LYONS – A Kansas man was sentenced Monday to nearly 20 years in prison for a sex crime against a child, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.
James Cory Pearsall, 66, Lyons, was sentenced in Rice County District Court by Judge Ron Svaty to 234 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections. Pearsall pleaded guilty in November 2016 to one count of aggravated criminal sodomy. The conviction stemmed from a crime that occurred between June and August of 2015.
The case was investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Lyons Police Department. Assistant Attorney General Lyndzie Carter of Schmidt’s office prosecuted the case.
One of those great little taxes that is quiet, regular and nothing you worry much about, that 20-mill property tax levy for support of K-12 education in Kansas, is about to start making noise.
The deal is that the 20-mill tax, which raises more than $600 million toward the roughly $4 billion a year spent on public schools, is about to expire. No, don’t think about it going away, just think about the Legislature having to reauthorize the tax with a bill this session.
Hmmm…now, if the Kansas Supreme Court in an order earlier this month said that the state isn’t spending enough money on K-12 education, that levy isn’t going to die, is it?
Earlier this month, we mentioned that nothing was certain yet but that you might keep your eye on the 20-mill levy. Well, a bill that would reauthorize the 20-mill statewide property tax to help finance K-12 education is now being considered by the Senate Tax Committee.
It is likely to be bumped up to raise more money to meet that Supreme Court demand for more spending on education. And, culturally, while Kansas pumps billions of income and sales tax revenues into school finance, one part of the tax mix—property taxes—is near-exclusively used for school aid.
There’s just something about property taxes and schools that is a natural match, and while nobody wants to pay more in any taxes, including property taxes, Kansans really don’t want their state-assessed property taxes to be spent on anything but education.
Now, it’s just a coincidence that this year, when the Legislature is being asked to pump more money into schools, that the sleeping dog of the 20-mill levy is awakening. Years ago, courts ordered that the state must reauthorize the levy every two years or it expires, and this is the year for the reauthorization.
So, more money needed for schools, legislators are going to have to vote on the mill levy bill anyway, so is a bump in that levy convenient this year? Historically, that tax has ranged from 35 mills from 1994-1996 to 27 mills in 1997 and to the 20 mills in 1998.
Historically, 20 years is a long time for the state to go without raising tax rates on nearly anything. And here’s that 20-mill levy that has been left alone for two decades…
See where this is going? If you must raise taxes and then ask those taxpayers to vote for you anyway, well, telling them that you’ve held rates level for 20 years is almost a good defense.
And, that school mill levy comes with an exemption for the first $20,000 of value of a home, so if your house is appraised at less than $20,000, you don’t pay any tax at all. For people living close to the ground in cheap homes, it doesn’t get much better. Everyone defends the concept of sparing the presumably poor from taxes, and that exemption does it.
For some, it means that you might not have to pay taxes on the $20,000 of value that in-ground swimming pool and spa area adds to your home’s appraisal. Gripe about property taxes, but who wouldn’t like a school tax-free swimming pool? That $20,000 exemption costs the state about $44 million, and some of that lost revenue is being kept by relatively poor people…and some isn’t…
OK, back to that reauthorization of the 20-mill levy. Just increasing the levy by 1 mill is likely to raise about $31 million for the upcoming school year, and it could be just a matter of multiplication to see how many mills added to the levy would raise a substantial amount toward increasing state aid to public schools.
But, there’s a practical political limit on the increase out there somewhere.
Let’s watch and see where the Legislature thinks that limit is…
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
Senator Carolyn McGinn chairs the Ways and Means Committee
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators are advancing a proposal to give most state employees a 2 percent pay raise even as lawmakers wrestle with serious budget problems that could force a big tax increase.
The state Senate Ways and Means Committee voted Monday to include the raise in its proposed spending blueprint for the fiscal year beginning in July.
The committee opted for the broad pay increase instead of larger raises for judges and other workers in the court system. Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss urged lawmakers to boost their pay in his State of the Judiciary address last week.
Most state government workers have not seen a pay increase for almost a decade.
But the state also faces projected budget shortfalls totaling more than $1 billion through June 2019.
