TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A teachers union has endorsed Democratic Senator Laura Kelly in her bid for Kansas governor, casting her as an ally to education and warning her opponents will hurt schools. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the National Education Association's Kansas chapter released a list Tuesday of recommended candidates for statewide, congressional and legislative races. The chapter says it evaluated the candidates by interviews and voting record. Kelly has supported efforts to comply with state Supreme Court orders and provide adequate public school funding. Lawmakers lowered school funding in response to the 2008 economic recession and struggled to balance the budget after former Governor Sam Brownback's tax policy. Her Republican opponent, Secretary of State Kris Kobach, opposed a plan lawmakers passed this year to phase in a $522 increase over the next five years.
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