First of all, I want to apologize for missing my review of “Chappie” last week. I believe that I’ve only missed one review in my three year tenure of writing movie reviews. The punchline would have been: skip it, it has an interesting concept that is mired in terrible writing and is almost entirely unlikeable.
“Cinderella” is a story that needs no introduction. Perhaps much more accurately, it’s the latest Disney movie to be on the receiving end of a reintroduction.
Kenneth Branagh, the director of “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” and “Thor” and; amusingly, the actor who played Gilderoy Lockhart in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” helms this live-action remake to good effect. Branagh has an eye for conveying the “air of nobility.” It’s a subtle distinction indicated by how characters carry themselves. For a story like “Cinderella,” the distinction of what nobility is, where it comes from and how it impacts the world is a great asset in an effort to add a more human element to such a classic fairytale.
Relative newcomer Lily James shines as the titular character “Cinderella.” The roots of the “Cinderella” fairytale are still solidly ensconced in outmoded notions when it comes to gender roles. That said, this latest adaptation does move the needle in the right direction, James’ performance as Cinderella is both strong and kind, perhaps not in equal measure, but she is so much more than a pretty face.
Conversely, Richard Madden, who played Robb Stark in HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” is spectacular as the Prince. The interactions between Cinderella and the Prince have more substance to them than what I remember of the original Disney animated feature.
I enjoyed my time watching “Cinderella.” It moves a little slowly in places and I am very unhappy that Cate Blanchett gets top billing just because she’s the biggest name. I understand that’s how the cinema industry works, (and I love Cate Blanchett) but it’s upsetting to watch the credits role and read – “Cinderella” – “Starring” – “Cate Blanchett.” I don’t think it’s unreasonable for Lily James who plays the film’s namesake to at least have her name show up first. Also, as my wife, Renee, pointed out, the dress is the wrong shade of blue. Other than those small annoyances, “Cinderella” is a worthy remake of a timeless classic.
Well, it’s fast-and-furious at the Statehouse, with financing of public schools mesmerizing most of the legislators and hangers-on who either have an interest in public schools or are wondering what happens to the issues they care about while the school issue boils.
The school issue? How does the state distribute the roughly $3 billion a year for the next two years that Gov. Sam Brownback proposes to spend (or more, apparently, if a court demands it) to help finance schools? Is that enough money to finance the public schools “adequately” as the Kansas Constitution calls for?
That’s the big fight, but there’s another one waiting to enter the ring: Taxes.
While whatever happens with school finance plays out, remember that the Legislature can’t clock out and go home until it has adopted a balanced budget.
That balanced budget is sure to require more taxes—even the governor proposed raising taxes (on cigarettes and liquor) to make his budget pencil out—and when the school business is finally settled, it’s still going to take more taxes to make things balance.
***
Surprisingly, the conservative school finance talking point that seems to be the most popular is that the 23-year-old school finance formula is “complicated.” Maybe “complicated” is a tragic flaw in the current formula, which if fully funded would require a boost of state spending on K-12. But then, cell phones are “complicated” and nobody’s tossing them aside in favor of simpler-to-understand black dial telephones.
***
So, whether it sticks or not, lawmakers may this week have a number to plug into the budget for K-12, and so far both House and Senate budget committees have tentatively adopted most of the rest of the spending recommendations of the governor—which remember, require increased revenues. Oh, the Statehouse crowd tends to use the phrase “revenue enhancement.” Regular people say “taxes.”
At this point, while the budget folks are assembling this week their Mega appropriations bill which will determine how much the state will spend in the next two fiscal years, the tax mavens are assembling options to finance that budget.
There is a lot on the table. There’s a bill to eliminate that first $20,000 of value of your home from the state’s 20-mill school levy which is worth $47 per homeowner, to putting the sales tax back on your utility bills, worth more than $140 million. And, of course, those cigarette and liquor tax increases which few around the Statehouse take seriously.
Mess with income taxes? That’s more complicated. Remember, those 190,000 Kansas businesses that we thought were not paying Kansas income taxes due to the 2012/13 tax breaks? That number is now more than 300,000. And boost their taxes to more than zero and you are singling them out, aren’t you?
There’s no way to know, because it isn’t one of those check-offs on the income tax form, but there is a suspicion that most of those now-300,000-plus Kansans who don’t pay state income taxes…just might be registered Republicans, who are wondering about who to support in 2016.
Now, if there was just a way to check in with that non-income tax crowd—by party affiliation—to see whether they are a little embarrassed by their status and might not mind a little…just a little…income tax liability. H’mmm.
We’ll see whether the tax committees have made their own assessment of the politics of tax increases that focuses on folks who aren’t now taxpayers. Won’t we?
Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A seatbelt citation campaign aimed at teenagers resulted in more than twice as many citations this year than in 2014.
