Kansas Debates How Much Time Its Senators Actually Have to Spend There
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Republican Sen. Pat Roberts on Monday was allowed to keep his job despite a challenge brought by tea party activists claiming he spends so much time out of Kansas, he wouldn't even qualify for in-state tuition if he went back to school.
Shutterstock
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Republican Sen. Pat Roberts on Monday was allowed to keep his job despite a challenge brought by tea party activists claiming he spends so much time out of Kansas, he wouldn’t even qualify for in-state tuition if he went back to school.
The senator’s attorney argued in his defense that the Senate spent 140 days in session the prior year and Roberts had a 98 percent voting record.
Roberts faces a primary challenge from tea partyer Milton Wolf, who is probably pleased simply to have the issue raised.
The case was tossed, with the entire State Objections Board recusing itself because all three officials have already endorsed Roberts. Three stand-ins instead ruled in favor of the senator.
So how much time should a representative have to spend among his or her people?
According to the Topeka Capital-Journal, Roberts and his wife reside primarily at their home in Virginia. That’s to be expected of a senator. But there’s more: While Roberts owns a duplex in Dodge City (of wild west fame), he rents it out. Roberts, in order to qualify as a resident, pays rent to someone else in town.
Red State says, “Sen. Roberts’ wife is even a very successful real estate agent — in Virginia.”
Roberts himself joked to The New York Times that he sleeps on a recliner when he comes into town, however, “Nobody knows the state better than I do.”
— Posted by Peter Z. Scheer
Wait, before you go…If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.
Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.
Support Truthdig
What if you held an election and nobody showed up to cover it? That's what the 2014 midterms were like in much of the country.
Republicans are celebrating. In less than two months they will hold a majority in the U.S. Senate and in the House of Representatives.
No runoff will be needed to declare one unambiguous winner in this month's gubernatorial elections: the financial services industry.
All is not lost. Change has happened in the past, against severe resistance, three times since the Civil War.
One of the most important -- and generally overlooked -- results of last week’s midterm election was Republican success in increasing control of state legislatures.One of the most important—and generally overlooked—results of last week’s midterm election was Republican success in increasing control of state legislatures.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.