Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and Commerce Secretary Pat George concluded last week a two-day trip to the 2013 International Paris Air Show to promote the Kansas aviation industry and more investment in the state by aviation-related companies. Brownback and George met with several companies during the visit.

“Kansas is one of the best places in the world for aviation manufacturing, research and testing,” Brownback said. “We have greatly improved the business and tax climate in the state. Our aviation workers are well trained. I wanted each company we met with at the Paris Air Show to know that Kansas is open for business and ready to partner with them.”

Brownback met with leaders at several companies and organizations, including Airbus, ASTech, B/E Aerospace, Beechcraft, Boeing, Bremen Group, LMI Aerostructures, Selex ES, Spirit AeroSystems and UTC Aircraft Systems, in addition to other companies.

Brownback also hosted a reception and made remarks at the Kansas Pavilion on June 18 on the grounds of the air show. Six companies were exhibiting at the pavilion, including CE Machine, Exacta Aerospace, Aerobind, Apex Engineering International LLC, Metal Finishing and HM Dunn Aerospace, all located in Wichita. The governor addressed more than 50 people attending the reception. The Kansas Department of Commerce and Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition (GWEDC) partnered on the pavilion with support from a U.S. Small Business Administration State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) grant.

“The competition is fierce,” said Tim Chase, president of the GWEDC. “Twenty-four states exhibited at the Paris Air Show and even more attended without having an official presence. With all the expansion taking place in the Southeast United States over the last several years, Governor Brownback’s presence was vital to demonstrating that Kansas is serious about growing our aerospace industry. His active participation reinforced the message that our state offers the infrastructure, generations of expertise, positive business climate, and world-class supply chain necessary for aerospace to thrive in this global marketplace.”

“These trips to the big aviation shows – Paris and Farnborough in 2012 – are very important to the state,” George said. “Kansas is competing against the world for the investment of these companies, as well as the jobs and economic activity they create. With Governor Brownback and myself leading the delegation, we can meet with CEOs and other senior decision makers with these companies, which will lead to more economic activity and job growth over the next 12 months. We packed a lot of activity and meetings into the short time we were in Paris.”

The Paris Air Show started on June 17 and concluded on June 23.

Last week, the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress, found that the federal government and many states were far from ready to set up marketplaces where Americans are supposed to be able to buy insurance.

Now the Obama administration has set up a new Web site and a telephone call center to provide information to consumers —  in preparation for what the government anticipates will be a flood of people buying health insurance starting October 1.

The call center will be in operation 24 hours a day. The phone number is 800-318-2596. The Web site, www.healthcare.gov , provides information promoting the 2010 health care law and describing new insurance options. The Web site and call center currently have only general information about coverage.

(AP) – Kansas expects to rely less heavily on internal borrowing to pay its bills on time during the fiscal year starting in July.

Gov. Sam Brownback and legislative leaders on Tuesday unanimously approved $300 million in loans to the state’s general fund from other accounts. By law, the loan must be paid by the end of June 2014.

The general fund is the state’s main bank account. It is used to finance general government programs and provide aid to public school districts.

Because revenues don’t flow in consistently, the state has resorted annually to internal borrowing to temporarily meet its cash needs.

But the state shifted $400 million into the general fund during the current budget year and $600 million during the previous fiscal year.

Very strong thunderstorms rolled across portions of Kansas on Monday evening and early Tuesday.

There were numerous reports of very large hail in Southwest Kansas from the storms. Wind gusts of 60-70 miles per hour were reported in Ford County and also early Tuesday morning in rural areas of Osborne and Lincoln County and near Minneapolis and in Concordia.

The Minneapolis area also received very heavy rain Tuesday morning. Ellis County only experienced some thunder and lightning along with a few drops of rain overnight. A brief, heavy downpour left .05 in the rain gauge at the Eagle Media Center in Hays. The official rainfall total from the K-State Ag research station south of Hays indicated no rain overnight. We have received 2.73 inches of moisture in June and 8.68 inches for the year.