TOPEKA — Jacquie Fernandez-Lenati, the great niece of prominent labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, gave a powerful speech Wednesday, April 3, about the importance of Hispanic civic engagement at the eighth annual Hispanic Day at the Capitol.
Hispanic Day at the Capitol is a free-to-the-public event hosted by the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission as a way to celebrate the additions and accomplishments made possible by the Hispanic and Latino communities in Kansas.
We had a great time today at Hispanic Day at the Capitol with Gov. @LauraKellyKS, Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla, and Acting Secretary of Labor Delia García. National Committeewoman Teresa Krusor also hosted the @KDPLatinoVote Caucus! pic.twitter.com/gNWblP1xEK
Dolores Huerta was a leader in the Chicano civil rights movement and a co-founder of the United Farm Workers labor union. Her great niece, Fernandez-Lenati, encouraged the audience to “show up” as Hispanic and Latino citizens.
“The power is in the person. It’s not in the title. It’s not in the position — it’s the person,” Fernandez-Lenati said. “I became an activist before I could even read.”
Fernandez-Lenati reinforced the importance of voting and letting Latinx voices be heard.
“You don’t have to run for office to impact change,” Fernandez-Lenati said.
She also encouraged the Hispanic and Latino community to support other minorities, such as the LGBTQ and African American communities.
“When minorities join together, we become the majority,” Fernandez-Lenati said.
Other prominent speakers included Acting Secretary for the Kansas Department of Labor Delia Garcia, Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla and Evergy CEO Terry Bassham.
Richard Martinez, the interim executive director of the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission, took time to recognize each speaker and reinforced the importance of Fernandez-Lenati’s words.
“You have to be confident and know that you have a place at the table,” Martinez said.
The Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission was established in 1975 in the effort to eliminate official neglect and provide opportunities for Hispanic advancement in Kansas.
“At the end of the day, we have more in common than not,” Fernandez-Lenati said. “We have to shift our thinking to the next level.”
Paige Henderson is a University of Kansas senior from Lenexa majoring in journalism.
CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY, Mo. – With the assistance of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Norton County Sheriff’s Office made an arrest connected to the murder of Lori Shields.
Damien Shields -photo Cape Giradeau Co.
At approximately 4:20 p.m. on Monday, he was released from the Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo., Damien L. Shields, 42, of Norton, was arrested for the first-degree murder of his wife, 38-year-old Lori Shields.
Shields was then booked into the Cape Girardeau County Jail.
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NORTON COUNTY– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Norton County Sheriff’s Office are currently investigating a homicide that occurred in rural Norton, Kan. on Sunday.
According to a media release from the KBI, preliminary information indicates that the Norton County Sheriff’s Office received information Sunday afternoon that a female victim was deceased at 16353 U.S. Highway 36, in Norton. At approximately 3:40 p.m., sheriff’s deputies responded to the residence where they discovered 38-year-old Lori Shields, of Norton, deceased inside.
A suspect connected to the case was identified, and KBI agents and sheriff’s deputies worked to try to locate him. On Monday, at approximately 2:40 a.m., the Cape Girardeau, Mo., Police Department responded to a report of person calling out for help from a hotel room. Once police arrived, they learned the man in the hotel room was being sought by Kansas authorities connected to this homicide case.
The man was taken to a hospital in Cape Girardeau to be treated for injuries that were likely self-inflicted. He remains hospitalized at this time.
According to a social media post by the Norton Telegram, Shields was the Eisenhower Elementary School secretary. USD Norton School District has canceled Monday classes and all activities.
The investigation is ongoing. Nothing further will be released at this time.
MCPHERSON, Kan. (AP) — Charges have been dismissed against a 27-year-old man accused in an April 2017 death of a central Kansas man.
Belt -photo KDOC
First-degree murder and other charges against Travis Ryan Belt were dismissed Friday without prejudice, which means charges could be filed again.
Belt, of Little River is charged in the death of 58-year-old Steven Carlson of McPherson. Carlson was found dead in his home in April 2017. The dismissal will allow further testing of DNA found at the scene.
Prosecutors said Belt used Carlson’s truck to shoplift at a Walmart the day before Carlson’s body was found.
