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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 13 January 2021

Kansas House Dems move to oust member over issues with women

By JOHN HANNA and members.” It says only that,
HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH “Each house shall provide
Associated Press for the expulsion or censure
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kan- of members in appropriate
sas legislators on Tuesday cases.”
began the process to oust But the House is likely to
a newly elected lawmaker have broad latitude. Rich-
over multiple issues that ard Levy, a constitutional
include the 20-year-old’s law scholar and University
rhetoric on Twitter and al- of Kansas law professor,
legations that he harassed said courts generally treat
and threatened girls and expulsions as political ques-
women. tions because legislatures
A formal compliant filed in have the authority to de-
the House by Democratic cide who sits in them and
members about State Rep. standards for ousting mem-
Aaron Coleman will kick off bers aren’t spelled out in
a bipartisan investigation, detail.
culminating in a recom- When someone sued in
mendation and vote on court in 1878 to remove a
his future in the Legislature. House member accused of
A two-thirds majority most being “in a state of intoxi-
vote in favor of ousting cation produced by strong
Coleman, of Kansas City, This Dec. 8, 2020 file photo shows Kansas state Rep. Aaron Coleman, D-Kansas City at the drink voluntarily taken,”
Kansas, who was sworn in Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. the Kansas Supreme Court
on Monday. Associated Press dismissed the case, saying
The 20-year-old Coleman reason to expel Coleman Democrats. he speaks with Coleman only the House could de-
could be the first state law- is a now-deleted tweet in Coleman, who was elect- before making any com- cide the issue. In the same
maker in Kansas ousted which Coleman suggested ed as a Democrat, said ments, his office said. year, the court refused to
from office if the ouster suc- Gov. Laura Kelly would face Tuesday that he’s is no Coleman has questioned decide whether another
ceeds. The Kansas State Li- an “extremely bloody” pri- longer affiliated with the whether the House has House member was im-
brary could find no record mary in 2022 for not being party, which he said has the power to expel him for properly seated, saying
of any legislator being ex- progressive enough. “disenfranchised” his con- events that occurred be- it was “powerless in the
pelled, although at least “People will realize one day stituents. “I’m focusing on fore he took office. premises.”
a handful have been re- when I call a hit out on you governing,” Coleman told “It’s kind of crazy. I have Last year, the Idaho House
moved in other states. it’s real,” he wrote. He later The Associated Press, not- not violated my oath of expelled a member for the
“He is a danger to wom- said he meant to use the ing that he’s already push- office. I just took my oath first time in that state’s his-
en,” said Minority Leader phrase “political hit.” ing for an increase in the yesterday,” he said. “There tory after he was convicted
Tom Sawyer in a statement. Sawyer refused to give state’s minimum wage and has been no grounds for re- of conspiring to defraud
“His removal is necessary to Coleman committee as- will propose a plan for uni- moval.” the U.S. government.
ensure the safety and well- signments or provide him versal state health cover- The Kansas Constitution Lawmakers in Louisiana,
being of legislators and with office space in the age. House Speaker Ron makes each chamber the Nebraska and Oklahoma
Capitol staff.” Statehouse. He signed onto Ryckman Jr., an Olathe judge of its elections and also resigned in 2017 be-
The complaint says another the complaint with 12 other Republican, will wait until “qualifications of its own fore being expelled. q
Sage grouse review done, but scant time for Trump’s changes

industry into action before they stand behind their have seen their range that
President-elect Joe Biden plans. stretches across portions
takes office. The ground- But the ruling that blocked of 11 states diminished by
dwelling, chicken-sized the changes is still in place. oil and gas drilling, wild-
greater sage grouse has And with just eight days left fires, grazing and other
been at the center of a before Biden’s inaugura- pressures. The Obama ad-
long-running dispute over tion, environmentalists said ministration, with Biden as
how much of the American the Trump administration’s vice president, adopted
West’s expansive public latest move won’t change restrictions in 2015 meant
lands should be developed. anything, barring a last- to protect the best grouse
A federal judge blocked minute reversal by the habitat and keep the bird
the Trump administration in court. off the threatened and en-
2019 from its plans to relax “It’s a nothing burger. It’s dangered species list.
rules on mining, drilling and a parting shot on the way Trump moved to change
grazing across millions of out the door,” said Greta those plans in 2017, but the
In this April 20, 2013 file photo, male greater sage grouse acres of land because of Anderson with Western Obama rules were reinstat-
perform mating rituals for a female grouse, not pictured, on a
lake outside Walden, Colo. potential harm to the sage Watershed Project, one ed under a 2019 injunction
Associated Press grouse. of the group’s involved in from U.S. District Judge B.
After releasing an environ- the legal case. “We don’t Lynn Winmill in Boise, Idaho.
By MATTHEW BROWN plans to ease protections mental study in Novem- expect the Biden adminis- Bureau of Land Manage-
Associated Press for a struggling bird species ber aimed at justifying the tration to defend these ter- ment officials did not reply
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The in seven states in the U.S. changes, Bureau of Land rible plans.” to emailed questions about
Trump administration has West, but there’s little time Management officials said Sage grouse once num- whether they will ask Win-
completed a review of to put the relaxed rules for in a notice Monday that bered in the millions but mill to lift the injunction.q