Friend,

This was a monumental week for our home state. Kansas legend, Senator Bob Dole received the highest award bestowed by the United States Congress on Wednesday. The president commended Senator Dole saying his serviced embodied, “loyalty, integrity, hard work, faith, and family.” Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said Dole always did the right thing saying he is “as honorable as they come.” I was proud to be a part of that day and spend time with Senator Dole, who I consider my friend, mentor, and role model. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of the award. Senator Dole has devoted his life to serving this great country as a soldier, legislator, and statesman. The unanimous and bipartisan appreciation shown for Senator Dole at the ceremony was both touching and inspiring. Thank you, Senator Dole, for all you have done and continue to do for America, and Kansas. Your influence is visible in these halls every day!

For those who missed the ceremony, click here to watch the event in its entirety with remarks from President Trump, Vice President Pence and congressional leaders.

In the News

I joined All In With Chris Hayes on MSNBC to discuss the government shutdown, CHIP, and border security.

THIS WEEK:
MARCH FOR LIFE.

Ronald Reagan once said, “I’ve noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born. Life is a precious gift that is a right for every child. Today I marched with more than 50,000 people in the 45th annual March for Life. I will always be unapologetically pro-life, today I was proud to see hundreds of thousands of young people from all across the country, and many Kansan’s, join the march in Washington, DC. I am honored to be a part of the most pro-life Congress in American history. Today’s guest included the President, Speaker Ryan and many of my colleagues in Congress that are fighting to safeguard the dignity of every human life. At the event, President Trump summed up the true reason why we march, and that is because “Every life is sacred and every child is a precious gift from God.” Let us all continue to protect our most vulnerable in our society so that everyone, no matter how small, can enjoy their God-given rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

COMMUNITY BANKERS SAY SMALL BUSINESSES ARE INCREASINGLY OPTIMISTIC SINCE TAX REFORM.
This week I had the opportunity to question panelists representing community bankers, credit unions, and other banking institutions focusing on the Small Business Administration’s 7(a) Loan Program. But I also asked the panelist how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is impacting their businesses and communities. Take a listen!

“In our small businesses I see a lot of encouragement, a lot of future planning, they seem willing to leverage those additional dollars saved by their tax savings which in return helps the community” Cindy Blankenship, Vice Chairman of Bank of the West in Grapevine, TX said about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

“We see great opportunities within our marketplace, there is a lot of small business optimism, and more interesting people are starting businesses and expanding, buying more capital outlays that type of thing,”Patricia Husic, President and CEO of Centric Financial Corporation said about tax reform.

It is great to see the optimism on every level. We also discussed the 7(a) Loan Program, is a widely used program that helps bridge the capital access gap for small businesses, who often find it challenging to obtain financing through traditional lending sources. It’s encouraging to hear that this program is helping the mom and pop shops we see on Main Street, and to learn how Congress can provide better oversight of government resources.

BIPARTISAN GROUP DISCUSSES THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD NUTRITION

Nothing has become clearer than how badly we need bipartisanship solutions. I encourage and push for people to come together and find common ground. This week we launched the Food is Medicine Working Group, a Bipartisan set of leaders from across the country that recognize the importance of family access to good nutritious food. During my career as a physician, I saw the impact nutrition has on not only the physical health of an individual but also the general health of a family. There is nothing partisan about Americans having access to proper nutrition. When families eat better, they learn better, they grow healthier, and they achieve more. Click the thumbnail above to watch a recorded live stream from our group meeting that brings into focus the impacts of hunger on health.

TOP RANKING STEM SCHOOLS ARE IN KANSAS.

The divide between our skilled labor pool and the needs of our nation’s leading technological firms is growing every day, and it affects the economy in Kansas and across the country. STEM jobs, or ‘Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics,’ skills are in higher demand than ever, of the 6 million open jobs across our country, 500,000 require some type of computer science background. I did an op-ed in the Kansas City Star discussing the endless opportunities that Kansans have at high-paying STEM jobs. This week I also spoke on the house floor after visiting the North Central Kansas Technical College in Beloit, Kansas. NCKTC is ranked 3rd in the nation for their graduation rates. Northwest Kansas Technical College, Hutchinson Community College’s Business and Industry Institute and Emporia State University are also focusing on offering more STEM-based curriculum. I am so proud to see colleges throughout my district working hard to meet the challenges that our labor force is facing today.

JANUARY LISTENING TOUR SHOWS BIG FIRST OPTIMISM.

On Monday, I finished up my January Listening Tour. I was really encouraged by the optimism in the Big First. You guys are asking insightful questions, and we had many constructive conversations.

