'Tea party' rally held at Statehouse

About 65 people gathered on the Statehouse grounds late Saturday morning for a “tea party” rally held to protest the recently approved federal stimulus package and a lack of action by the Legislature regarding illegal aliens in the state.Skies were gray, and a brisk easterly wind whipped across the grounds as rally-goers gathered near the south steps, listening to speakers while holding American flags and signs expressing support for conservative political values.“It’s time we take our country back,” Billy Gilchrist told those on hand.Gilchrist is Topeka chapter leader for the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, a group focused on securing U.S. borders and coastal boundaries against unlawful entry.Residents from Wichita and the Kansas City area were among those attending the rally, which organizers said was one of many “tea party” events being held across the nation.Former Kansas Republican Party chairman Kris Kobach told rally-goers the gathering was different from the others in that participants recognized the relationship between policies put in place by President Barack Obama’s administration and the influx of illegal aliens into this country.He said illegal aliens who receive amnesty — the vast majority of whom will be dependent on government — after becoming citizens will consequently vote to keep in place the political system that benefits them.Ed Hayes, Kansas and Missouri state director for the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, said Saturday’s rally was among events being held in the weeks leading up to April 15, when “Tax Day Tea Party” protests are scheduled nationwide.Berryton resident Joan Baskett, who took part in Saturday’s rally, said Americans for Prosperity and the 912 Project plan to hold a tea party event at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, at the U.S. Post Office General Mail Facility at 1410 N.W. Gage Blvd.Tim Hrenchir can be reached at (785) 295-1184 or tim.hrenchir@cjonline.com.