Mark Your Calendar! It's five days to the start of Kansas' first domestic partner registry

At 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 1, couples will gather at the Lawrence City Hall to become the first to register as domestic partners in the state of Kansas.

Registry will be done via computers in the City Commission room on the first floor. The fee is $75.

Now couples -- both same-sex and straight -- will be able to gain access to health insurance and other benefits already offered by their employers. This is just one of the advantages of being able to legally prove a domestic partner relationship.

Kudos and huzzahs to the Kansas Equality Coalition for winning approval of this important registry. The Equality Coalition has more detail on its web site.

The Rev. Jerry Johnston School of Hellfire

The Kansas City Star goes after Overland Park megachurch pastor Jerry Johnston once again.

Reporter Judy Thomas reports on allegations that Johnston condemns accountants to hellfire for following the law, likes to play with church money and once engaged in a bit of fake fundraising. .

July 13 hearing set for Tiller challenge

Dr. George Tiller's lawyers are challenging the state's late-term abortion law. The Wichita doctor claims the part of the law dealing with 19 charges filed against him is vague and unconstitutional.

Why Operation Rescue hates Attorney General Paul Morrison

AP's John Hanna does a good job today of explaining why abortion opponents are less than thrilled with Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison.

Despite the fact that he has filed 19 charges against Wichita Dr. George Tiller, Morrison's charges don't revolve around the core of the state's late-term abortion law as former AG Phill Kline's charges did.

Hanna does a good job of explaining the legal situation. His explanation also shows why Kline was desperate to move forward with his charges. If Kline had been successful, the case would have made it much harder for any doctor to have done late-term abortions in Kansas. It could also have easily gone to the U.S. Supreme Court. Hanna implies that the temptation of having his name attached to such an important case may have been overwhelming.

If Morrison is right that Kline and his staff completely botched their case against Tiller, then Hanna has just explained Kline's motivation. Of course, the story also explains Operation Rescue's fury.