I talked to a lot of folks about issues ranging from the Farm Bill to DACA, tax reform, NAFTA, and health care. After finishing this tour, I have held a town hall in every county, and 14 since the new year. Thank you to all that attended, and please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if you ever have any questions or concerns.

 

If you received an electric pressure cooker for Christmas or are thinking about getting one, read on for information about an upcoming program.

There is certainly a lot of hype about these appliances that come in a variety of sizes and can be programmed to complete many different functions. The standard size is a 6-quart capacity that can be programmed to be a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, egg cooker, saute’, steamer, warmer and even sterilizer.

Pressure cookers have been around a long time. According to Wikipedia pressure cooking is described as the process of cooking food, using water or other cooking liquid, in a sealed vessel known as a pressure cooker. Pressure is created by boiling a liquid, such as water or broth, inside the closed pressure cooker. The trapped steam increases the internal pressure and allows the temperature to rise, cooking food in a shorter time period than traditional methods.

I have enlisted the help of Erin Petersilie, Family and Consumer Science Agent for the Walnut Creek Extension District, to share her expertise with the newer version of the electric pressure cookers. The class will cover several of the functions as well as how to make cheesecake and even bread in your pressure cooker. Terms like “natural pressure release” and “quick pressure release” as well as food safety measures than need to take place to insure a safe product will also be covered. Erin is a busy career mom who has found the electric pressure cooker a great way to put a healthier meal on her families’ table in a short amount of time.

This free educational program is set for Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 5:30 p.m. at the Hoisington Public Library, 169 South Walnut Street. I would appreciate a quick phone call or e-mail if you are planning to attend. My Phone number is: (620)793-1910 and e-mail is [email protected] Residents of Ellis County had a chance to participate in a Pressure cooking workshop last November. The huge response tells me that we may want to provide another learning opportunity in the future.

Donna Krug is the Family & Consumer Science Agent and District Director for K-State Research & Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or [email protected]

To release Kansas from the financially troubled Brownback years, state legislators first had to reverse the governor’s disastrous tax experiment. That was step one, last year’s job. Now they must move to step two: properly fund public education.

Kansans have long prided themselves on having top-notch public schools. Excellent schools serve an important economic development role by attracting and keeping families. In many smaller communities across the state, the public school provides the bedrock for a town’s economic and cultural activity.

Given the importance of schools to Kansas and the fact that they are the largest state budget obligation, lawmakers simply must get the dollars right. Until school funding is deemed adequate, equitable, and predictable, Kansas finances cannot emerge from turmoil and stabilize.

“Adequate” and “predictable” hardly describe school funding in the last decade. Base state aid per pupil has dropped from $4400 in 2009 to barely over $4000 today. No wonder the Kansas Supreme Court ruled lawmakers are not living up to their constitutional requirement to adequately fund schools.

To address the issue, Gov. Brownback opened the 2018 legislative session with a budget proposal to boost state spending on public schools by $600 million over the next 5 years. Had the proposal come from a governor with a different name, it might have seemed a reasonable start. From Sam Brownback, however, it struck a note of great dissonance. After all, just a few months ago he blasted legislators for overturning his income tax cuts, and sharply criticized them for overspending. Now he was recommending a budget that used every penny of the new tax revenue, contained virtually no spending cuts, and added $600 million of expenses on top.

Legislators from his own party immediately cried foul, arguing that Brownback’s proposed $600 million takes the budget way out of balance. Last session’s reversal of the Brownback tax plan—step one in fixing Kansas finances—brought Kansas out of crisis mode, but did not fully close a huge gap between revenue and expenses. Adding $600 million of additional spending into the equation widens the gap further.

But therein lies the challenge of step two. Legislators must both add money and balance the budget. Brownback is correct in part. New school money has to be budgeted. But to do that realistically and responsibly requires more revenue, if not during this session, then definitely in the next. Brownback skipped over the hard part, and kept mum about his own culpability in creating revenue problems for the state in the first place.

So, just as in the last legislative session when they overrode Brownback’s tax veto, it appears a bipartisan coalition of legislators will have to again go it alone without leadership from the governor. That makes the task much harder, but that’s the next step. The success of the 2018 legislative session will be measured by how well lawmakers achieve step two.

Duane Goossen formerly served 12 years as Kansas Budget Director.

Why has the rigor in American public education declined in the last 30 years?

There have been a few attempts to increase the rigor of coursework and teacher training.