Belt remains incarcerated in the Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility on charges stemming from unrelated cases.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – Kansas forward Dedric Lawson will skip his senior year and enter the NBA draft, the latest move in what should be a significant overhaul of the Jayhawks’ roster for next season.
Lawson transferred from Memphis and sat out last season, then led the Big 12 with 19.4 points and 10.3 rebounds this past season. He was voted All-Big 12 and third-team All-American while finishing No. 2 nationally and third in school history with 22 double-doubles.
His brother, K.J. Lawson, already has announced plans to transfer. So has guard Charlie Moore, while center Udoka Azubuike and shooting guard Quentin Grimes have yet to announce whether they will go pro.
Kansas had a disappointing season by its standards, going 26-10 and getting blown out by Auburn in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It was the first time in 15 years the Jayhawks did not win a piece of the Big 12 title, which was instead shared by Texas Tech and Kansas State.
Miguel Valdez told WDAF-TV that breaking the news to his children was difficult. But he said it was equally disturbing to go to animal control and identify the mare, named Senaida, which the family had owned for nine years. He says he’s “upset and angry.” The horse was at a friend’s farm in Kansas City, Kansas, when it went missing.
A man playing disc golf found the animal’s remains a week ago in Kessler Park. Police there say the horse appeared to have been prepared for consumption. After the meat was removed, the carcass was placed in a barrel and dumped in the park.
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KANSAS CITY (AP) — Animal control officers in Kansas City are investigating how the dismembered remains of a horse ended up in a city park.
photo courtesy KCMO
A man playing disc golf found the remains Monday evening in Kessler Park.
Police spokesman Capt. Tim Hernandez says the horse appeared to have been prepared for consumption. After the meat was removed, the carcass was placed in a barrel and dumped in the park.
The horse’s head, hooves, legs, entrails, ribs and lungs were scattered in the area.
Hernandez said in a news release that a veterinarian will determine the time and cause of the horse’s death.
Animal control will lead the investigation unless it is determined the horse was stolen.
Multi-sport standout Tradgon McCrae signed is National Letter of Intent on Monday to continue his athletic career. The Hays High Senior will be golfing for the Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragons.Courtsey HHS Athletics
McCrae played soccer, basketball, baseball and golf during his four year high school career. He was a multi year starter in each basketball and soccer, started last season at the baseball team while also playing golf, and has been a member of the varsity golf team all four years. He was also an Western Athletic Conference All League selection in soccer, basketball and golf.
Tradgon McCrae
McCrae was a freshmen on the 2016 4A State Champion golf team while shooting a season average of 79.3. He won the regional tournament that season and placed fifth at the state tournament. McCrae averaged a score of 78.3 during his sophomore season on a 4th place finishing team at the 4A State Tournament. During his junior campaign he shot an average of 73.7, won the Regional Tournament again and placed 4th at the state tournament. The team was 4A Runner Up in 2018.
McCrae shot a 73 in the only tournament played in 2019 so far to finish 6th. His 76.97 career scoring average has him at second all-time behind Trey Herman. His average of 73.7 during his junior season is second best for a single season, also behind Herman.
Coach Mark Watts
McCrae has medaled in 27 of 31 career tournaments and has been top three in 18 of the 31. He has taken 11 tournament titles and has been 1st team WAC each season.
Kansas will have to cough up more than $168,000 in legal fees over its attempt to prevent the publication of investigative files related to the murders portrayed in Truman’ Capote’s book “In Cold Blood.”
A newly published book on the 1959 murders of four members of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, draws in part on private notes by one of the lead investigators in the case, the late Harold Nye of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. ECLECTIC-INDULGENCE.BLOGSPOT.COM; LITERATI EDITIONS
The book, which Capote called a nonfiction novel, brought decades of attention to the slayings of four members of the Clutter family in their Holcomb, Kansas, home in 1959.
The Kansas Court of Appeals last week ruled the state owes the legal fees because of its conduct six years ago when it sought to block the sale of private notebooks kept by one of the lead investigators in the case, the late Harold Nye of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
“I’m delighted with the decision,” said O. Yale Lewis Jr., the Seattle lawyer who stands to reap most of the legal fees. “The state’s position was that you could invoke the power of the judicial system and then, if the court concluded the injunction was wrongful, say, ‘Oh, we’re sorry, we’re protected by sovereign immunity.’”
