Sponsored by Glassman, Bird, Brown and Powell LLP — a full-service law firm serving Hays and Northwest Kansas.

In a flurry of statehouse drama rarely seen, Governor Sam Brownback vetoed the monumental tax bill Wednesday morning, within a couple hours the House overrode the veto, and that afternoon the Senate narrowly sustained the governor.

In the end Brownback had obstructed the will of legislative majorities and struck down the best legislative work Kansans have seen for many years. Two of every three state representatives and three of every five state senators voted to override the governor’s veto, falling short by only three votes in the Senate.

A bipartisan legislative coalition had crafted and passed a tax bill that responsively addressed the billion-dollar financial crisis confronting state government. The bill would have:

• Ended Brownback’s failed tax experiment that exempted many businesses from income taxes and repealed the governor’s fantastical “glide path to zero” currently in state statutes.

• Revised income tax rates mostly upward and making them more progressive, that is, slightly higher rates for higher-income taxpayers. Tax rates in the bill would actually be lower for all income categories, compared to rates in place during the years, 1992-2012.

• Restored balance and fairness in the overall tax structure which would help reduce tax competition with other states and resist pressures to boost sales and property taxes.

• Filled in much of the deep financial hole left by the tax experiment.

The tax bill deserved a sustained, standing applause, not the governor’s veto. Many share credit for the legislature’s quick, decisive action:

First, last August and November attentive Kansas voters elected state lawmakers dedicated to cleaning up the state’s financial mess. They choose 25 centrist Republicans and 15 Democrats in key races contested by far-right ideologues.

Second, House Speaker Ron Ryckman and Senate President Susan Wagle, both of whom have been part of the problem for the last four years, correctly read the shifting political climate this year. Even though neither leader voted for the final bill or the override, they made correcting state finance the first order of business, allowed open and timely consideration of options, and scheduled early action on the option with the widest support. The tax bill cleared the legislature on the 29th day of the 90-day session.

Third, House Majority Leader Don Hineman and Senate Vice President Jeff Longbine stood up and spoke courageously on behalf of centrist Republicans who were willing to face the state’s grim fiscal reality and vote for increased taxes. Minority Leaders Jim Ward and Anthony Hensley deserve a hand as well for convincing their members to support a good bill, rather than holding out for a perfect one.

Fourth, 85 house members and 24 senators—60 Republicans and 49 Democrats—made fixing the state’s financial mess a higher priority than political maneuvering for their next elections.

But the governor remains mired in an ideological stew that has produced five years of unbalanced budgets, unfair tax increases, and historic levels of new debt. Yet he continues to call for more of the same—more debt through one-time fixes and tax hikes on consumers.

Brownback fittingly announced his veto intention to his adoring patrons of the Kansas State Chamber of Commerce. A few businesses with deep pockets have spent millions over recent years through the Chamber, Americans for Prosperity, and the Club for Growth to exempt themselves from state income taxes and hold on to that exemption. For now they have reasserted their stranglehold on the governor and a minority of right-wing legislators.

The governor’s obstruction assures a more contentious, protracted, and likely chaotic legislative session. However, a fresh crew of legislative leaders and legislators has shown the resolve to tackle the state’s financial mess–either with or without the governor’s support. Speaker Ryckman and President Wagle, both of whom voted against the override, now bear primary responsibility for finding a resolution to the tax issue.