When the U.S.S.R. launched their Sputnik satellite ahead of us, there was a major infusion of money into retraining science teachers nationwide, recognizing that better-trained teachers would result in better teaching. However, that effort and the subsequent Eisenhower grants for science content preparation were soon diluted to cover all fields. And those veteran teachers have also long since retired.

Any thought of expanding the science curriculum was cut short in the 1980s by the announcement by the American Association for the Advancement of Science that “less science is more.” This pitiful phrase still cripples any expansion of science coursework in schools today. Blame for this motto of mediocrity lies squarely on the science community and the AAAS.

Kansas formerly required two high school science courses to graduate. However, schools were allowed to count “home ec” and “shop” as science classes! This practice was curtailed under Commissioner Andy Tompkins. However, there was considerable leeway in who could teach science classes. And the “general science” and “physical science” classes in Kansas high schools were anything but rigorous. In 2003, the “Redesign” eliminated many teaching certificates (now called licenses) including those shallow general science and physical science endorsements. This action required more depth-of-learning by students. But physical sciences was restored after pressure from Johnson County.

By 2001, the KBOR implemented a 3-sciences requirement to enter regents schools, and one had to be chemistry or physics. By 2005, the KSBE likewise raised the high school science requirement to three science courses for a high school diploma. Previously perhaps 20 percent had taken chemistry and 10 percent had physics. Now that all freshmen would have taken at least one of these courses, I asked my university colleagues if it had improved their university students’ performance? “No,” was the answer. They indicated that without more qualified teachers, raising the paper requirement did not result in more students receiving a solid genuine chemistry or physics course—a situation that continues today.

And last year, the State Board approved a bi-literacy seal in order to encourage and reward students who took high school foreign languages. That was undermined by Kansas universities that wiped out or drastically cut their foreign language teacher programs. One step forward, two steps backward.

At the higher education level, the rigor of academics is being pushed back by decades if not a century. In chasing tuition and pushing to retain and graduate every student, university data show that some students have difficulty completing college algebra. Therefore the California State University system of 23 institutions has just eliminated that requirement from all but science and math majors. A similar action is being discussed in Kansas by our Board of Regents (KBOR).

Several years ago, KBOR also allowed the minimum credit hours for a bachelor’s degree to drop from 124 to 120, leaving the decision up to faculty as to whether that was appropriate for their field. Some faculty, especially in the sciences, considered 124 necessary and in some cases no longer enough. Now KBOR, frustrated that not enough programs dropped their requirements, is set on having every bachelors degree drop to 120. A faculty could appeal to keep 124, but if any other school allowed 120, that appeal would lose. This is clear evidence of our race-to-the-bottom mentality.

For decades, the KBOR Transfer and Articulation Committee (TAAC) has been pressuring faculty at Kansas regents schools and community colleges to likewise drop course requirements to the lowest common denominator. TAAC will not recognize differences in courses based on 1) prerequisites or 2) mode of delivery. Therefore, when faculty point out that a pre-med microbiology course has 3 pre-requisite courses and real labs, and a community college offers a barely-high-school-level online microbiology for nursing assistants with no pre-requisites, TAAC demands they transfer as equal.

And finally, both the Governor and KSBE support all Kansas high school students earning 15 credit hours of college coursework, when many high school students are not yet college-able. And many of these high school instructors lack the master’s credentials to teach college level courses. This devalues the bachelor’s degree by a semester or a year.

The U.S. has dropped in rank among developed countries not just because other countries have surged ahead, but also because our educational governing bodies have made conscious and intentional decisions to decrease academic rigor for over 30 years. And they continue to do so today.

By RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

The train emerges from the tunnel and speeds down the mountain track, overlooking a bustling village in the valley below. There aren’t a lot of mountains in Kansas, but this scene features a model train. It is part of a remarkable model railroad museum in rural Kansas.

The C&R Railroad is a model railroad museum, part of the Huck Boyd Community Center in Phillipsburg. The center, named for long-time Kansas journalist and civic leader Huck Boyd, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2017.

One wing of the community center houses the C&R Railroad, a legacy of local citizen Bill Clarke. The C in the name stands for Clarke. The R stands for his wife’s maiden name, Reiss.

Bill Clarke grew up in the rural Phillips County town of Kirwin, population 171 people. Now, that’s rural.

Bill said it was exciting when the train came to Kirwin each day. In fact, he even pretended that his little red wagon was a train. He painted Missouri Pacific and Union Pacific on the side and pulled his wagon around town as if it was the train and he was the locomotive.

Bill grew up and went on to a long and successful career as a family photographer. He established a photo studio in the county seat town of Phillipsburg.