Lewis represented Ronald Nye, the son of Harold Nye, and Gary McAvoy, a literary memorabilia dealer in Seattle. The KBI and Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt sued the pair six years ago to prevent Nye and McAvoy from selling or publishing Harold Nye’s notebooks.
They argued the material belonged to the state because Harold Nye was a state employee. Ronald Nye said he recovered the notebooks from a wastepaper basket after his mother tried to throw them away.
The Clutter family home in Holcomb, Kansas.
CREDIT THE CLUTTER FAMILY HOME IN HOLCOMB, KANSAS. CREDIT SPACINI AT ENGLISH WIKIPEDIA / WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
Shawnee County District Judge Larry Hendricks initially granted the state’s request for a temporary order blocking the sale or publication of the notebooks. But he reversed himself 20 months later after concluding their sale and publication were protected by the First Amendment and the Kansas Constitution.
Hendricks subsequently awarded attorney fees and costs to Ronald Nye and McAvoy. The Kansas Court of Appeals upheld that ruling, along with ordering the state to pay legal fees Nye and McAvoy incurred in connection with the state’s appeal.
Even though Harold Nye was promoted to assistant director and eventually director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, McAvoy said that during the litigation, “the state argued that he was a liar and thief … In that process, they said many nasty things about him that were completely untrue in order to swing the court in their favor.”
Author and literary memorabilia dealer Gary McAvoy, whose book about the Clutter murders draws in part on the personal files of the late Harold Nye, one of the lead investigators on the case.
CREDIT LITERATI EDITIONS
“For me, it’s not about the money,” McAvoy said in a phone interview. “It’s the righting of an injustice. They dragged Harold Nye’s good name through the mud in the process. Not only was it wrong and unfair, it was almost like win-at-any-cost on their part.”
A spokesman for the Kansas Attorney General’s office said it had no comment on the Kansas Court of Appeals decision.
As it happens, McAvoy published his book about the Clutter murders just a few weeks ago. Drawing in part on Harold Nye’s notebooks, the book, “And Every Word Is True,” purports to contain new disclosures about the Clutter murders and suggests they were contract killings and not, as has generally been thought, a robbery gone bad.
Nearly 60 years on, the Clutter case continues to fascinate, largely because of Capote’s book. “In Cold Blood” has sold millions of copies and never been out of print since its publication in 1966.
The killers, ex-cons Richard Hickock and Perry Smith, were arrested six weeks after the murders of Herb Clutter, 48, a prosperous wheat farmer; his wife, Bonnie, 45; and their two youngest children, Nancy, 16, and Kenyon, 15. (The couple’s other two children were not at home.) The four had been bound and gagged and then killed by shotgun blasts at close range. Hickock and Smith were eventually executed.
Not long after the crimes, Capote and his childhood friend Harper Lee (famed as the author of “To Kill a Mockingbird”) traveled to Kansas to research the case. Capote published his book six years later.
In ordering the state to pay Nye’s and McAvoy’s attorney fees, the Kansas Court of Appeals agreed with Hendricks that the fees all stemmed from the wrongfully issued injunction sought by the state.
“Judge Hendricks’ decision clearly and, I think, articulately found that the right to publish the material was protected under both (the U.S. and Kansas) Constitutions,” said Lewis, Nye’s and McAvoy’s lawyer. “That’s an extremely important decision because one might look back and say, ‘Well, of course.’ But that’s not the way it all started out.”
Dan Margolies is a senior reporter and editor at KCUR. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies.
SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend accident that injured a 15-year-old boy.
Intersection where Sunday’s accident occurred-google map
Just after 11:40a.m. Sunday, police responded to a call for Emergency Medical Services near the intersection of 9th and Christine, according to officer Charley Davidson. Upon arrival, first responders found a 15-year-old boy in the street with critical injuries and a citizen rendering assistance.
The boy was transported to a local hospital and remains hospitalized Monday with critical injuries, according to Davidson.
After speaking to multiple witnesses, investigators learned a 16-year-old was driving a Mazda 626 westbound on 9th Street and pulling the 15-year-old on a skateboard who was holding on through an open window on the passenger side. A second 15-year-old boy was holding onto the vehicle though an open window on the driver’s side.