H. Edward Flentje is professor emeritus at Wichita State University.

SENATE HIGHLIGHTS

It was a big week in the legislature. The Senate voted on two tax proposals, and ultimately sent one to Governor Brownback’s desk. The first tax bill the Senate debated was SB 188, a bill presented by Senate Democrats. The bill would have closed the LLC exemption and would have expanded our current two-bracket tax system into a three-bracket system, at rates of 2.7, 4.6, and 6.45 percent. While the Senate spent a significant amount of time discussing this bill, it ultimately failed to make it to final action on a roll call vote of 10-30. Many members of the Senate Republican Caucus chose to vote against this bill with the understanding that they would have the opportunity to vote the following day on a tax bill the House sent to the Senate. On Friday, the Senate debated Sub HB 2178, a tax bill that passed the House earlier this week. There was substantial debate on this bill. Some colleagues thought that this bill didn’t go far enough to close the current $350 million budget deficit and some thought that it taxed too much and cut too little. Sub HB 2178 would close the LLC exemption, and would expand our current two-bracket tax system into a three-bracket system, at rates of 2.7, 5.25, and 5.45 percent. The next stop for Sub HB 2178 is Governor Brownback’s desk. He has openly stated that he will not sign this bill, although that doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t become law. The Governor is now presented with three options: a) he can sign the bill into law; b) he can let the bill become law – without signing it – by letting it sit on his desk for 10 days after receiving it; c) he can veto the bill within 10 days of receiving it.

Should the Governor choose to veto Sub HB 2178, the bill will go back to its house of origin, in this case the House, where a motion to override the veto would be in order at any time. It would require a two-thirds majority of House members (84) to override the veto. If the House overrides the veto, the bill will then come back to the Senate, which would also require a two-thirds majority (27) vote to override the veto. If the Governor vetoes the bill and both Chambers vote to override his veto, the bill becomes law. If either Chamber falls short of the necessary votes to override a veto, we will begin the tax process over again.

I would like to note here that the bill which did pass the Senate was a House Bill. This bill was not assigned to the Senate Tax Committee for review as usual but sent to the Senate floor instead. This reminds me so much of the 2012 Tax Bill which was a Senate bill and sent directly to the House floor for a vote. When one step of the process – in this case – with HB 2178 skipping the Senate Tax Committee for a full committee debate – we could possibly to back to the same scenario of unintended consequences as the 2012 Tax bill (which has sent us down this road in the first place). There is a Senate bill in committee with has a simple two tier bracket and the piece to remove the LLC exemption which is a popular concept in the Senate. I believe the more debate we can have on an issue and with both Chambers holding a position, then we will arrive at a place we can be comfortable with. I also believe there could’ve been a compromised Tax bill through the conference committee process without the risk of a VETO. All tax bills up for debate remove the LLC loophole which I am in favor of and voted against in 2012.

COMMITTEE ACTION
VAPOR TAX (SB 54), (SB130): The Senate Committee on Taxation held hearings on SB 130 and SB 54, measures that would clarify definitions of consumable material in vapor products and enforcement of tax collections.
Passed during last year’s session in the state’s budget was a 20¢ per milliliter tax on e-liquid. This tax was scheduled to take effect this July.
INCREASING COMPENSATION FOR WRONGFUL CONVICTED (SB125): The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony on SB 125 on Tuesday. The bill would require the state to provide compensation to persons wrongfully convicted of a crime. Kansas does not currently have a compensation statute in place, which means that the only redress for a wrongfully convicted person after proving their innocence is to file a lawsuit alleging civil rights violations. Thirty-two states and the federal government have compensation laws to ensure that the wrongfully convicted do not have to file a civil lawsuit to get the financial support they deserve. SB 125 bill aims to make the appeal process less strenuous, and to ensure proper compensation for those who were wrongfully convicted.
INTERLOCK SYSTEM FOR FIRST TIME DUI OFFENDERS (SB123): The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony on SB 123 on Tuesday. The bill would remove the requirement of an ignition interlock system for first-time DUI offenders. Those with DUI convictions are forced to have the ignition interlock system installed in their vehicle. This device forces drivers to pass a breathalyzer test before they can start their vehicle. Currently, many are choosing not to drive while serving out their suspension, but even after an offender’s suspension period has come to an end, individuals are finding out they are still required to rent a device before they’re able to get the reinstatement of their license. SB 123 intends to address those who have been convicted of a first-time DUI and allows courts to no longer require that the ignition interlock be a penalty. Offenders will no longer have to prove that they had the device before reinstatement of the guilty party’s driver’s license.