Meanwhile, he never lost his interest in trains. One day in 1966, Bill was in Denver and he came across a model railroad engine of a Santa Fe Super Chief, so he bought it. That was the beginning of his incredible collection of railroad memorabilia.

For the next 30 years, Bill collected all types of model railroads and related souvenirs. He stored and displayed them in the back room of his photo studio. When the Huck Boyd Foundation built a new community center in Phillipsburg, that became a natural place to display his railroad memorabilia and photo archives for the future.

It was Huck Boyd who had successfully led the fight to maintain rail service through the region when the Rock Island Railroad closed down and abandoned the track. Bill knew Huck Boyd well and so he donated this remarkable collection to the Huck Boyd Foundation.

The foundation built a special museum for the model railroad collection. Steven Krauss of Denver designed the layout and Jim Talbott, a model railroad builder from Montana, built the multilevel model landscape. After nearly three months of labor, the project welcomed the whistles of locomotives. It was Mr. Talbott’s largest ever privately funded model railroad project.

It was named the C&R Railroad. Bill and his wife are now deceased, but the legacy of Bill’s passion for railroads lives on.

In 2017, Huck Boyd Foundation Board Chair Mike James and other volunteers upgraded the C&R Railroad. Today, this incredible display of model railroad cars features 143 engines, 259 cars, and 39 cabooses. There are also 136 railroad lanterns, 162 timetables, and many other railroad artifacts through the years.

The model trains are displayed in a room featuring special lighting with day and nighttime effects. The track winds through model mountain tunnels near a waterfall, crosses bridges and passes through the village below. It includes a turntable and roundhouse, a quarter-mile of track, two miles of wiring, and 4,000 track screws.

Thanks to the extensive work of Mike James and the other volunteers, these train cars all operate. It is exciting when the lights go down and visitors gather around to see the trains take off. The center also houses Bill Clarke’s tremendous archives of photos and vintage photographic equipment.

The C&R Railroad is open by appointment. Private shows last approximately 45 minutes. For more information, contact the Huck Boyd Foundation at 785-543-5535.

Also found in the collection: An old red wagon, with Missouri Pacific and Union Pacific painted on the sides. Yes, this is Bill Clarke’s red wagon, which miraculously had been rescued and returned to him from the junkyard in Kirwin.

We commend Mike James and all those who support the C&R Railroad for making a difference by preserving and sharing this railroad history. I believe they are on the right track.

Overwhelmed by the number of choices offered in the grocer’s meat case? All the different cuts, packaging types, weights, and prices? Then there are the marketing claims: natural…organic…grass-fed…without added hormones…and the list goes on.

The Ellis County Extension Office will offer the workshop “Freezer Meals From the Meat Case” on Monday, January 22, 6:30-8:00 pm at Messiah Lutheran Church, 2000 Main in Hays. Participants will learn what the various meat labels, cuts and claims mean in order to feel confident they are choosing the safest and most economical meat choices for their family. Instructors are Jamie Rathbun and Erin Petersilie, Extension Agents in Midway and Walnut Creek Extension districts, respectively.

After the presentation, class members will assemble two main dish freezer meals featuring different types of meat. Each meal makes 4-6 servings and may be cooked in the oven, slow cooker or pressure cooker.
The cost is $15 per person and includes the workshop training materials; ingredients, recipes and cooking instructions for the freezer meals; and supper at the workshop. Register by Friday, January 19 at the Cottonwood District Extension Office, 601 Main Street in Hays, 785-628-9430. Thanks to the Ellis County Farm Bureau for co-sponsoring this class.

The freezer meal method of cooking has many benefits. First, it saves time on busy nights. This method features a concentrated cooking session to prepare several meals at once and store in the freezer. Those meals are then ready to reheat or finish cooking when time is limited for preparing a meal from scratch.
Also, it saves money. Busy schedules often lead to eating out, which is more expensive than a home-cooked meal. Having a prepared entree that you can simply put in the slow cooker, oven or microwave saves money and preparation time.

Providing a healthy meal is another benefit of this cooking method. When you prepare the recipes yourself, you are in control of the ingredients and ultimately what your family is eating. Eating at home allows you to incorporate more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lowfat dairy products into family meals.
Another benefit of having meals in the freezer is that it increases one’s capacity for hospitality. You can more easily invite guests to share a meal in your home when you have a freezer meal on hand. You will also be better prepared to take a meal with someone in need– after a death or a hospital stay or when there’s a new baby in the family.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of the freezer meal preparation method is that it can encourage families to eat meals together. Family meal time provides benefits beyond the nutrients in the food– it is an important strategy in child development and strengthening the family bond. Children who eat meals regularly with their families have improved language and literacy skills and achieve higher test scores. Additionally, the more often children eat meals with their families, the less likely they are to choose unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, drinking and drugs.