FINNEY COUNTY -Law enforcement authorities in Finney County are investigating after a child was left in a hot car on Sunday.
Just before 4 p.m. police responded to St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City for a reported Child in Need of Care, according to a media release.
The investigation revealed a two-year-old child was left unattended in a vehicle for approximately two hours and was suffering from extreme heat exposure.
Further investigation revealed that on this date the family went to church at about 1:00 p.m. in Garden City.
During the ride to church the child had fallen asleep in the car. When the family arrived at church the mother exited the car with three of their four children and went into the church.
The father lagged behind to gather things needed for the children in the car. The mother and the father both believed that the other had taken the child from the vehicle. The two-year-old was believed to be in Sunday school with the other children, while the parents went to church services.
After the services ended the two-year-old child never came out of Sunday school with the other children.
The parents began searching for their son. The child was located in the car unresponsive. He was transported to St. Catherine Hospital by the parents. The child was stabilized and transported to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita Kansas.
The National Weather service reported the temperatures at that time Sunday as 92 degrees with 7% humidity.
SEDGWICK COUNTY -Law enforcement authorities in Sedgwick County are investigating a fatal shooting.
Just after 9p.m. on Sunday police responded to a shooting in the 2400 Block of North Minnesota in Wichita, according to the police on line media briefing.
Upon arrival, officers encountered a 17-year-old in an alley just west of Minnesota Street.
He had a single gunshot wound to his torso. A friend of the victim directed officers to the victim’s house and informed police the victim’s father was a possible suspect in the shooting.
The victim was transported to Wesley Medical Center where he died.
During the investigation, police determined the father and son argued in the front yard of the residence. When the son ran, the father pulled a handgun and shot him, according to police.
The father is being held on 2nd-degree murder charges. Two other teens who live at the residence were not home at the time of the shooting.
Senate Substitute for Substitute for HB 2052 – Rescission Bill
On Thursday, the Senate debated Senate Substitute for Substitute HB 2052. Commonly referred to as the “rescission bill,” S Sub for Sub HB 2052 makes appropriations revisions for FY’17. This bill is a large piece of the overall budget puzzle – it authorizes the borrowing of enough funds to close the FY’17 budget shortfall – and its passage is a large step forward in relieving the state of its ongoing budget deficit. This bill was introduced in and passed by the Kansas House of Representatives before making its way to the Senate. While the House used the Governor’s budget plan as a springboard, the Senate Ways and Means Committee opted to amend the bill to borrow about $149.2 million less than in the Governor’s proposal, including borrowing $104.4 million less from the State General Fund (SGF) than the Governor initially proposed. On the floor, the Senate debated multiple amendments pertaining to possible across-the-board cuts for the remaining fiscal year – including proposals for a two percent cut, a one percent cut, and a .5 percent cut. Ultimately, the measure failed, and no further agency cuts are expected to be made to FY’17.
Because the Senate amended this bill after the House passed it, it will go back to the House for another vote, where the House must either 1) accept the Senate’s amendments, which would send the bill to the Governor’s desk, or 2) deny the Senate’s amendments, triggering the need for a Conference Committee. A Conference Committee is a small, bipartisan and bicameral committee that works to smooth out the differences between the House’s and Senate’s version of a similar bill. Once the Conference Committee comes to a compromise, the committee’s version of the bill will be sent to both the House and the Senate for a final vote before sending the bill to the Governor’s desk. The next part of the budget debate will likely include changes to the tax policy. We anticipate to vote on an income tax bill in the coming weeks.
Other final action bills from the week
SB 137 – Relating to death benefits for certain Kansas police and firefighter surviving spouses
SB 137 would allow a Kansas police officer’s or firefighter’s spouse to receive an immediate lump-sum benefit equal to 100 percent of the member’s final average salary, if the member’s death was service-related (current law only allows a lump-sum to equal 50 percent of the member’s final average salary). When a service-related tragedy occurs, we must do all that we can to ensure the member’s spouse and family are taken care of, in the same way that the member devoted their life to taking care of Kansans. This bill sends a strong signal to our police and firefighters, and their families, that we value them and will not neglect their families, should tragedy strike.
