End Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s reign of error

Kansas taxpayers discovered this week that Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s latest politically motivated foolishness cost them $34,628.

It’s further evidence that voters on Nov. 4 need to elect Jean Schodorf, a well-qualified candidate who will handle Kobach’s job more professionally.

The money was spent on private legal fees to defend Kobach’s view in September that Democrat Chad Taylor hadn’t properly asked for his name to be removed from the U.S. Senate ballot. Kobach’s action was aimed at helping fellow Republican Pat Roberts try to fend off independent Greg Orman, who stood to benefit with Taylor out of the race.

Fortunately, the Kansas Supreme Court saw through Kobach’s tripe that he was only trying to defend the sanctity of the ballot. The court unanimously ruled that Taylor had followed state law.

If Kobach hadn’t insisted on acting more like an arm of the GOP rather than an impartial secretary of state, taxpayers wouldn’t have had to shell out for the needless legal tangle.

He also has looked like a reckless excuse for an attorney general the last four years. Kobach has gallivanted around the nation trying to help states pass stricter immigration laws and taken money for duties having nothing to do with his publicly funded job.

In addition, Kobach pursued an unfair proof-of-citizenship requirement that has left the voting status of about 20,000 Kansans in legal limbo.

Kobach’s irresponsible remark that he would “do it all over again” in wasting taxpayer money on the Taylor lawsuit sums up the situation well. Electing Schodorf as secretary of state would deliver a better future for Kansas.

This story was originally published October 29, 2014 at 6:02 PM with the headline "End Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s reign of error."