weeks and starts their wrap-up session on May 1. We will be watching.