HB 2387 – Tax Break for Repairing Wildfire Damage
With taxes being one of the hottest debates this session, the Senate set aside its tax policy disputes to unanimously approve a state sales tax exemption for purchases of supplies to repair fencing burned in the wildfires that burned more than 650,000 acres in Kansas. HB 2387 would provide farmers and ranchers with a sales tax exemption for all property and services purchased during 2017 or 2018 necessary to construct, reconstruct, repair, or replace any fence used to enclose agricultural land that was damaged or destroyed by wildfires occurring in 2016 or 2017.
SB 117 – Declaring Blackberry a Noxious Weed
SB 117 amends the Noxious Weed Law which permits the board of county commissioners to declare a plant to be a noxious weed within the boundaries of their county. The bill would add the everbearing blackberry and the Himalayan blackberry (both not edible) to the list of noxious weeds.
SB 184 – Authorizing the Kansas Intelligence Fusion Center
SB 184 enacts the Kansas Intelligence Fusion Act and establish the Kansas Intelligence Fusion Center (KIFC). The KIFC is a collaboration among federal, state, local, and tribal agencies, as well as certain private-sector entities. The center helps with intelligence analysis and also will promote and improve intelligence sharing among public agencies at both the state and federal level. The primary fusion center provides information sharing and analysis for an entire state. These centers are the highest priority for the allocation of available federal resources, including the deployment of personnel and connectivity with federal data systems. SB 184 also codifies the current practices of the KIFC. This bill was supported by the Kansas Adjutant General whose mission is to protect life and property through planning, coordination and synchronization of state and federal resources, to provide a ready military, emergency management, and homeland security capability for our state and nation.
KSReady.Gov – a very useful website for this spring
With the unpredictable Kansas weather, this state’s portal to information and resources on emergency planning and preparedness for the public, businesses, schools, children, elected officials and first responders is a very useful tool for this time of the year. On this website, the Kansas State Response Plan identifies 22 natural and man-made hazards that may occur in the state, everything from floods to radiological events to earthquakes. While we can’t always prevent tomorrow’s disasters, we can prepare ourselves to face them by taking steps today. Other important links to be found on this helpful page are chemicals which shouldn’t be mixed (Don’t Mix Chemicals! Read the Label First! Campaign), the Kansas Preparedness Challenge (prepare for whatever comes our way), Geographic Information Systems (G.I.S.), Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), Rapid Damage Assessment Resource Kit and Long Term Community Recovery. You can also access the National Weather Service, Kansas Homeland Security, US Department of Homeland Security, Kansas voluntary organizations active in disasters and local County contacts.
Guest Chaplain
On Monday, March 14th, 2017, Captain Scot Kerns, Wing Chaplain, Kansas Wing Civil Air Patrol and pastor of Lincoln, Kansas, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, was invited to serve as the Senate Chaplain for the day as my guest. Here are the words he shared with us:
Almighty God, You rule over all. All authority comes from You. It comes from You to those servants who make and administer our laws. In Your Holy Word it says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” So it is then that we pray for these Your servants of the Kansas Senate. We ask that you guide them in their matters of deliberation and as they make decisions that they would benefit all residents of this state. Residents of Kansas including all the volunteers of the Civil Air Patrol. It is the dedicated volunteers of Kansas Wing Civil Air Patrol, whom distinguish themselves in service to their communities, the state and our nation. We pray for all those of the Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the United States Air Force. We give thanks for all servants of the Civil Air Patrol who are dedicated to giving back to the communities through its three missions – Emergency Services, Aerospace Education, and Cadet Programs. Here now I pray that together all as servants – we might see how You finally came to serve us. I pray that all might always look to You, the Chief Servant, the Lord, Jesus Christ till that life everlasting. Amen
From the State Library
The Kansas Constitution, including the Ordinance, Preamble, and Bill of Rights, is available to print in a pocket-sized version from the State Library’s website https://kslib.info/constitution. Just click on the link and follow the instructions. A helpful diagram shows how to fold and where to cut to assemble your booklet. Helpful tip: print double sided and flip on the long edge.