FOOD SALES TAX (SCR 1604): This Wednesday, the Senate Committee on taxation heard SCR 1604, a Senate Concurrent Resolution to amend the Kansas constitution by adding a new section regarding sales and taxation of food and food ingredients. The resolution would change the rate of sales and compensating use on food and food ingredients to 4 percent starting July 1, 2019 and ending June 30, 2020. Following June 30, 2020, the rate would then phase down to 2 percent. This proposition, if passed by both 2/3 vote in the Senate and 2/3 vote in the House, would then be voted on by Kansas citizens during the 2018 general election in the form of a ballot referendum.
BLIGHTED PROPERTY (SB31): This Thursday, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Elections and Local Government, passed out SB 31 which would allow cities, as well as certain organizations as authorized by current law, to take temporary possession of abandoned property for purposes of rehabilitating the property. The bill would also make a number of definitional and other changes to laws dealing with rehabilitation of abandoned property.

US Senate Agriculture Committee hearing in Manhattan, KS
US Senate Agriculture Committee will be hold the first US Senate Agriculture field hearing on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. (ET) at Kansas State University, in Manhattan, Kan., on the 2018 farm bill. Debate over reauthorizing the bill is already heating up in part because of the downturn in the farm economy. “We need clear direction on what is working and what is not working in farm country, and we will be listening to see what needs to be adjusted,” Committee Chairman Pat Roberts said when the hearing was first announced.

WELCOMING THE JAG PROGRAM TO THE STATE CAPITOL:
On Wednesday, Sen. Bud Estes invited and introduced students from the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) Program on a Point of Personal Privilege. Wednesday was JAG-K day at the Capitol, and students met with legislators to inform them about the program. Concordia High School students were also recognized as was Bev Mortimer who is a curriculum director for the program. JAG-Kansas is an in-school program that works to move students toward high school graduation and on to a successful career path. The JAG program is dedicated to preventing high school students from dropping out and finishing their education. They have helped 3/4s of a million young people stay in school through high school graduation allowing them to pursue postsecondary education or onto career opportunities, 90% of students in the JAG program graduate high school.

FROM THE STATE LIBRARY
Mango
Ever wanted to learn a new language? With Mango Languages, you can learn over 70 languages right from your own computer (or smartphone!). There are courses in Spanish, French, Mandarin, Japanese, even Biblical Hebrew, plus many more. Mango uses real life situations and conversations to more effectively teach a new language. Mango also has courses for learning English in 19 foreign languages. Use as a Guest or register to track your progress. See Mango at http://kslib.info/Mango .

Research for Kids
The State Library has online interactive eBooks, storybooks, and puzzles for children. These resources encourage new and reluctant readers to develop a love for reading. BookFLIX (PreK to third grade) pairs children’s video storybooks with related nonfiction titles. TumbleBooks offers animated talking picture books and read-along chapter books that improve sight word recognition. Britannica E-Stax (PreK to 5th grade) features nonfiction that can be downloaded to any Internet enabled device. http://kslib.info/kids
If the page above asks for a Kansas Library eCard number, you may get one at any library in Kansas. Most people will be automatically recognized as inside Kansas and will not need this step. Questions: [email protected] or 785-296-3296.

NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS HONOR FLIGHT – JUNE 15-17, 2017
CHS honor students (guardians) again will be assisting the NCK Honor Flight riders to Washington DC. If you know a World War II or Korean Veteran who would like to be a Rider, please call Bev Mortimer at 785 243-0836 for an application or additional information. Applications should be submitted by April 1st. There is NO charge for the veteran.

1st Pages for Session 2017 – February 16th
Hannah Hall, Brooke Luedke and Carrie VanMeter all from Scandia, paged on Thursday for the Kansas Senate. They met Governor Brownback, took the Dome tour, worked in my office and ran errands for the Senate during session.

Visitors from Senate District #36
The sixth week of session was one of the busiest of the legislative year so far. Members from home with the North Central-Flint Hills Area on Aging had lunch with us for Older Kansans Day and stayed to watch the Senate session. Kansas Livestock Association members attended their annual event and dinner on Wednesday and Leadership Mitchell County invited Rep. Susan Concannon and myself to join them for lunch and a legislative update from us. Kansas Farm Bureau members met with legislators for lunch and the Kansas Association Community College Trustees and Phi Theta Kappa held their annual scholarship banquet and introduced the 2017 scholars, the Academic Team for 2017, on Thursday.

