Kansas Monday: Tax them for breathing, give us all guns & hate Lawrence

By Diane Silver

For your Monday morning Kansas read:

Lawmaker proposes tax on "them"
Under the category of You've Got to be Kidding, Rep. Bill Otto, R-LeRoy, has introduced a bill to impose a 3 percent payroll tax on non-citizens. The tax would pay for bilingual and other educational expenses. Allegedly aimed at illegal immigrants, the bill would impose the extra tax on ALL non-citizens, even those here legally. This would be on top of all the payroll taxes non-citizens already pay. Otto says he realizes he will be attacked for being politically incorrect. Actually, I don't think that's the issue at all. Being labeled as mean and unfair are much more likely outcomes for Otto.

Why lawmakers hate Lawrence
My hometown newspaper tackles the subject of why the state Legislature often has Lawrence in its crosshairs. The story comes in wake of the latest attempt by a state lawmaker to block the city's ability to rule itself.

Battling for the right to carry a concealed gun anywhere, anytime
Blue Tide Rising reports on some Hutchinson gun owners who are furious over those little signs that are popping up in the wake of the state's new concealed carry law. The signs show a bright, red slash through the black silhouette of a handgun and are designed to tell those with concealed weapons that they can't carry their guns into such wild arenas as schools and hospitals. Apparently, though, that isn't a happy thought for some folks.