Bill would put Kansas court rulings on time limit

A key Senate leader is pushing passage of a measure that would restrict the amount of time judges in the Kansas court system could take before issuing opinions.

Senate Vice President Jeff King said the bill would set a deadline for district courts, the Kansas Court of Appeals and the Kansas Supreme Court to issue an opinion once a case has been heard. The measure has been introduced in the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by the Independence Republican.

While King says no one case prompted the bill, legislators have been waiting on the Supreme Court to issue its ruling on a school finance lawsuit that was heard on appeal by the justices in October. No date was mentioned when the court pronounced that it would “take the matter under advisement.”