The boy on the driver’s side was able to let go of the vehicle and safely stop his skateboard. The other 15-year-old lost control of his skateboard, fell and struck his head on the ground. He was not wearing a helmet, according to Davidson.
Speed and alcohol are not believed to be a factor in the incident, according to Davidson. Police will present the case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.
Clara (Beth) Schnellbacher Barrett lived to see a century of progress in Thomas County Kansas. She was born June 25, 1918 in Thomas County to Claude and Augusta (Peters) Schnellbacher and died March 17, 2019 in Colby, Kansas.
Clara’s mother died in October 1920 when Clara was two years old leaving her and seven-year-old sister Helen motherless. Both girls were given loving care by their Peters grandparents, Aunt Rosa Peters and Uncle John Holm. Both the Peters and Schnellbacher-Ullrich grandparents came from Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. This early environment had a profound influence on Clara.
Clara graduated from Colby Community High School in 1936. Her first year of college was spent at University of California at Berkley. She had two aunts who lived in California and she was to help care for a young son of one of the aunts. This was a huge change for a young Kansas farm girl and Clara found the city and being away from home very difficult. She was homesick for her family in Kansas.
She returned to Kansas and attended Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science in Manhattan majoring in Home Economics. It was there she met Melvin Lester Barrett. Lester liked to call Clara, Beth.
Lester graduated from college in 1940. He taught music at Brewster for one year while Clara continued her education in Manhattan. She was a semester short of graduating when she returned to Northwest Kansas. Clara and Lester were married in a garden wedding on June 4, 1941 at the Peters farm home in Southwest Thomas County. That summer, they went to Iowa City, Iowa where Lester attended graduate school at University of Iowa. They then moved to Atwood where Lester taught music at Atwood High School for one year. They moved to Norton for a teaching position there, however in July 1942 Lester was drafted into the Army.
When possible, Clara followed Lester through his military training until he was sent to Belgium and France from July 1944 to Dec of 1945. After Lester was discharged from the Army, Clara and Lester moved back to Thomas County and became associated with Claude Schnellbacher and Albert Frahm in farming operations Southwest of Colby. Clara focused her life on her family.
In the early years, Clara enjoyed the camaraderie of the Homemaker Units. Women would gather at each other’s homes and enjoyed fellowship and educational lessons. Later, Clara valued her friendships with the other women in her Shakespeare Club, a Federated Women’s Group.
Clara and her family were proud of her accomplishment of completing her bachelor’s degree some forty years after her initial college education. This was before the Internet and distance education had become popular. On May 16, 1981, Clara graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics. She was the first, off campus re-entry student to graduate in the history of Colby Community College or Kansas State University.
Preceding her in death were her parents, Claude and Augusta Schnellbacher; her husband Lester, who died in 2001; her sister Helen Frahm and a grandson-in-law Scott Anderson.
She is survived by her daughters, Bev (Al) Jensen, of Plymouth, MN, Nancy (Lynn) Walker, Wichita, KS, Jeanene (Mike) Brown, Colby, and Sherry (Larry Helus) Barrett, Colby; eight grandchildren, Jenny (Chris) Stokes, St. Bonifacius, MN, Mandy (Jason) Hansen, Boise, ID, Kate (Jason) Cavanaugh, Corcoran, MN, Aaron (Jenni) Walker, Wichita, KS, Emily (Jason) Cowden, Shawnee, KS, Chanda (Cody) Hooten, Arkadelphia, AR, Cassie Anderson, Riley, KS and Tanner (Carla) Brown, Colby, KS; as well as 18 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
At Clara’s request, her body was cremated. A memorial service, led by Pastor Patrick Broz will be held at 2:00 pm, Saturday, April 20, 2019 at the Colby United Methodist Church with burial of her ashes following at Beulah Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Thomas County Historical Society, in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences visit www.baalmannmortuary.com.
Fresh off back-to-back MIAA championships, the Fort Hays State football team will give Tiger fans a preview of the upcoming 2019 season with the annual Spring Football Scrimmage on Saturday, April 13 at Lewis Field Stadium. The scrimmage is set to begin at 1 p.m., with festivities hosted by Tigers4Ever, the FHSU student alumni association. Gates open at noon. Admission is FREE for all.
