By KHI News Service, March 17, 2011
TOPEKA — A coalition of advocacy groups is planning several rallies next month, to call attention to proposed cuts in state spending and their effects on social services and education.
"The goal is to raise awareness," said Rocky Nichols, executive director at the Disability Rights Center of Kansas. "There are some of very serious issues facing us as a state - the need for services, the setting of priorities, and tax fairness."
The groups are planning multiple rallies between April 6 and April 20 in seven cities: Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City, Parsons, Hays, Hutchinson, and Garden City. Starting times and locations have yet to be announced.
Groups in the coalition include the Kansas National Education Association, Kansas Association of School Boards, Kansans for Quality Communities, and the Big Tent Coalition.
The Big Tent Coalition includes several associations that represent programs and services for people with disabilities, the elderly and low-income families.