Lobbyists spend more than $1 million

TOPEKA (AP) —Lobbyists have reported spending more than $1.1 million to influence legislators for the second consecutive year, largely because of a fight over two proposed coal-fired power plants in southwest Kansas.

Last year, lobbyists reported spending nearly $1.17 million. The figure through April of this year was just under $1.11 million. The figures were compiled by the state Governmental Ethics Commission.

In both years, the spending has been driven by media advertising and other campaigns designed to put public pressure on lawmakers. Lobbyists said they spent $612,000 on those items in 2007 and $700,000 during the first four months of this year.

“We’ve just not seen those kinds of expenditures in those categories before,” Carol Williams, the commission’s executive director, said Thursday.

The leading spender so far this year is Sunflower Electric Power Corp., which reported spending $181,000 through April.

Sunflower wants to build the two plants in Finney County near Holcomb. The project has been blocked by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ administration since October over their potential carbon dioxide emissions.

Legislators passed three bills to allow the power plants, but Sebelius vetoed them all, and lawmakers couldn’t muster enough votes to override her.

House race

Republican challenger Nick Jordan has filed for the 3rd Congressional District seat now held by Democrat Dennis Moore.

Jordan, a state senator from Shawnee since 1995, already is campaigning. Last week, President Bush was the guest of honor at a private fundraising reception for Jordan in Johnson County.

But his candidacy didn’t become official until he paid a $1,672 fee to the secretary of state’s office. That guaranteed Jordan a spot on the Aug. 5 primary ballot.

Moore won the seat for the GOP-leaning district in 1998.

Jordan faces Paul Showen, a retired construction worker and real estate agent from Shawnee, in the GOP primary. Showen won 7 percent of the vote in a four-person primary in 2006.

New judge

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has appointed David W. Hauber as a district court judge in Johnson County.

No date has been set for him to replace Judge Janice Russell, who retired from the bench. Hauber, 54, has been in private practice in the Kansas City area. The term runs until November 2010, and his name will appear on the ballot for retention by Johnson County voters.

Hauber attended The University of Kansas for his undergraduate degree in journalism and law degree. He has practiced law for 25 years.

His practice includes both plaintiff and defense work for individuals, small businesses and insurance companies. He handles a variety of civil matters such as personal injury employment, business, public, land use, and insurance law issues.

Politics

House Minority Leader Dennis McKinney has filed for re-election.

The Greensburg Democrat’s action means 85 percent of the Legislature’s incumbents are seeking re-election.

McKinney has been serving in the House since 1992, and he’s been minority leader since 2003. He is a 47-year-old farmer.

So far, 107 of 125 House members have filed for re-election. Among the most recent, with McKinney, was Lawrence Republican Tom Sloan.

In the Senate, David Haley, a Kansas City Democrat, became the latest to guarantee himself a spot on the ballot for the Aug. 5 primaries. Thirty-three of 40 senators have filed.

The filing deadline is noon Tuesday.

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Associated Press Writer Carl Manning also contributed to this report.

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On the Net:

Ethics Commission: http://www.kansas.gov/ethics/

Jordan campaign: http://www.nickjordan.com/

Moore’s site: http://www.moore.house.gov/

Kansas Legislature: http://www.kslegislature.org