Tiger fans will have the opportunity to tailgate in the lot north of Lewis Field Stadium beginning at 10 a.m. Normally reserved during the season, parking spots will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis, so be sure to arrive early to get an ideal location!
The Tigers will host a youth football camp for 1st-6th graders from 10 a.m. until noon. Included in the camp will be a punt, pass and kick competition, with the finals to be held during halftime of the spring game. For those interested in registering for the youth camp, contact coach Ike Eguae at [email protected] or call (785) 639-1001. Registration Brochure (PDF). See the graphic below.
Select fans will have the chance to interact with the team throughout the scrimmage, participating in drills and plays. Fans can enter for a chance to participate at tables set up near the main entrance on the east side of the stadium.
Schedule
10 a.m.-Noon – FHSU Youth Football Camp (1st-6th grade)
10 a.m.-1 p.m. – Tailgate (North Lot)
Noon – Lewis Field Gates Open (FREE ADMISSION)
1 p.m. – Spring Scrimmage
Halftime – Punt, Pass & Kick Competition
Fan Interaction throughout scrimmage (sign up for a chance to interact with the team on the field)
Helen L. Shubert, 84, passed away Thursday, April 4, 2019.
Services will be held at 1 pm, Saturday, April 13, 2019, at Ogallah Christian Church, Ogallah, Kansas. A service celebrating Helen’s life will be held at the Oxford Grand Assisted Living in Wichita in the coming days.
Helen was born in El Dorado, Kansas, on January 21, 1935, to Claude Cecil and Faye Ellen (Shaffer) Chance. She attended Ellinwood and Palco schools and has been a member of the Church of God since 1949. On October 27, 1954, she married Elvin Virgil Shubert at Red Line Church of God in Palco. They had three children, Michael Elvin, Cynthia Faye and David Chance Shubert.
They lived in Ogallah until 1989 and then moved to Hays. Helen worked as a secretary for the Kansas Department of Transportation retiring in 2000. She was involved in many activities and served as a member of the board for Hays Christian Church. She did literacy tutoring, square dancing, and was a member of the women’s Phoebian Group.
Helen was very involved in the arts and theatre. She was a passionate writer and several of her articles have been published in different magazines. A lifelong learner, she took classes at Fort Hays State University and was currently taking a class at Wichita State University about writing poetry. Up until her death, Helen was the Resident Ambassador for Oxford Grand Assisted Living.
She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Tom Chance; husband, Elvin V. Shubert; son, Michael Shubert, and granddaughter, Sara Shubert Starr.
Survivors: son, David (Dale) Shubert of Wichita; daughter, Cynthia “Cindy” (Bradley) Bruns of Wichita; sisters, Marie Schepmann of Claflin and Pam Dufresne of Galveston, TX; 5 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren. Memorial established with Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, 313 S. Market, Wichita, KS 67202 and Women’s Initiative Network, 510 E. 3rd St. N., Wichita, KS 67202.
WEEKLY OVERVIEW
Last week was the final week of legislative activity before First Adjournment. Late Friday afternoon, the Senate gaveled out for adjournment and will reconvene on May 1st for Veto Session.
The Senate voted on numerous conference committee reports including a school finance bill sent to the Governor for her signature and then on to the Attorney General before the deadline for the court ruling.
A conference committee is a small, bipartisan, and bicameral committee that works to smooth out the differences between the House and Senate’s version of a similar bill. Once the conference committee reaches a compromise, the negotiated bill is sent to both the House and Senate for a final vote before advancing to the governor’s desk.
When the Senate gavels in on May 1st at 10:00 a.m., we will begin Veto Session and wrap up any legislative loose ends for the year.
ADVANCE BALLOT SIGNATURES – Substitute for Senate Bill 130 would amend law concerning advance ballots, associated signature requirements, and polling places. Sub SB 130 requires county election officers to try to contact each voter who submitted an advance ballot without a signature or with a signature that does not match the signature on file and allow the voter to correct the deficiency before the commencement of the final county canvass. The bill also allows voters in a county to vote at any polling place on Election Day at the discretion of the county election official.
TURNPIKE PROJECTS – Senate Substitute for House Bill 2007 would amend requirements for tolled projects of the Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) and the Secretary of Transportation.