There are many advantages of having freezer meals on hand for busy nights. Plan to join this Extension workshop on Monday night to make the most of your meat purchases for meals to put into the freezer. RSVP by Friday so that we may include supplies for you to join us. Register and pay fee at the Extension Office in Hays, 785-628-9430.

Linda K. Beech is Cottonwood District Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.

OFFICE OF SEN. MORAN

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) released the following statement today after participating in the ceremony presenting Senator Bob Dole with the Congressional Gold Medal to honor the Russell native’s service to the nation as a soldier, legislator and statesman:

“I firmly believe that a single person can make a difference, and that we change the world one person at a time. This is the mission of public service. No one is a better example of this than my friend and mentor, Senator Bob Dole. His integrity, thoughtfulness and statesmanship serving Kansans have made not only our state but also the world a better place.

“I have long been inspired by Sen. Dole’s work feeding the hungry – it is one of the reasons I’ve worked on global hunger during my time in the Senate and was a co-creator of the Senate Hunger Caucus.

I also have the privilege of occupying the same desk Sen. Dole used on the Senate floor during his time here, and each day I am reminded and motivated by his example. I am grateful that we as a nation were able to honor him today by presenting him with the Congressional Gold Medal – the highest civilian honor the United States can bestow.”

Participants in today’s ceremony included President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and additional members of Congress.

The Bob Dole Congressional Gold Medal Act passed the Senate unanimously in August of last year and was signed into law by President Trump last September.

By JOHN P. TRETBAR

Most of the year-end numbers for 2017 offer a brighter outlook for the new year in the Kansas oil patch. On Monday (1/15), the price for a barrel of Kansas Common crude at CHS was $54.50. That’s the highest price in McPherson since Nov. 2014. Experts say price is the most reliable barometer of the oil and gas industry, and it tends to drive some of the other gauges used by analysts.

The average price in December was $48.34, which is more than $20 higher than two years ago ($27.52/bbl in Dec. 2015), but about $40 less than ten years ago ($82.49/bbl in Dec. 2007). Drilling permits were up more than 31% for the year and well completions were up by 7% compared to a year ago.

Independent Oil & Gas Service reported that the success rate across the Kansas oil patch has dipped slightly. The five-year averages ending in December show 60.3% of Kansas infield wells hit pay dirt (compared to 61.1% in 2016). About 28.5% of the wildcat plays were successful, compared to 29.5% the year before.

Baker Hughes reported 939 active drilling rigs across the US Friday, showing increases of ten oil rigs and five gas rigs. Independent Oil & Gas Service reported nine active rigs in eastern Kansas, which is unchanged, and 26 west of Wichita, down two. Canada reported 276, reflecting a seasonal increase of 102 active rigs. Drilling was underway at sites in Russell and Stafford counties. Operators are moving in completion tools at two sites in Barton County, five locations in Ellis County, two leases in Russell County and two in Stafford County.

Out of 15 new permits for drilling at new locations across the state last week, two were in eastern Kansas and 13 were west of Wichita, including one in Barton County and one in Stafford County.

Independent Oil & Gas Service reported 14 new well completions over the last week, all of them in western Kansas, including one in Barton County and one in Ellis County.

The Kansas Geological Survey reports the state’s operators produced about 2.83 million barrels of crude oil in September, bringing the total through October to nearly 27 million barrels. Ellis County leads the state, adding 219 thousand barrels for a cumulative total of 1.99 million. Barton County operators produced an additional 134 thousand barrels of crude in September, for a third quarter total of 1.27 million barrels. In Russell County, operators pumped 131 thousand barrels, 1.2 million through October. And Stafford County producers added 82 thousand barrels for a third-quarter total of 782 thousand.

Here are the top ten oil-producing counties in Kansas through Oct. 2017:
Ellis County 1.99 million bbl (+219k)
Haskell County 1.81 million bbl (+200k)
Barton County 1.27 million bbl (+134k)
Finney County 1.21 million bbl (+130k)
Rooks County 1.203 million bbl (+130k)
Russell County 1.201 million bbl (+130k)
Ness County 1.12 million (+120k)
Harper County 781 thousand bbl (+74k)
Stafford County 782 thousand bbl (+82k)
Barber County 717thousand bbl (+68k)
(Source: Kansas Geological Survey)

Last year, energy operators filed 1,441 permits for oil & gas drilling at new locations across Kansas. There were more than seven thousand filed three years ago, but the numbers for 2017 are an improvement over the 1,096 permits filed the year before. Operators in eastern Kansas filed 727 new drilling permits last year. There were a total of 714 west of Wichita, including 39 in Barton County, 42 in Ellis County, 21 in Russell County and 28 in Stafford County.

