Open enrollment is just one of the problematic policies bundled in the K-12 budget that has to be taken up when the Legislature returns next week.

During the first week of the Legislative Session, Governor Kelly introduced a budget that fully funded schools for the third year in a row. Yet, the Legislature adjourned for their spring break – after 10 weeks in session – without passing a K-12 budget. Why? Because the supermajority of conservative legislators can’t decide how much bad policy to include with it.

This latest effort is simply a way to demoralize teachers encouraging them to quit and slashing the availability of a qualified corps of public school educators. It is an effort to convince parents who believe in those teachers and schools that something sinister is afoot. They promote conspiracy theories intended to sow confusion.

In addition to Senate Substitute for House Bill 2280 which effectively would end all required immunizations for school attendance, Senators are considering two other bills that would prohibit measures to contain the spread of infectious diseases.

Senate Substitute for HB 2280 which is intended to remove the ability of the Kansas Board of Healing Arts to investigate and possibly sanction medical professionals who prescribe medications that are not approved for certain illnesses, now includes a provision radically expanding the religious exemption for parents who refuse to vaccinate their children.

The House has a mega-monster bill ready for more discussion. This is House Substitute for House Bill 2615. This bill contains an expansive voucher program under which students may attend unaccountable and unaccredited private schools at taxpayer expense.