This was in the Traveler online edition on May 15, 2008
Stalking law was Kelley's idea
TRAVELER VIEWS The lion's share of the credit for the stalking bill, which Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has signed into law, goes to Rep. Kasha Kelley, R-Arkansas City.
Kelley had the bill drafted and introduced it after accusations of stalking came to light in the case of the murder of Jodi Sanderholm.
The bill substitutes a "reasonable person" standard for previous, more restrictive language used to find stalking was probably taking place. The new law should let law enforcement act more aggressively when a woman complains she is being stalked.
Sen. Greta Goodwin, D-Winfield, put her thumbprint on the bill with an amendment that called for law enforcement training.
This was a necessary step, not only to make the new law more effective, but also to get it out of an overworked Senate committee.
The bill was hung up in the judiciary committee, on which Goodwin serves.
Yes, politics were involved.
Kelley is the leading contender to challenge Goodwin, if she, Kelley, decides to run.
The outcome was a good one, whatever the motives of lawmakers involved. Both Goodwin and Kelley deserve credit for the new law, but most of that credit goes to Kelley.
This just struck me as being a very serious accusation for a newspaper to make, and if I were Greta Goodwin, I would take extreme exception to them saying that she deliberately held up the process for political gain. What proof could the newspaper possibly have to make an absolute statement like "Yes, politics were involved."? Surely they should have qualified it with a "possibly", or a "seemingly" in there somewhere.