Independent Oil & Gas Service reported 107 new well completions in December, for a year-end total of 1,317 completed wells. That’s also better than last year, but falls far short of the 3,600 completions reported in 2015 and the more than 5,800-plus completions in 2014. Last year, Barton County had 39 completions and Ellis County had 46. Russell County operators reports 18 completed wells and Stafford County reported 31 completed wells for the year. Of the 1,324 completions last year across Kansas, 324, or just shy of one out of four, were dry holes.

At a meeting last month, the Kansas Geological Society recognized and named nine new oil fields in Kansas. The total for 2017 was 55 new fields, an increase of 11, or 25%, from the year before. They also recognized an infield wildcat discovery and new a new pay source at plays in Ellis County.

The Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association last week filed two separate challenges to a proposed ballot issue asking the state’s voters to impose a broad seven percent tax on oil and gas production. Proponents hope to fund teacher pay raises and early childhood education. In one petition, the litigants challenge the language of the ballot question. In the second, the petroleum association says the measure is too broad and that it creates a retroactive tax. Because the language is being challenged, the high court could intervene before backers can start collecting the 123,000 signatures they need to place the measure on the ballot.

Another major US city files suit, hoping to pin on oil companies the costs they say stem from climate change. As Bloomberg put it, “The Big Apple sues Big Oil.” New York City joined three local governments in California is efforts to recover what they say are the costs of climate change. New York filed suit in state court against BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, and Shell claiming the defendants are the world’s largest industrial contributors to climate change. The litigants are using centuries-old concepts of “public nuisance” and “private nuisance.” Both theories have been used in pollution suits, though never before on this scale. The defendants that did offer a comment blasted the lawsuit as being without merit, and contrary to the kind of action required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

As expected, government roadblocks will likely derail a proposed rail-to-marine oil terminal in Vancouver, Wash. The Port Board of Commissioners voted to terminate a rolling lease if the developers don’t come up with all the necessary permits by March. A key state energy council has recommended the Governor deny the project, and he has until just before the deadline to decide. Opponents say this will make it nearly impossible for the backers to meet the deadline.

Be careful what you wish for. OPEC and others are discovering an unintended downside to rising prices, currently propped up by the cartel’s production cut agreement. They now fear it provides a growing incentive for US shale producers, and for possible central bank interventions to temper inflation. Goldman Sachs tells Bloomberg the cartel will try to “talk down” an oil rally above $70 per barrel to cushion the impact on the economy and the openings for rival suppliers.

By Dr. TISA MASON
Fort Hays State University president

“There is no place like home” is the phrase I spoke from my heart as I was announced as the 10th president of Fort Hays State University. The phrase clearly signifies that I have a strong affinity for Fort Hays State University and the community. A home isn’t just a place where you live. It is where the heart dwells. It is a place where we feel our best. It is a safe place – a place I feel free to be myself; to live and lead authentically.

Home is also about relationships with the people who create an atmosphere of being part of something truly wonderful – people I trust and know to be valued colleagues who care deeply about students and serve with a spirit of positive restlessness, people who are always evolving and innovating in ways that matter.

FHSU encompasses a leadership team which has synergy and vision, faculty who thrive on excellence and engagement with students and staff who are committed to removing barriers to student success and celebrating their students’ personal transformation. I love the fact that FHSU so clearly focuses on students. As a first-generation student myself, the learner-centered approach is very important to me.

I have been impressed by the progress that has occurred over the past three years. The campus continues to be beautifully maintained through the care of our facilities staff and community. The facility improvements, upgrades and new buildings are truly remarkable. The university remains fiscally strong, healthy and well-respected. Affordability continues to serve as the institution’s magnetic north, creating access and success for diverse learners and ultimately, engaged citizens. This is important to me as I believe our lives are measured by the people we have helped and the stewardship in which we have invested.

The generosity of the faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends is truly remarkable. I am so amazed by the success of the Journey Campaign, a $100 million, five-year, comprehensive campaign designed to advance the university by enhancing scholarships, academic programs, athletics and student life. It is incredible to learn that we received over 11,000 gifts this past year! I love the tag line we use – Every Gift Matters – because it is so true. Every gift does matter just as every student matters and every person matters. A successful university takes all of us working together – and from my perspective, working together is our way forward.

