Testimony in the Kansas school finance trial will draw to a close today as lawyers in the case call their final witnesses.
Former State Representative Rochelle Chronister is among the final witnesses who are scheduled to testify in the school finance trial. In the legislature, she was considered a moderate Republican, and was later named chairwoman of the 2010 Commission, a group appointed by the legislature after the last school finance case to make recommendations about appropriate funding levels for public schools.
Most recently, Chronister has been one of the leaders of the group, Traditional Republicans for Common Sense, a coalition of other former moderate GOP state officials who oppose the tax cuts and school funding plans endorsed by current Governor Sam Brownback.
Also scheduled to testify is Dale Dennis, the deputy commissioner of education in charge of school finance. Education Commissioner Diane DeBacker had been scheduled to testify. But she will not appear in person due to a scheduling conflict. Instead, the court will hear the videotaped deposition she gave to attorneys during the pre-trial phase of the lawsuit.