The bill would authorize the KTA to issue revenue bonds payable partly from revenues to finance turnpike projects. The bill would require the KTA, before undertaking a toll road project, to find construction of a toll expressway that can be financed partly through the investment of private funds in toll road revenue bonds and that such project and any indebtedness incurred for could be financed partly through tolls and other project related income. The bill would authorize the Secretary of Transportation to study the feasibility of constructing new toll or turnpike projects and remove authority to designate existing highways or any portion of such highways as a toll or turnpike project. The bill would require a study by the Secretary of a project for its feasibility as a toll or turnpike project to determine, after consulting with local officials, that traffic volume; local contribution. The bill would require any toll or turnpike project be constructed only to add capacity to existing highways or bridges or as a new facility where such did not exist.
AMENDING THE DEFINITION OF SERVICE-CONNECTED IN THE KP&F RETIREMENT SYSTEM – House Bill 2031 would make several revisions to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) pertaining to the Kansas Police and Firemen’s Plan (KP&F), provisions relating to working after retirement, membership eligibility, and the administration of the Retirement System. The bill would allow agents of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) to participate in the Kansas Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) of the KP&F which is currently authorized for troopers, examiners, and officers of the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP). The bill also would revise the definition for “service-connected,” as that term is used to determine death and disability benefits in KP&F. The bill would add bloodborne pathogens.
AMENDING THE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS AND SOLICITATIONS ACT – House Bill 2039 would amend the Charitable Organizations and Solicitations Act (COSA) to exempt from its’ registration requirement any charitable organization that is an animal shelter licensed pursuant to the Kansas Pet Animal Act. The bill also would create and amend law related to limited liability companies (LLCs) in the Kansas Revised Limited Liability Company Act (RLLCA) and Business Entity Standard Treatment (BEST) Act.
AMENDING DEFINITION OF SCHOOL BUS IN MOTOR-FUEL TAX LAW – House Bill 2087 would amend the definition of “school bus” in the Motor-Fuel Tax Law to remove a requirement that the vehicle be designed for carrying more than ten passengers and to remove use for the transportation of school personnel.
ACCESS TO MOTOR VEHICLE RECORDS – House Bill 2126 would amend law restricting access to motor vehicle records. It would allow release for any purpose not listed in Kansas law that is permissible under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act as it existed on January 1, 2018.
ACCOUNTING TREATMENT OF CERTAIN DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS OF FIXED INDEX ANNUITIES – House Bill 2127 would create law and make several amendments to the Insurance Code.
ASSOCIATION HEALTH PLANS – House Bill 2209 allows the Kansas Farm Bureau to establish a health care benefit that offers coverage specifically for Farm Bureau members in Kansas. The bill aims to reduce the number of uninsured Kansans by creating competition and free-market options for health care. Senate Bill 32 is the Farm Bureau’s solution to addressing the critical need for KFB members to find affordable health care coverage. A recent study pointed out that 65 percent of agriculture producers view health care as the number one threat to the future of their operation. The bill would create new law and make several amendments to the Insurance Code.
PERMIT FEES FOR OVERSIZED VEHICLES – House Bill 2225 would increase fees for certain permits authorizing oversize or overweight vehicles to operate on designated routes and would require registration of escort vehicle companies.
SCHOOL FUNDING PLAN – House Substitute for Senate Bill 16 is the school finance plan that appropriates funds to the K-12 base aid for FY 2020 and FY 2021. The legislation supplements the state’s $525 million, five-year investment that passed last year, with a series of an additional $90 million over the next four years. The legislation was crafted to comply with the Kansas Supreme Court’s instructions to add an inflation adjustment and was supported by the Senate, the Board of Education, and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. H Sub SB 16 did include some policy placed in by the House, including the Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program which provides a policy fix to allow for early intervention for at-risk elementary aged students.
LICENSING FOR SOCIAL WORKERS – Senate Bill 15 would provide for licensure by reciprocity for social workers at baccalaureate, master’s, and specialist clinical levels; amend requirements for licensure by reciprocity for other professions regulated by the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board and amend the licensure requirements for a specialist clinical social worker. The bill would also amend the Adult Care Home Licensure Act regarding the application for licensure, financial solvency, and receivership of adult care homes. Further, the bill would revise the Naturopathic Doctor Licensure Act and the Radiologic Technologists Practice Act.
