Ignorance in the Capitol
Shawnee County Treasurer Misuses Authority; Attorney General Says No Problem
By Deb Taylor

Lesbigay and civil rights activists in Kansas are upset over the actions of Shawnee County (Topeka)Treasurer Rita Cline.  In April 1998, Cline ceased contract negotiations with BA Merchant Services Inc. (in a plan to offer tax-payment services by telephone) after learning the company was an affiliate of San Francisco-based BankAmerica Corp.  In accordance with San Francisco's ordinance, BankAmerica provides spousal benefits to same-gender partners it employs. Cline used this as her reason for withdrawing from negotiations with BA Merchant Services; she would not do business with companies that break Kansas law (homosexuality is illegal in Kansas). "They were trying to cram a California law down my throat and that didn't sit well with me," Cline said to a Topeka Capital-Journal reporter.

Several people criticized Cline's actions in letters to the editor.  In response, Cline sent them letters on official Shawnee County stationary which said "In my opinion, written policies nor laws enacted by man should overcome the Bible, which is God's word. In that respect, please find enclosed reasons to believe the Bible." Included was a religious tract, "Why should anyone believe the Bible?"

David Boulter, a strong supporter of lesbigay rights and good friend of Max Movsovitz, received letters twice from Cline, as well as a phone call.  Boulter's phone number is unlisted.

Cline told a local television station is that she didn't overstep her position by sending the letters or the religious tract because, "When I took my oath of office, I said, 'so help me God.' "

Other Cline quotes:
HE (referring to Dave Boulter) chose to attack and bash me through a public forum.  I am a public official I've got the right to respond and that was my response.  And I'm darn proud of it.

I didn't express my views on religion.  HE has turned this into a religious issue.  There is nothing religious about respondin' to his letter.

You show me any law that I knowingly and voluntarily violated and I'll retract what I did.  But I guarantee that I have not violated any law."

This is not the first time Cline has embarrassed Topeka.  Cline upset members of the Topeka Jewish community when she used an ethnic and racial slur on February 12, 1997. During a tour of a Topeka mall, Cline said that she had been quoted a price for office space there but planned
to "Jew that price down some."

With respect to Cline's most recent action, the Topeka ACLU has submitted paperwork to the ACLU's legal panel for review. Said Wendy McFarland, ACLU's legislative lobbyist in Topeka, "When she responds as the Shawnee County Treasurer on Shawnee County stationery, she is not allowed to espouse her religious beliefs."

The Kansas Attorney General's office disagrees and does not plan to investigate the matter further. In their opinion, Cline was merely responding to constituents and, stated  Kansas senior deputy attorney general John Campbell, "The fact that she included a religious tract doesn't elevate it to something we need to investigate."

Rita Cline was alerted to San Francisco's domestic partner ordinance by her good friend, Fred Phelps.  Phelps and his clan plans to protest the first anniversary of San Francisco's same-sex marriage law at San Francisco's City Hall at noon, June 1, 1998.  In his fax to Mayor Willie Brown, Phelps requested that San Francisco spend its hard-earned tax dollars to provide adequate police protection for him and his tribe since he has received numerous death threats from members of SF's gay community.

Read this and other Phelps gems for yourself on the Phelps Web Site of Hate.

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