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. The House meets at 11:00AM and the Senate at 2:30. 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!

Sen. Elaine Bowers
Kansas State Capitol Building
Room 223-E
300 SW 10th St.
Topeka, KS 66612
[email protected]
785 296-7389
www.kslegislature.org

Sen. Elaine Bowers (R-Concordia) serves the 36th Dist. which includes Osborne, Rooks, Russell, and portions of Phillips counties.

Click to play the audio or read below.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget that Halloween morning in 1939! It must have been a Saturday or Sunday because Max and I were still in bed when normally we would have been in the barn at that time of day.

I awoke when Mom called from the bottom of the stairs to get up and look out the window. Max and I could hardly believe what we saw! There was a solid white blanket thrown over the entire landscape. The drifts of sand formed from summer winds and the blankness of the entire world had been transformed overnight by Mother Nature, and everything was white!
 

Actually, snow was not that unusual in Southwest Kansas, even during the Dust Bowl days, but this early in the season? I think not. 

On this special morning, there was not a breath of wind, and so the very light snow lay precisely where it fell.  The earth was suddenly beautiful again! It was one of the earliest snowfalls in that area for years.
”Snow, snow, beautiful snow” as the song goes. Over the years, snow has been cast as a savior or a troublesome nuisance, depending on where you are and what you do for a living. 

Dirt farmers almost always love it because it protects the tender crop of growing wheat from sub-zero temperatures. Ranchers don’t particularly care for it to fall on their livestock, but they love the moisture on their grazing areas. And city folks would just as soon it didn’t happen, except of course at Christmas.
  Heavy blowing snow, or blizzards, are unfriendly to almost everyone, but seldom does a winter season pass by without at least one such adventure. 

I live in Northwest Kansas now, and we’re still awaiting any kind of a snowfall that measures more than 2 or 3 inches so far this winter.  Average-wise by this time, we’ve usually received close to 17 inches by now, but a total of only 9 inches has fallen. But we are all aware that surely there will be a blizzard before May 1st. My family ran into a bad situation in early March of 1948 when we were returning from Dodge City to our farm following the semi-finals of the Regional basketball tournament. 

We got “high centered” in a snow drift just a half mile from home north of Bucklin and chose to walk the rest of the way, with a fence line to guide us. We were dressed very warmly, but it was a tough go.
  And then there was March 26th and 27th in 1957, when my young family lived in Hays. 

A bunch of us radio employees had gathered at Don Treu’s 2- story house way out on North Hall street to listen to the KU-North Carolina NCAA Championship game on the radio. We had to go upstairs to listen because the signal was too weak downstairs. Wilt Chamberlain and KU lost, and by the time the game ended, there was a terrible blizzard raging.
   

My wife and I were barely able to get the half mile home. Some 26 inches fell during that 2-day storm. I took pictures of two year old son Marty climbing up on a snowdrift as high as the eave of the house.  This was before Interstate 70 was built, and automobile and train traffic was halted for days. Don Treu’s house still stands.
 

The month of January 1911 was memorable in Tamarack, California, in the Sierras when a record total of 390 inches of snow fell, just in January!  Snow depth at that point in the season was 767 inches, or 64 feet, also a record.
The area is located several miles south of South Lake Tahoe.
  Snowballs, snowmen, snow shovels….all are signs of the season. 

All are welcome, just as long as they’re all gone by garden planting time!


Kay Melia is a longtime broadcaster, author and garden in northwest Kansas.

I planned to run this article this month in celebration of my grandmother’s life. I also wanted it to be a tribute to my mother-in-law, Vena Stucky, who passed away this month. My family celebrated her life recently. Both were great ladies who influenced me and many others. I am very thankful for them.

