Vote to make raffles lawful in Kansas

Plenty of questions confront Kansas voters in the elections that will be decided on Nov. 4, including a couple that might get lost in the shuffle.

▪ A constitutional amendment question would clear the way for charitable raffles to become legitimate. This will come as a surprise to many Kansans, but if you have entered a church or charity raffle, you have participated in an unauthorized lottery and violated state law.

By all means, voters should say YES to the constitutional amendment. The right to hold raffles would be limited to nonprofit groups, which would be prohibited from contracting with a professional vendor to manage the event. It’s time to stop making lawbreakers out of well-intentioned people who want to help out a good cause.

▪ Voters in Johnson and Wyandotte counties have a choice in the only contested Kansas Board of Education race. It features incumbent Janet Waugh, a Democrat, against Leavenworth School Board President Nancy Klemp, a Republican.

Waugh is the better pick. For four terms, she has been a voice of reason on the state school board, defending districts against attacks on science and attempts to privatize education with public money. She understands that Kansas schools must prepare students to compete in a global workforce, and they need adequate funding to do that.

This story was originally published October 28, 2014 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Vote to make raffles lawful in Kansas."