Kan-ed Lives!

Here is an article from the Lawrence, KS, Journal-World:

Kansas Senate committee refuses to move forward with dismantling of Kan-Ed

Topeka — A state-run network that provides broadband access to hundreds of schools, libraries and hospitals, but has angered powerful telecommunications interests may have received a reprieve on Tuesday from the legislative chopping block.

Sen. Pat Apple, R-Louisburg, and chair of the Senate Utilities Committee, indicated his committee wasn’t going to act on a House-approved bill that would pull the plug on Kan-Ed.

Instead, Apple directed Kan-Ed leaders to get with cable and phone company lobbyists and make peace....

On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 5:54 PM, Roger Carswell wrote:

> The Senate Utilities Committee held a hearing on HB2390, the Kan-Ed repeal
> bill today. The Committee chair announced that the committee would not meet
> to work the bill tomorrow, rendering it effectively dead for this session.
> There is to be a study of Kan-Ed over the next few months, to which the
> library community will want to provide input.
>
> Many representatives of the constituencies of Kan-Ed (higher education,
> hospitals, schools along with libraries) were quite eloquent in their
> defense of the importance of Kan-Ed services at today's hearing. Libraries
> were represented splendidly by the testimony of Charlene McGuire, technology
> consultant for the Southwest Kansas Library System and Janet Reynolds,
> assistant librarian of Linn County Library District #2 and library school
> media specialist for Prairie View High School.
>
> It was also clear that senators on the committee had heard from librarians
> in their districts. Thanks to everyone for their work in defeating this
> bill!