Legislature smoked by coal

Ugly. That is the word that comes to mind in describing the 2008 Kansas Legislature. From the outset in January to the coming of spring, legislators were mired in controversy, among themselves and with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, over two proposed 700-megawatt coal-fired electric plants in southwest Kansas. The contentious debate, in the corridors and on the floors of both chambers, dominated the proceedings and choked out other deserving issues.