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1999 Kansas Attorney General Reports and Opinions 1 (1999)

handle is hein.sag/sagks0031 and id is 1 raw text is: January 15, 1999

ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION NO. 99-1
Nick A. Tomasic, District Attorney
Office of the District Attorney
of the 29th Judicial District
Wyandotte County Judicial Complex
710 N. 7th
Kansas City, Kansas 66101
Re:
Elections--Political Parties--Precinct Committeemen and
Committeewomen; Filling Vacancies; Constitutionality
Synopsis:
K.S.A. 25-3801 provides that no committeeman or
committeewoman may be appointed to fill a vacancy occurring
because the political party had no candidate at the primary
election until after the election or reelection of the county central
committee's chairperson. The provision regulates the internal
governance of the party and must, therefore, be narrowly tailored
to serve a compelling State interest. In the absence of such
interest, it violates the First and Fourteenth Amendment
associational rights of political parties. Cited herein: K.S.A. 19-
203; 19-303; 19-504; 19-715; 19-804; 19-1203; K.S.A. 1997 Supp.
25-213; K.S.A. 25-3801; K.S.A. 1997 Supp. 25-3902; 25-3902a;
K.S.A. 25-3903; K.S.A. 1997 Supp. 25-3904; 25-3904a; K.S.A.
25-3905; 25-3906; U.S. Const., Amend. 1, XIV; L. 1990, Ch. 131, §
1; L. 1972, Ch. 129; 1972 Substitute for Senate Bill No. 161.
Dear Mr. Tomasic:
As District Attorney for the 29th Judicial District, you request our opinion
regarding the appointment of precinct committeemen and committeewomen.
Specifically, you ask whether a provision of K.S.A. 25-3801 violates the First
and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. If it is
determined that the provision does not violate the Constitution, you ask
whether appointments made by the chairman of the Wyandotte County
Democratic Central Committee following the primary election, but prior to
reorganization of the party committee, were legal.

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