Kansas Highway Patrol troopers and law enforcement officers across the state issued 265 seatbelt citations to teen drivers during an enforcement action between Feb. 23 and March 6. The effort put special emphasis on patrols around Kansas high schools.
The campaign also issued 344 citations to adult drivers, as well as 42 child-restraint citations and 224 other citations such as outstanding warrants, texting violations and speeding.
The patrol said in a news release the same campaign in 2014 resulted in 123 seatbelt citations to drivers ages 14 through 17, while the citations to adults decreased from 493 issued last year.
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — A Saline County District Court judge is expected to rule next week whether a Salina man will receive separate trials for two homicides he is charged with committing during the same week in 2009.
An attorney for 33-year-old Willie J. Parker argued last week that Parker should have the two trials because the two deaths have little in common. Judge Rene Young is expected to rule on the motion March 23.
Parker was found guilty in one trial in 2010 of premeditated first-degree murder for the death of 24-year-old Alfred Mack Jr., and intentional second-degree murder for the death of 22-year-old Justin Letourneau.
The Salina Journal reports the Kansas Supreme Court reversed Parker’s convictions in December, citing errors in his previous trial.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators have shown little interest in allowing public scrutiny of officials’ private emails about government business despite scrutiny of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s communications and a case involving the governor’s office.
The Kansas Open Records Act doesn’t specifically cover emails or other communications with private accounts or devices, even if they involve government business.
Democratic legislators introduced proposals in both chambers of the GOP-dominated Legislature to allow scrutiny of such communications.
The proposals were a response to disclosures that Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s budget director used a private email account at least twice in December to circulate details about potential budget proposals.
Then, Clinton came under scrutiny for using personal email exclusively for official non-classified business as U.S. secretary of state.
Neither Kansas bill has received a committee hearing.
The Hays Planning Commission will review the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations Rewrite during their meeting tonight.
The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in Hays City Hall. The complete agenda is below.
HAYS AREA PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING AGENDA
CITY COMMISSION CHAMBERS 1507 MAIN, HAYS, KS
MARCH 16, 2015 6:30 P.M.
1. CALL TO ORDER BY CHAIRMAN.
2. CONSENT AGENDA.
A. Minutes of the regular meeting of February 16, 2015.
Action: Consider approving the minutes of the February 16, 2015 meeting
3. PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS. – None
4. NON-PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS.
A. Zoning and Subdivision Regulations Rewrite – Presentation by Bret Keast with Kendig
Keast Collaborative on discussion of Module 2 – Highlight key issues and consensus
points. See following link for Module 2 draft regulations: https://www.haysusa.com/City_of_Hays_Module_2_DRAFT__Clean__02.16.15.pdf
Action: No formal action required on this item at this time
5. OFF AGENDA ITEMS/COMMUNICATIONS.
A. City Commission action and planning and development updates on Planning
Commission related issues
B. Other
WASHINGTON (AP) — Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell says 16.4 million people have gained insurance coverage as a result of President Barack Obama’s health care law.
Burwell announced the latest estimates Monday as the administration prepares to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the law’s signing on March 23.
Most of those gaining coverage — 14.1 million people — got their insurance after the law’s big expansion began at the end of 2013. The program offers subsidized private coverage for people who don’t have health insurance on the job, along with an expanded Medicaid program that many states have accepted.
Another 2.3 million people previously gained coverage. Those were young adults allowed to remain on a parent’s plan until age 26 under one of the law’s most popular provisions.
TOPEKA–With the nice weather Kansas has experienced over the past few days, fire departments across the state are already experiencing an increase in grass burning incidents – some of which have already gotten out of control. Many of these fires are threatening property and structures and have resulted in injury to the firefighters responding to the fires.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) provides tips and resources for helping farmers and ranchers to have safe and successful prescribed burns of their fields and pastures.
“By following these proven steps for safely burning fields or brush, Kansans will not be as likely to produce fires that burn out of control and put lives and property at risk,” Doug Jorgensen, State Fire Marshal, said in a news release.
The OSFM and Kansas Interagency Wildfire Council offer the following tips and best practices to help ensure a burn doesn’t become a wildfire:
· Know all state and local fire restrictions. Check with county officials who are charged with deciding whether burning is permissible based on local conditions.
· Notify neighbors as a courtesy prior to burning.
· Postpone the burn if unsure of the fuel and weather conditions.
· Have adequate resources and equipment available to prevent escaped fires.
· Consider smoke management to avoid unsafe roads and air quality conditions.
· Do not burn to the ends of the field. Setting boundaries, “back burning” and keeping the fire off of fence rows will prevent out-of-control burns.
Kansas experienced a significant increase in acres burned between 2013 and 2014. Total acres burned rose from 22,482 in in 2013 to 184,716 in 2014 – more than 8 times as many field burns in just one year.
