This was the last week for non-exempt committees to have bill introductions and there were many bills introduced.
One of the bills introduced was SB 50 and I have had many emails regarding this bill. SB50 amends the fee limitations for certain wildlife parks and tourism licenses. This bill will allow the Secretary of Wildlife and Parks to raise the amount of fees for hunting, fishing and other permits. Some of the proposed fees will double what they are today. At this time I do not believe this bill will get any traction and I am not in favor of raising fees at this time.
This week the House voted on Governor Kelly’s budget reamortization of KPERS. The Governor’s budget was built around the reamortization of KPERS. Her proposal would add an additional $7.4 billion to the unfunded liability of KPERS. The House voted down her proposal 36-87.
Last month, the State of New York passed Reproductive Health Act which expands legal abortion from 24 weeks to full-term; removes abortion in its entirety from the state penal code; allows non-physicians to commit abortions such as nurses, physician assistants, or midwives; jeopardizes a health professional’s right to not participate in abortion. Senate Concurrent Resolution 1606 condemns the enactment of New York’s RHA because it violates the health and well being of a woman and her unborn child.
Secretary of State Scott Schwab testified in front of the Senate Ethics, Elections and Local Government Committee in support of a constitutional amendment that would end the revision of population figures to reflect where military members and college students reside for the purpose of redistricting.
Schwab told the committee that it would cost Kansas approximately $834,000 to adjust the 2020 U.S. Census figures to prepare for redrawing political boundaries for House and Senate districts. The district maps are based on population. The adjustment of census figures was originally done to allow rural areas, for redistricting, to retain people who had moved elsewhere to serve in the military or attend college. While the original purpose was to help rural areas, the revisions favored urban centers after the 2010 census. Schwab commented: “Kansas is the only state in the nation that continues to adjust census numbers. I think this provision of the constitution is a waste.”
I would like to invite everyone to mark their calendars for the upcoming Town Hall Meetings. At this time the locations have not been determined, so please watch your local newspaper for more information. I will also include times and locations in my next newsletter.
Friday-March 1, 2019
8:00-9:00 a.m. Ellis County
9:45-10:45 a.m. Rooks County
11:15-12:15 Phillips County
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Norton County
3:15 – 4:15 p.m. Graham County
Saturday-March 2, 2019
8:00-9:00 a.m. (MT) Wallace County
9:30 -10:30 a.m. (MT) Sherman County
12:30-1:30 p.m. Cheyenne County
2:00-3:00 p.m. Rawlins County
3:30-4:30 p.m. Decatur County
Tuesday-March 5, 2019
8:00-9:00 a.m. Thomas County
9:30-10:30 a.m. Logan County
11:00-12:00 Sheridan County
1:00-2:00 p.m. Gove County
2:30-3:30 p.m. Trego County
I would like to thank all of the visitors who stopped by my office this week or held receptions in Topeka.
I am honored and grateful to represent the 40th Senate District in Kansas. Please do not hesitate to contact or call me with your questions and concerns, my office number is 785 296-7399 or my cell is 785 899-4700. If you are in Topeka stop by my office at 236-E.