The presidential profile described Fort Hays State as a “distinctive university that follows its own path rather than modeling another institution.” I smiled when I read that statement, because I remember how invigorating and yet a bit scary that sense of progress was when I first joined the university as the vice president for student affairs in 2008. I recall being in leadership meetings as the new vice president, listening intently and wondering if I could think big enough to keep up with this university. In the end, that challenge motivated me to always be learning and listening so I could be even more forward thinking!

Other institutional characteristics featured in the profile included a culture of hands-on, sleeves-rolled-up work ethic, characterized by competent students, faculty and staff who are committed to high quality, creative innovation and efficiency in all endeavors; faculty who are collegial and personally invested in the institution and community, know their students by name, and create environments where they can have a positive impact on the lives of students; and an institutional culture described as “we can get it done.”

I smiled as I read these descriptors because for me, they were not just marketing words on a brochure but the true essence of the people and place I have always admired and loved. I knew from six and a half years of firsthand experience that these words are lived every day at FHSU and that the university is an amazing collection of people who make a distinct difference for our students and our community. Who wouldn’t want to be part of an institution that consistently exceeds expectations, dreams big, delivers on the promise of student success and stands together?

My husband, Bill, and I are very grateful for the enthusiastic homecoming we have received from both the campus and the community. What a joy to be back home and part of such a caring community that consistently demonstrates a genuine appreciation and love for the university. Thank you to everyone who has extended a warm greeting. We look forward to seeing you around town and learning your stories of home and heart.

For, after all, home is where the heart is, and there is no place like home!

Dr. Tisa Mason is the 10th president of Fort Hays State University.

We design our streets like roads, as if their primary function — and sometimes their sole function — is the movement of automobiles.

Many people don’t grasp the difference between a street and a road. They think the terms are interchangeable, and rightly so. In the United States, we’ve spent decades — and trillions of dollars — blurring the distinctions.

STREETS AND ROADS
To make our cities financially strong and successful, we need to reclaim the lost art of building great streets, and we must empower our transportation professionals to build high-performance roadways. There is a serious difference between those two pursuits.

Streets: The function of a street is to serve as a platform for building wealth. On a street, we’re attempting to grow the complex ecosystem of businesses and homes that produces community wealth. In these environments, people (outside of their automobiles) are the indicator species of success. Successful streets are environments where humans and human interaction flourish.

Roads: In contrast, the function of a road is to connect productive places to one another. You can think of a road as a refinement of the railroad — a road on rails — where people board in one place, depart in another and there is a high speed connection between the two.

With a street, we’re trying to build a place. With a road, we’re trying to get from one place to another. Streets emphasize wealth creation. Roads are about movement.

January 16, 2018

Our first week back for the 2018 Legislative session kept me busy preparing several bills for introduction. One bill I continue working on is the home-owned amusement rides, agritourism activities and hope to have it ready to be read in this second week of session. As we continue to work this bill I will update you with changes to the legislation.

We are also working on legislation that will require municipalities that annex property outside city limits that are currently being served by rural electric cooperatives be compensated for their losses, electrical sales, and infrastructure. This bill was read in and introduced this past week. As of now a hearing has not yet been scheduled.

This year I am serving on the same committees as last year. Agriculture and Natural Resources, Vice Chair for Financial Institutions-Insurance, Pensions and Benefits, Vice Chair for Ways and Means and Chair for the joint committee on Buildings and Construction.

This week the Senate President, Senate Majority Leader, Senate Ways and Means Chairman, and Senate Public Health and Welfare Chairman delivered a joint statement calling for the state to stop moving forward with their plan to make serious changes to the state’s Medicaid system called KanCare.

As many of you know Governor Brownback gave his final State of the State last Tuesday. If you are interested in listening to his final State of the State the full text of the governor’s speech or watch the address. The governor spoke of his many dreams for Kansas and highlighted accomplishments within the state such as 17,000 fewer abortions in the past six-years and a decreasing childhood poverty rate. The one point that received the strongest response was his proposal for Kansas to spend an additional $600 million on school funding over the next five years.

Governor Brownback proposed adding a $16.5 million funding increase over two-years to strengthen child welfare services at DCF. DCF has been affected by a wide range of problems, including children that have been taken into state custody involuntarily, children having to sleep in social workers’ offices because of a shortage of emergency-placement homes, as well as children in foster care that have been reported missing. The $16.5 million enhancement would come from a mixture of funding, including the state general fund and TANF dollars. This is one of the largest single increase in child welfare funding in Kansas history.

Tuesday, January 16, Ag and Natural Resources will have a hearing on Industrial HEMP. The hearings will start at 8:30 a.m. and continue on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. Previously hearings were heard in the commerce committee and a bill was passed out of committee but did not reach the floor of the full house.