Visitors from Senate District #36
We had another busy week with visitors from home including the 7th Grade students from Concordia and the 2017 Lincoln County Leadership Class visited Topeka and had lunch with former Lincoln County resident Tom Tunnel and his staff at the KGFA headquarters. Tom is now the President of Kansas Grain and Feed Association in Topeka. The Leadership Class took the Dome Tour to the top of the Capitol followed by the Senate Session at 2:30PM where they watched the Senate floor debate.
As always, I’ll keep you updated on the activities of the Senate while we continue through the second half of the session. I always encourage you to stay informed of the issues under consideration by the Kansas Legislature. Committee schedules, bills, and other helpful information can be easily accessed through the legislature’s website at www.kslegislature.org. You are also able to ‘listen in live’ at this website. The House meets at 11:00AM and the Senate at 2:30PM. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and suggestions. An email is the best at this point in the session.
Thank for the honor of serving you!
Senator Elaine Bowers (R-Concordia), 36th Dist.
Kansas State Capitol Building
Room 223-E
300 SW 10th St.
Topeka, KS 66612 [email protected]
(785) 296-7389 www.kslegislature.org
We welcome springtime and the hope it brings to each one of us. We are in the final couple of weeks of the regular session and we are working on bringing together solutions to some of the biggest concerns.
In the Taxation committee, I introduced HB 2387 which provides sales tax exemptions for fence replacement in the state affected by the wildfire destruction. I also carried it on the House floor, where is passed unanimously. It then headed to the Senate, where a minor change was made in the language to state that the material had to go to reconstruction of fences, not a new fence of a difference configuration on the affected property. At this time, we are awaiting the Governor’s signature.
We continue to read and hear stories about the wildfires and as one constituent has a good reminder that livestock that survived the fires, will still need medical attention for a long time. Assessments are still being conducted by authorities to get the best accounting of what all was lost, then that information will be sent to the President for review on a possible Federal Disaster Declaration. If that happens, it will bring more federal dollars for clean-up, restoration and indemnity payments.
Last week, the Federal and State Affairs Committee heard testimony regarding HB 2313, which would legalize the use of lottery ticket vending machines in the state of Kansas. These vending machines would allow an individual to manually purchase a lottery ticket, check the status of a lottery ticket, and would also be used to promote information regarding the Kansas Lottery. On Friday, the Committee amended the bill to include provisions that would nullify any ticket purchased by a minor, with the intent of discouraging the youth from purchasing tickets via their parents/guardians. Under current law, minors may purchase lottery tickets, but are unable to redeem prizes from such tickets. The bill passed favorably with a slight majority of votes.
The Appropriations Committee will begin putting together the “Mega” appropriations bill (HB 2364) on Monday March 20. The Mega bill contains all appropriations for FY ’18 and ’19, with the exception of the Judicial Branch appropriations (HB 2365) and school finance (will be addressed in the K-12 Education Budget Committee). The Mega bill will reflect the recommendations from the Budget Committees that were adopted by the Appropriations Committee and any amendments made during Appropriations Committee discussion.
The current year (FY ’17) rescission budget passed out of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and was approved by the entire Senate on Thursday, March 16. The Senate placed its budget recommendations into HB 2052, the House’s rescission bill. Documents, also known as explainers, on both versions of the bill are available on the KLRD website: https://www.kslegresearch.org/KLRD-web/Appropriations&Revenue.html.
The K-12 Education Budget Committee met for three days last week. The agenda was open discussion on a Committee-produced school finance formula. The Committee members addressed various components that they believe should be part of a final formula. The Committee discussion also involved consulting with the Department of Education, Legislative Post Audit, and education lobbying organizations. The Committee is crafting a bill with components of other bills, and will hold hearings when the bill is compiled. We should have a first look at one of the formulas by the end of the week.
Last week we had four young men from Hill City High School serve as pages: Joel, Pimlott, Domineck Journigan, Jr., Steven Hamel and Adam VanLoenen. Thanks to Mr. Brad Eckols for the opportunity.
If you would like to contact me: Session phone number is: (785) 296- 7463 and email is: [email protected] and my cell number is (785) 302-8416.
It is my honor to serve as your representative.