Front Row: Sheila Lamb, Kassy Peck, Shannon Ballenger Back Row: Mitch Eaton, Michael Blanke, Alan Templeton, Chris Venters, Bob Harvey (Courtesy photo)
RUSSELL–Russell Community Theater opens the 2015 season with Love, Sex, and the I.R.S., written by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore and directed by RCT Volunteer Bob Roe. Both veteran and new actors are striving to bring characters to life.
Michael Blanke, Alan Templeton and Mitch Eaton take to the stage with plenty of combined RCT experience. Kassy Peck, Chris Venters, Bob Harvey, Sheila Lamb and Shannon Ballenger are appearing in an RCT production for the first time.
In this production, income taxes are driving both Jon Trachtman and Leslie Arthur a bit crazy. These out of work roommates have saved money by filing tax returns as a “couple”, even though they’re both male. When the duo discovers they are to be audited, Leslie masquerades as the happy housewife. Adding to the confusion are Jon’s mother, Leslie’s ex-girlfriend, Jon’s fiancée and, of course, the I.R.S. investigator.
Performances run Tuesday through Saturday, March 24-28 at the RCT Playhouse (5th and Kansas, Russell). Show time is at 8:00 pm. Admission is $10 or by season ticket. Season tickets may be purchased in advance at Encore Antiques and Collectables (590 S. Fossil, Russell). “Love, Sex, and the I.R.S.” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. For more information contact RCT at (785) 483-4057.
Russell Community Theater is a non-profit theater company in Russell, Kansas. The sole purpose of RCT is to produce theater for the community and the surrounding area. Completely volunteer-driven, RCT is supported financially solely through ticket admissions and gifts from those supportive of community theater. Since its inception in 1986, RCT has presented 81 full-scale theatrical productions.
ELLIS–Ellis County Commission chairperson Marcy McClelland will present an update of the county budget during tonight’s meeting of the Ellis City Council.
The council will also consider approving the purchase of a chlorine pump for the Ellis water treatment plant.
The complete agenda follows.
AGENDA March 16, 2015 REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF ELLIS
City Hall – Council Meeting Room
BILLS ORDINANCE REVIEW WORK SESSION BEGINS AT 7:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL AND MEETING CALL TO ORDER AT 7:30 P.M.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA (if needed)
1) CONSENT AGENDA
a) Minutes from Regular Meeting on March 2, 2015
b) Bills Ordinance #1969
c) December Manual Journal Entries
(Council will review for approval under one motion under the consent agenda. By majority vote of the governing body, any item may be removed from the consent agenda and considered separately)
PUBLIC COMMENTS
(Each speaker will be limited to five minutes. If several people from the group wish to speak on same subject, the group must appoint a spokesperson. ALL comments from public on agenda items must be during Public Comment. Once council begins their business meeting, no more comments from public will be allowed.)
2) PRESENTATIONS OF AWARDS, PROCLAMATIONS, REQUESTS & PETITIONS (HEARINGS)
3) SPECIAL ORDER
a) Update on Ellis County Budget – Marcy McClelland, Ellis County Commissioner
4) UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a) Consider Revisions to City Dumpster Policy
b) Consider Approval of Ordinance Amending Code Section 4-125
c) Consider Ordinance Amending Governing Body Pay
d) Consider Granting Right-of-Way Deed and Temporary Easement to Ellis County
e) Consider Purchase of Pool Chemicals
f) Consider Resolution Granting Request for Annexation for Henman Property
5) NEW BUSINESS
a) Consider Approval of Public Property Permit Application and Event Request for Use of City Property – Chrysler Car Show
b) Consider Approval of Public Property Permit Application, Event Request for Use of City Property, and Noise Permit Application – Ellis Chamber of Commerce
c) Consider Approval to Purchase Chlorine Pump at Water Treatment Plant
6) REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICIALS
a) Administrative
1) Public Works
(1) Report on Sewer Line Repairs
(2) Update from Kansas Regional Water Vision Team Meetings
(3) Department Update
2) Police
(1) Department Update
3) City Clerk
(1) December/Year-End Financial Statements
(2) Report on Spring Conference
(3) Department Update
4) Attorney
5) Mayor/Council
(1) Reminder on Election Day
(2) Community Leadership Meeting
EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
7) ADJOURNMENT
Photo by Dave Ranney The Kansas Mental Health Coalition coordinated events as part of Mental Health Advocacy Day at the Statehouse. –
By Dave Ranney
A Senate-rejected bill meant to allow KanCare, the state’s privatized Medicaid program, to regulate mental health patients’ access to antipsychotic medications is making a comeback. Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services Secretary Kari Bruffett on Thursday said she hopes to introduce a revised version of the bill within the next few weeks.
The intent of the new bill, she said, will be to ensure patient safety without jeopardizing ready access to mental health drugs.
