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From Merriam to Topeka: Group arrives at state capitol to rally for education

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After 66 miles or 132,000 steps, a group of mothers, teachers and concerned Kansans arrived in Topeka early Monday morning. 

The group, protesting cuts to education and the state’s budget, left Merriam Friday morning. They spent three days walking to Topeka. 

RELATED | Education advocates, moms walk to rally for school funding

"I had a considerable amount of experience before all of the budget cuts took place. And the thing that frustrates me more than anything is that the most vulnerable students have been hurt the most by budget cuts,” said Angie Powers, a teacher in Olathe who has been teaching for 17 years.

The group is calling for the elimination of the LLC loophole, restoration of the three tax bracket, and the removal of the glide path to zero income tax. Additionally, they would like to see cuts restored and education “fully funded.” 

"Being a teacher, you are a political actor. It doesn’t mean you have to take politics into your classroom but politics impacts your everyday life,” said Powers.  "You have to be informed and you have to spread that to other teachers."

The same day they arrived at the capitol and held a rally, Kansas lawmakers on a special House committee gathered to hold their third public hearing on a new school funding formula.

The proposal looks similar to what lawmakers scrapped in 2015 for block grants. Some districts worry it is too complicated to understand while others worry it would not include enough money to satisfy the State Supreme Court’s ruling.

"We’ve been listening. We’ve been listening all along. And that’s what I mean by this bill is a starting point. There’s already amendments ready to go to fix all of those things,” said Rep. Larry Campbell, R- Olathe, who chairs the committee.

Now that public hearing is over, Campbell said lawmakers will start re-working the bill to address some concerns. He told 41 Action News he does not have a timeline when he would like to see the committee vote on the bill. However, lawmakers need to find a solution by June 30. 

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Ariel Rothfield can be reached at Ariel.Rothfield@KSHB.com.

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