Senator Rick Billinger Newsletter
February 5, 2018
On Wednesday January 31st, Dr. Jeff Colyer was sworn in as the 47th governor of Kansas replacing Sam Brownback. The inauguration of Colyer comes after Governor Brownback resigned from office to become the U.S. Ambassador to International Freedom in the Trump administration.
“I demand transparency and we embrace accountability,” Colyer said in his speech. “I pledge to do the right thing even when nobody is looking, and we will set a tone and insist on an environment of openness, honesty and respect and without harassment, especially in this building.”
The Senate passed SB 262 which will authorize the Capitol Preservation Committee to approve plans to place a permanent statue of Dwight D. Eisenhower on the northwest quadrant of the Kansas Capitol grounds. No public funds would be used to construct the statue and pedestal. The bill authorizes the Department of Administration to receive moneys from grants, gifts, contributions, or bequests to finance the construction of the statue and pedestal. The monument will be an exact replica of the statue created by Lawrence native, Jim Brothers, which currently resides in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
SB 263 was passed out of the Agricultural and Natural Resource Committee this week. This bill will allow the Department of Agriculture to create a program to research the use of industrial hemp. Several amendments were added. One amendment recommended Russell County to be used as a pilot in the industrial hemp program.
This week we had a hearing on a bill that will set up the frame work to form a committee to study and make recommendations for a new comprehensive ten-year transportation plan. At the present time we have 29 different individuals and/or organizations that have been recommended for this committee.
On Tuesday February 6th, SB 307, The Home-owned Amusement Ride & Agritourism Activity Bill will have a hearing. I will let everyone know how this bill progresses.
Heard in a committee this week was Real ID. Real ID is a federal law, passed by Congress in 2005 to ensure state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards meet minimum security standards. To get a Real ID before law goes into effect on October 1, 2020, you’ll need to bring certain documentation into the local driver’s license office. Anyone boarding an airplane or entering a federal facility, such as a military base, using a state issued ID or driver’s license on October 1, 2020 will be required to have a credential that is Real ID compliant. To apply for this ID, you will need a valid passport or birth certificate, Proof of social security such as a social security card, current W-2 or 1099, or current pay stub with full SSN, Proof of residency, which can be a utility bill, your vehicle registration, or your current driver’s license. All documents should be un-laminated originals. If your name is not the same on all of your documents because of adoption, marriage, divorce, or any court ordered name change, you must provide proof of the name change such as your marriage license, adoption certificate, divorce decree. The fees remain the same for Real ID: $26 if you’re renewing and $8 to replace. If your credential expires after the 2020 deadline and you want a Real ID, you can bring your documents in to the office, receive the Real ID, and only pay the $8 replacement charge. You will have the option to choose between a Real ID or a non-Real ID card. For more details and a checklist that will help make sure you bring everything you need when you visit the driver’s license station, visit ksrevenue.org/realid and you can find your local driver’s license office at https://www.ksrevenue.org/dovstations.html.