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KS lawmakers to vote on bill to keep courts open

Posted at 7:20 AM, Jan 28, 2016
and last updated 2016-01-28 08:20:16-05

Kansas legislators expect to give final approval to a bill to keep the state's courts open following a legal dispute involving their budget.

The Senate planned to vote on the measure Thursday. The House passed it last week, so senators' approval would send it to Gov. Sam Brownback.

The measure repeals a 2015 law threatening the court system's budget.

That law said the judiciary's entire budget would be nullified if the courts struck down another law enacted in 2014.

The 2014 law stripped the Kansas Supreme Court of its power to appoint chief judges in the state's 31 judicial districts and gave it to local judges instead. The high court invalidated the 2014 law last month.

Supporters of the 2014 law said they didn't intend to close the courts.

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