“I’m very encouraged by the conversations we’ve had about building in some of the guardrails and policies that we’ve talked about to ensure that medications are safely prescribed and we’re not seeing medications being prescribed at unsafe dosages or inappropriately for children, while at the same time also ensuring that people get the meds they need to live and thrive in their communities,”Bruffett said during a morning session of Mental Health Advocacy Day, an annual gathering coordinated by the Kansas Mental Health Coalition.
More than 300 people — a mix of mental health consumers, case managers, providers and advocates — attended the meeting in the Ramada Inn ballroom.
Last month, many in the audience lobbied against the initial proposal, Senate Bill 123, calling legislators’ attention to the shortsightedness of repealing a 13-year-old law without first knowing the policies that would take its place.
Though SB 123 passed the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, it later stalled in the full Senate.
The new measure, Bruffett said, likely will include stipulations that:
Allow mental health patients to maintain their current drug regimens if the regimens are known to be successful.
Limit prior-authorization requirements to “outlier” prescriptions, such as those for toddlers who take more than one or two antipsychotics meant for adults.
Prevent the KanCare managed care organizations from adopting drug formulary policies until after the formulary framework is approved by KDADS and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Appoint an advisory committee to help oversee implementation of the new policies.
Bruffett repeated the long-standing concern at KDHE and KDADS that more than 6,500 at-risk children are taking one or more antipsychotics intended for adults.
She also assured the audience that the recent KDADS decision not to renew its prevention grants with five programs, including the Kansas chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Keys for Networking, was driven by its desire to make more services — and more funding — available to more organizations.
The department’s recent “request for information” on how best to reconfigure the grants prompted input from 21 organizations.
“Our intention is to innovate and integrate mental health prevention with outcome-based programs,” Bruffett said. “We’re doing this to reduce some of our administrative costs and to better leverage our available resources.”
Mark Wiebe, a member of the mental health coalition’s advocacy committee, attended Bruffett’s presentation.
“We appreciate her reaching out to us on these issues and her willingness to include us in the process,” Wiebe said. “If there is, in fact, a need for the reforms that she talked about today, we’ll be participating in that process to make sure that it protects consumers’ access to the medications they need to help in their recovery and toward their being productive members of society.”
Eric Harkness, a licensed pharmacist and a past president of the NAMI group in Topeka, said he suspected the reforms have more to do with the KanCare companies wanting to cut costs than with ensuring patient safety.
“We’ve heard this before: ‘We’ve got all these kids taking antipsychotics, and that can’t be good,’” Harkness said. “I get that, but don’t you have to wonder where all these kids are? I’m sure there are some out there, but if we’ve got way too many kids taking way too many antipsychotics, don’t you think we’d be hearing from their families or whoever it is that’s taking care of them?”
Dr. Ty Porter, a psychiatrist and medical director at Valeo Behavioral Health Care in Topeka, recently joined the work group that’s helping KDADS and KDHE determine how to prevent overprescribing without limiting patients’ access to much-needed drugs.
“I’m new,” he said. “I went to my first meeting last week. But so far, I have to say the focus has been on patient safety and not on costs.”
Porter testified against SB 123 during a Feb. 11 appearance before the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee.
He also cautioned against reading too much into the managed care organization reports that show thousands of children taking antipsychotic medications.
“The inconvenient truth is that a lot of who we’re talking about here are highly, highly disturbed young children who are born to drug-addicted parents who’ve been subjected to horrific abuse,” Porter said. “I don’t like saying it, but it’s almost like they are feral children, and they can be a danger to other children and to themselves.”
Members of the work group that is helping KDADS and KDHE develop a mental health drug formulary include:
Dr. Eric Atwood, medical director at Family Service & Guidance Center, Topeka.
Dr. Michael Leeson, a psychiatrist at Colmery-O’Neil Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Topeka.
Kyle Kessler, executive director with the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas, Topeka.
David Johnson, chief executive at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, Lawrence.
Dr. James Rider, a physician who consults with several nursing homes.
Jane Adams, executive director, Keys for Networking, Topeka.
Pete Stern, chief executive with the Kansas Independent Pharmacy Service Corporation, Topeka.
Dr. Brad Grinage, a psychiatrist at Colmery-O’Neil Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Topeka.
David Wiebe, president of the Kansas Mental Health Coalition.
Dr. Ty Porter, medical director at Valeo Behavioral Health Care, Topeka.
Laura Hopkins, president at Amerigroup Kansas, Overland Park.
Tim Spilker, plan president at UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, Overland Park.
Dr. Mike McKinney, chief executive with Sunflower Health Plan, Lenexa.
Greg Hennen, executive director at Four County Mental Health Center, Independence.
Jared Holroyd, senior executive director at Atria Senior Living Group, Topeka.
Dave Ranney is a reporter for Heartland Health Monitor, a news collaboration focusing on health issues and their impact in Missouri and Kansas.