It was nice to have many of the superintendents in my district stop by my office this last week while they were attending the KASB meeting in Topeka. Thank you for stopping by!

It is my honor and pleasure to serve the 40th Senate District and I welcome your telephone calls to 785-296-7399 or emails at [email protected].

January 12, 2018
State of the State
Tuesday evening, Governor Sam Brownback released the details of his proposed budget. His budget contains proposals to increase K-12 education funding by approximately $600 million over the next five years. He also set three goals for K-12 education: first, is to reach a 95% statewide high-school graduation rate; second is a post-secondary effectiveness of 75%; and third, continue to move schools toward the Kansans Can model for school redesign, these goals are to be completed by the end of the 2022-2023 school year.

The next morning, the House Appropriations committee met to discuss the details of the Governor’s budget. The Director of Budget addressed the committee and answered questions that arose regarding the Governor’s budget, it’s feasibility and/or impracticalities.

Many of the questions that were asked by the members of the Appropriations committee, including myself, focused on the increase in spending by the Governor. We also inquired about the cash balances of the state being in a deficit situation as early as 2020. The Governor provided no solution to address the shortfall only that he expects the Kansas economy to grow. On Thursday afternoon, I met with the budget chairs in the House and we began working on a plan to address the financial concerns of all the state’s departments and agencies.

More Items In the Governor’s Budget
Other items that the Governor presented during the State of the State speech are: an additional $5 million for the National Institute for Aviation Research, the National Center for Aviation Training will receive $1.7 million of additional funding, and $1 million will be added to fund Registered Apprenticeships.

National Guard members currently are assisted with 54% percent of their tuition. In the proposed budget, this number will be increased to 100% percent with a goal of increasing participation in the guard.

The Parents-as-Teachers waiting list will be funded, accomplished with a $1 million spending increase for the program.

Citizenship in Action
My office announced on Wednesday that I will be providing one scholarship to a 4-Her between the ages of 13-18, to participate in the Kansas 4-H program, Citizenship in Action, which will take place in Topeka February 18-19, 2018. The Citizenship in Action program allows 4-Hers to travel to Topeka and participate in mock legislative sessions, meet elected officials, and tour the statehouse. The deadline for submissions is Kansas Day, January 29, 2018. For more information, email me at [email protected], or call my office at (785) 296-7672.

Ad Astra Rural Jobs Act
Last year, I introduced job legislation referred to as the “Ad Astra Rural Jobs Act.” The bill passed the House during the 2017 session, with a vote of 97 to 22. The Senate has received the bill and has referred it to the Senate Commerce Committee, with a hearing scheduled for next month. This bill would incentivize businesses that wish to expand or relocate to an area of Kansas defined as a rural area with a city population of 60,000 or less.

I have worked on this legislation during the interim and have gained the support of many colleagues, both urban and rural, Department of Agriculture, and local Economic Development directors. I have also had discussions with Lt. Governor Colyer.

This legislation partners well with the Rural Opportunity Zones (ROZ) as it incentivizes businesses to hopefully create jobs in rural Kansas, as ROZ incentivizes individuals to relocate to ROZ designated counties.

Contact Information
As always, if you have any concerns, feel free to contact me (785) 296-7672, visit www.troywaymaster.com or email me at [email protected]. Also, if you happen to visit the statehouse, please let my office know.

It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.

The 109th House District includes:

• Osborne, Russell, and Smith Counties
• Barton County: Cities: Albert, Claflin, Galatia, Odin, Olmitz and Susank; Townships: Beaver, Cheyenne, Clarence, Cleveland, Fairview, Grant, Independent, Logan, Union, Walnut and Wheatland
• Jewell County: Cities:Burr Oak, Esbon and Mankato; Townships: Athens,Browns Creek, Burr Oak, Calvin, Center, Erving, Esbon, Harrison, Highland, Holmwood, Ionia, Limestone, Odessa,Walnut and White Mound
• Lincoln County: Cities: Lincoln Center(part) and Sylvan Grove; Townships: Battle Creek, Beaver(part), Cedron, Elkhorn(part), Golden Belt, Grant, Hanover, Highland, Indiana, Marion, Orange, Pleasant, Valley and Vesper
• Rush County: Cities: Bison, Otis, Rush Center and Timken; Townships: Banner,Center,Garfield, Illinois, Lone Star, Pioneer and Pleasantdale

Troy L. Waymaster, (R-Bunker Hill) is State Representative of the 109th Kansas House District.