Still two weeks before the Legislature returns to Topeka, so the Statehouse is virtually empty of lawmakers…a few stopping in to check the mail or maybe just hoping to find a lobbyist to take them to lunch.

But this next two weeks are all about what is necessary in the legislative wrap-up session, what is possible, and whether we’ve seen enough sparring to determine who’s going to do it.

That what is necessary, of course, has two components — putting together a budget and putting together a school finance formula that the Kansas Supreme Court has demanded by July 1.

You don’t have a budget until you see how much money you need and figure out where to get it, and you don’t have a school finance formula until the Supreme Court says you do.

Key to everything is the Thursday meeting of the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group (CREG); sometime Thursday afternoon, reporters start looking at the Statehouse, to see if a white puff of smoke has gone up, signaling that CREG has met, presumably bargained with each other in the rarified argot of economists, and come up with revenue projections. Or, if it’s windy out, we’ll get a notice of a meeting time at which the CREG estimate will be released.

Those economists and revenue specialists and whomever else gather somewhere secret in the Statehouse look at revenues from whom and what, and assemble the revenue estimate which the Legislature uses to assemble a budget and figure out how much money the state needs to finance those services that the state provides us taxpayers.

And…while that revenue business is being juggled, there’s still that formula for making sure that children from border to border have equal access to school programs and the chance to get a good education, and that roughly 25 percent of Kansas pupils who aren’t performing well academically for whatever reason get the assistance they need to emerge from high school ready for a job or vocational education or higher education.

Then, there’s still that issue about expanding Medicaid under the in-the-GOP-gunsights Affordable Care Act which will provide health care to maybe 150,000 poor Kansans. The Legislature passed a bill, remember, to allow Kansans to get that health care, the governor vetoed it, and the Legislature didn’t override the veto.

So…along with the state’s fiscal issues, there are Kansans who aren’t getting health care, and can’t work because of illnesses or might spread those illnesses to Kansans who can afford health insurance but come into contact in everyday life with those who can’t. Sound like a problem that needs a solution, or at least enough votes to override a veto?

But, it’s quiet this week and you don’t have to thread your way through the halls bumping into lawmakers who are having learned the physical lay of the land here are still learning the political lay of the land.

It’ll be next week that lawmakers start diagramming the catch phrase sentences they will use to talk about taxes, budget, schools, Medicaid and a range of other issues that they must solve or figure a way to delay until next year before they can call this session to a halt.

Is there a plan here? Well, so far, it doesn’t look like one is going together. We’ve had three months of a legislative session where we have learned that legislators aren’t enthusiastic about a flat rate income tax to raise whatever money they are going to learn this week that they will need. Oh, and the governor isn’t enthusiastic about taxing LLCs and those other corporations that if their founders were smart enough to label their profits as “non-wage income” don’t pay income tax.

But clearly, if the Legislature doesn’t come up with a plan that the governor will sign into law, well, there’s always pulling money out of the Bank of KDOT, as the Kansas Department of Transportation has become known because it just takes a few minutes for the governor to sweep its sales tax receipts from roadway-building into the State General Fund for general government use.

Look for the frustration, the taxes, the spending and the schools to take center stage May 1 when lawmakers return.

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

You’ve read it time and time again: “For an unknown reason, the vehicle crossed the center line, overcorrected and rolled into the ditch.”

Jack Dillon Young, the 20-year-old from Texas, apologized for killing 13 people on a church minibus several weeks ago. He was texting while driving, and typed one letter too many before looking up to see what was happening on the road. A witness saw him cross the center-line multiple times, and even summoned the police. But they were too late. He was sorry he shattered the lives of 13 families, and yet, if he’s out driving ever again, you can bet he’ll be back doing the same thing.

Almost on a daily basis there’s news of someone entering the ditch, overcorrecting and wrecking their vehicle. Or worse yet, someone crossing the center line and having a head on collision with another vehicle. Maybe you know of people, personally, who have been involved in this situation, I know I do. Where it is always reported as to whether a seat belt is being worn, or not, it never comes out in the report whether they’re texting while driving. But a look at the phone records compared to the time of the accident would easily identify what actually happened.

If someone thinks it’s so important to text while propelling a two-ton vehicle at high speeds, they take the risk of killing themselves. But when others are at risk, also, something has to be done.

I cannot remember the last time I was on the highway and was not threatened by someone texting while driving. It’s become epidemic. I’ve even seen texting in bumper to bumper traffic. Having had two instances of near tragic results, personally, tells me it’s high time to speak up.

The programs that have been developed to address texting while driving are a big waste of money. Why? Because it’s our human nature to think it’s always going to happen to someone else, and not to us. Laws can be enacted, but if they’re not able to be enforced, what’s the use? I see the attention given to drunk driving, but statistically, texting is much more of an issue than drunk driving. Yet, very little has been done to address it.

I’ve seen people texting to the point that I’m scared to pass them. I’ve called law enforcement, and they do follow up, only to see the driver put the phone in their lap until the law enforcement passes by. Then they resume texting.

It wouldn’t be so frustrating if there was no answer to this problem, but there is, and it could be addressed immediately. Every phone has GPS capability. When it’s noted that the phone is traveling at more than 15 mph, the phone automatically shuts off. If you have an emergency, you pull over and your phone can be turned back on. Does this mean the passengers’ phones don’t work either? Yes, it does. Maybe we’ll have to go back to the Stone Age and actually have a conversation with the driver, like old times. (I’ve seen husbands and wives at lunch that never talk to one another, because they’re texting or on Facebook the entire time). What about navigating through an unfamiliar city? Yes, back to the Stone Age, again, by purchasing a GPS unit and entering the destination before you start on your trip. (Many vehicles don’t allow certain entries when the car is in motion, already).

Understand that I’m not on my high horse lecturing others, as the urge to text has bitten me, also. I think of how much I can get done on a long trip if I’m on the phone communicating to people. We all need to have this forcefully taken away from us.

Many will not agree with me, and probably won’t, right up to the time a loved one is loss. Then you’ll be sorry. Let’s not wait that long, please! Call your congressman with your concerns.

Tim Schumacher, Hays