AMENDING THE PHARMACY ACT OF THE STATE OF KANSAS – House Bill 2119 would amend the Pharmacy Act of the State of Kansas to require certain prescription orders be transmitted electronically and to permit a licensed pharmacist to administer a drug by injection in certain situations. The bill also would allow a business entity issued a certificate of authorization by the Board of Healing Arts (BOHA) to employ or contract with one or more licensees of BOHA for the purpose of providing professional services for which such licensees hold a valid license issued by BOHA.
VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEES FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES – Senate Substitute for House Bill 2214 would add vehicle registration fees of $100 for all-electric vehicles and $50 for motor vehicles that are electric hybrid or plug-in electric hybrid vehicles. The new fees would be effective on and after January 1, 2020.
INSURANCE POLICY ON RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE – Senate Bill 78 would create law regarding assignment of certain rights or benefits under an insurance policy on residential real estate and protections related to housing for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, or stalking. Specifically, the bill would state an assignment may authorize a residential contractor to be named as a co-payee for the payment of benefits under a property and casualty insurance policy insuring residential real estate.
ESTABLISHING A COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL HEMP PROGRAM – Senate Substitute for House Bill 2167 would require the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) in consultation with the governor and attorney general, to submit a plan to the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding how the KDA will monitor and regulate the commercial production of industrial hemp within the state, in accordance with federal law. In addition, the bill would establish the Commercial Industrial Hemp Program; make changes to the Industrial Hemp Research Program; and establish hemp processing registrations, prohibitions on specific products, sentencing guidelines, and waste disposal requirements.
ALLOWING FOR TEMPORARY PERMITS FOR SELLING AND SERVING ALCOHOL – Senate Bill 70 would amend law concerning temporary permits to serve liquor for consumption on premises; amend law concerning common consumption areas; amend law related to the issuance of licenses by the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), Department of Revenue; create law related to delivery of alcoholic liquors within the state and required reporting of such deliveries; amend the Liquor Control Act to allow for producers of certain fermentative products to sell wine made at a farm winery; and designate the official Kansas red and white wine grapes.
REQUIRING REPORTING AND ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAMS – House Bill 2223 would require analyses and reporting of economic development incentive programs which would be done by the Legislative Division of Post Audit and the Department of Commerce, and extend the maximum maturity on bonds issued to finance projects under the Kansas Rural Housing Incentive District Act. The bill would amend the Legislative Post Audit Act to authorize the Legislative Post Audit Committee to conduct a systematic and comprehensive review analysis every three years.
ABORTION PILL REVERSAL – Senate Bill 67 would require certain notifications be posted in facilities where medication abortions that use mifepristone are provided and be given by physicians providing such abortions. The bill would provide relevant definitions and create civil and criminal penalties for violating the notification requirements.
CABINET SECRETARIES CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE
Department for Aging and Disability Services and Department for Children and Families – Laura Howard, Department of Commerce – David Toland, Department of Wildlife & Parks – Brad Loveless, Department of Agriculture – Mike Beam, Kansas Racing and Gaming – Donald Brownlee and Office of the State Securities Commission – Jeffery Wagaman.
Visitors from Senate District #36
Lincoln Jr. High Students toured Topeka Tuesday and met Rep. Susan Concannon and myself in the Visitor Center before their tour of the State Capitol and the climb of 296 steps to the top of the dome.
Thank You for Engaging
Thank you for all of your calls, emails, and letters regarding your thoughts and concerns about happenings in Kansas. 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 or watch live at YouTube Streaming: https://bit.ly/2CZj9O0 . 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 you for the honor of serving you!
Senator Elaine Bowers
Kansas State Capitol Building
Room 223-E
300 SW 10th St.
Topeka, KS 66612 [email protected]
785-296-7389
Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, is the 36th Dist. state senator and serves as the Senate Majority Whip. The 36th Senate District includes Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, Ottawa, Republic, Rooks, Russell, Smith and Washington counties and portions of Marshall and Phillips counties.
This program provides support for immediate family members who are healing from the death of a child in their lives where parents, grandparents and siblings can connect with others who understand the journey toward healing after the loss of a child.
