Sedgwick County commissioners have informally decided not to move ahead with a proposed bill for the Kansas Legislature to change the way election commissioners are chosen.
Commissioners talked about a possible bill after Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab announced that he would not reappoint Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Tabitha Lehman.
Commission Chairman Pete Meitzner said during a special meeting Friday that he had talked Schwab on the issue. He said Schwab plans to appoint a committee with his staff and Sedgwick County officials to screen applicants for election commissioner, and the committee would recommend a replacement. Meitzner said Johnson and Wyandotte counties have gone through that process and have been pleased with it, and Johnson County Commission Chairman Ed Eilert told him he would not support a bill to change that process.
Meitzner said Schwab also said he would work with the counties to put this process into a state statute to continue the selection process into the future.
Sedgwick County commissioner Jim Howell wanted to support a bill in the Legislature to allow county commissioners to appoint an election commissioner in the state’s four largest counties. Howell said he’s disappointed that the idea won’t go forward this year, but he will get input from commissioners in those counties to find out if there is support.
