A Democratic senator from Topeka says Governor Sam Brownback is packing the Kansas Board of Regents with too many Republicans. State law requires that no more than five of the nine regents belong to the same political party. Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley said yesterday (MON) that the governor is skirting the rules, because in February, one of the new appointees changed his registration from Republican to unaffiliated. Brownback says Hensley’s criticism is not accurate.
The regent in question, Shane Bangerter (BANG-a-tur) from Dodge City, says the governor’s office did not ask him to change his party affiliation. Bangerter says he has not been active in the Republican Party in recent years.
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A Democratic state senator from Topeka says Governor Sam Brownback is packing the Kansas Board of Regents with too many Republicans. State law requires that no more than five of the nine regents belong to the same political party. The senator says Brownback’s recent appointments violate the spirit of that law. KPR’s Stephen Koranda reports.