By Murrel Bland

She is one of the most loyal and closest advisers to Governor Sam Brownback. Her job often draws controversy and, at times, legal action.

Kim Borchers was the featured speaker at the monthly meeting of the Congressional Forum Friday, Dec. 18 at the Reardon Convention Center. She told of her duties as appointment secretary for the governor. She said that she advises Gov. Sam Brownback in some 750 positions on about 175 state boards.

Borchers worked in Brownbacks political campaign and served in his transitional staff as he became governor. In 2009, she made headlines in Topeka when she lobbied for the public library to restrict access for sexually oriented books.

Borchers laments the inflammatory speech used against Brownback by his political enemies.? State Senator Anthony Hensley, a Democrat from Topeka, and a frequent critic of Brownback, said that Borchers is influenced in her decisions because of her conservative religious views.

The governor and Borchers were named as defendants in an open records lawsuit that was filed recently by the Hutchinson News. The newspaper alleges it was denied information that should be public concerning the appointment of judges. There was a similar case in Salina when the county commission voted to expand itself from three to five.

Dane Hicks, who prides himself as a conservative who favors limited government and is the editor of the Anderson County Review in Garnett, recently criticized Brownback for stonewalling what should be obvious releases of public information.

Controversy has surrounded the appointment process in another state agency?the Kansas African-American Affairs Commission. The Commissions executive director position had been vacant for seven months. Kenya Cox, a Republican, Wichita was recently named to the post, effective Jan. 11. James Barfield, a former commissioner from Wichita, accused Brownback of rejecting three previous candidates for executive director because they were not Republicans. Cox was a staff member of Mike Pompeo and Todd Tihart, two conservative Republican members of Congress from Kansas.? Cox was an unsuccessful candidate in 2012 for the Kansas Senate.

Borchers said anyone who is interested in serving on Kansas commissions and boards may telephone her at 785-368-7321 or write her at 300 S.W. Tenth Ave., Topeka, Kan 66612. The website is www.governor.ks.serving-kansans/office of appointments.

Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press.