Ken Rahjes, (R-Agra), is the 110th District State Representative.
The United Way of Ellis County is pleased to announce grant funding from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation for the publishing of the Ellis County Community Resource Directory. HaysMed, part of The University of Kansas Health System, also provided funding for the website version of the directory at www.elliscountykshelp.com.
The purpose of the Community Resource Directory is to provide a human services resource for information of services available to individual, youth and families in need of assistance. The directory is distributed to various social and health service agencies throughout Ellis County.
The printed directory will be updated annually with the website being updated as needed.
To be listed in the directory, or on the website, at no cost, entities need to contact the United Way of Ellis County at (785) 628-8281 or at [email protected].
This project is funded through a partnership with the Hansen Foundation, HaysMed, part of The University of Kansas Health System, and the United Way of Ellis County with additional printing support from Northwestern Printers.
Machelle M. (Scarrow) Peace passed away March 17, 2017 at the Rooks County Health Center in Plainville, Kansas at the age of 56. Machelle was born on November 5, 1960 to Ronald Von and Sharon Kay (Heath) Scarrow. She was married to Jeffrey Jay Peace on October 17, 1998 at the Main Street Christian Church in Stockton, Kansas.
Machelle enjoyed working at the nursing home where she was an LPN. She also enjoyed cooking, crocheting and gardening. She would get upset if the dogs, chickens or goats got into her flower beds. The highlights of her Christian faith were the mission trips to Belize, El Salvador, and Nicaragua which she was able to go on through the Emmanuel Foursquare Church in Salina which she attended once a month. She also was a member of the First Christian Church in Plainville.
Machelle is survived by her husband Jeffrey Jay Peace of the home in Plainville; sons Jed Peace also of the home in Plainville and Garrison Peace of Zurich; daughters Rachel Kinsey of Kansas City, MO and Jestine Peace of Speed; father Von Scarrow of Lindsborg; brother Bob Oliva and wife Kerri of Silver Lake; Sisters Marcie Barton and husband Terry of Port Lavaca, TX, Charlene Frazier and husband Randy of Salina, Cindy Edwards and husband Gary of Derby, Shannon Schaefer and husband Jerry of Schulenburg, TX and Sheryl Kollman and husband Jack of Stockton.
She was preceded in death by her mother Sharon Scarrow.
Machelle was a hardworking woman who showed her love by serving and caring for her family, friends, and patients. With the same love and patience required to grow her gardens, she planted in each one of us the seeds of faith, hope, and love. Through her daily example, she showed us that the greatest of these is love. Although Machelle will be sorely missed, she will live forever in the hearts of those who knew her best, for she was greatly loved.
A funeral service will be held at the First Christian Church in Plainville, Kansas on Thursday, March 23, 2017, at 11:00 A.M. Visitation will also be Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 10:00 A.M. until service time at the church. Burial will follow in the Stockton Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to Emmanuel Foursquare Church, First Christian Church, or Hays Hospice and may be sent in care of Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 320 SW Second, Plainville, KS 67663.
The last day of winter in Hays was a warm one, warm enough to set a new record high.
According to official statistics from the K-State Agricultural Research Center south of town, Sunday’s high in Hays reached to 91°. The previous high temperature for March 19 in Hays was 89° in 1916, 101 years ago.
One year ago the high was a more seasonal 52°.
A number of record highs were set across Kansas Sunday including 90° at Russell, breaking the previous high of 83° in 1972.
The 2017 vernal or spring equinox arrives today, March 20, at 10:29 UTC. Spring arrives for earth’s northern hemisphere.
The Fort Hays State University Robbins College of Business Training and Development class is conducting a needs assessment to understand the employee training needs of organizations in western Kansas.
Participants who complete the 10-minute survey have the option to be entered into a drawing for a $500 gift certificate for a customized, private workshop with the Fort Hays State University Management Development Center (some exclusions apply.)
Please click on the link below to complete the 10 minute survey. The survey will remain open until March 24, 2017.
One of those great little taxes that is quiet, regular and nothing you worry much about, that 20-mill property tax levy for support of K-12 education in Kansas, is about to start making noise.