We all mark significant events in our lives. Some of them may include the birth of a child, our marriage, and even the passing of a close family member or a friend.

A new date has been added to my significant events: February 25, 2010. On the evening of that day at 10:20 p.m., my grand-mother, Thelma Wafer, passed away. She would have been 97 on June 13, 2010.

Many of you know that I have had the privilege of overseeing the care of my grandmother for the last ten years – the first six from a distance while she lived in Texas; the last four here in Hays, Kansas. During that time, she and I battled side by side to keep her as independent as possible. It was not until December 31, 2009 that she finally required the services of a nursing home. She lived there for 56 days.

Everyone in my office got to know her. She made friends wherever she went. Even during her brief stay in the nursing home, she connected with many of the staff.

I can best describe her as a gentlewoman – always kind, forgiving, loving, accepting, hopeful, encouraging, uplifting, bright, cheerful, and a ray of sunshine at all times. I know that she was my grandmother, but I truly believe that if you met anyone that knew her, they would agree with my assessment. To walk into a room with her in it made you smile.

Her life was extraordinary in that it was filled with tragedy – from her father being murdered when she was very young – to the loss of all of her children at way too young an age and totally unexpectedly. She grieved greatly but then moved on. Her heart must have been the largest the Lord ever created, to bear so much pain but to have so much love and faith to keep going.

One story I heard about her at her funeral says a lot. Her son, Bill (my uncle) was a hemophiliac (a severe and uncontrolled bleeder). Especially during the time of his youth, hemophiliacs did not live very long and suffered greatly while they did. (Medicine has now vastly improved life for hemophiliacs.)

During the 1950s, a faith healer came into the community where my grandparents lived. Someone suggested to my grandmother that perhaps she should take Bill to the faith healer. Her response? “No one can pray any harder to the Lord for Bill’s sake. I just don’t believe He would listen to anyone else’s prayers more than He would listen to mine.”

A couple of weeks before her death, I talked with Thelma. She was not eating and I asked her why. I asked her if she was worried or just why she wasn’t eating. This is what she said: “Honey, I know I am going to die soon and I am okay with that. I just need you to be okay with it.”

It has taken over a month for me to sit down and write out something about my grandmother. I know that she was tired – she was tired of being tired. I know she was ready to go home to be with the rest of her family. I know the journey was successful.

There are a million things I could say about how my grandmother influenced me. My practice in helping the elderly, the chronically ill, and those with disabilities is guided by her direct influence.

For right now, let me say this. One of the most important gifts she ever gave me was the most recent: she was ready to leave this life and she wanted me to be comfortable with that decision.

It is amazing to me that even in her last moments, she was thinking of how she could help others and make them more comfortable. Forever the gentlewoman.

When my final days come, I hope that I can pass on to my family the peace of mind that my grandmother passed on to me. I wish the same for all of you. (This article was originally ran in the April 2010 Elder Law Update.)

Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To contact him, please send an email to [email protected]. Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.

Nobody likes us. Everyone’s out to get us. We can’t buy a break.

Don’t believe it. It isn’t so. Never has been and hopefully never will be.

Farmers and ranchers still rank at the top of America’s most admired professions. This A-list is comprised of those who serve others, including firefighters, doctors, nurses, farmers and ranchers (who feed the world), police, teachers and engineers who build things.

And when the public thinks of agriculture – two words come to mind.
If you guessed “hard working” you’re right. That’s the ranking in a recent article in Forbes.

Across this country consumers believe farmers are important. When people take the time to think about their importance, most agree farmers feed everyone. They’ll tell you there isn’t anybody who doesn’t need farmers.

Other words used by consumers to describe farmers included necessary, good for society, honest, take care of the land, independent and good family values.

Americans also believe farmers are highly believable when speaking on farm-related issues. When asked if they would believe a farmer talking about the challenges of farming, nearly 90 percent said they would.

Farm wives were deemed even more believable than farmers. Depending on the topic, university researchers or scientists could be just as believable as farmers while environmentalists and government officials rated less favorably.

Most consumers will tell you they believe farmers and ranchers choose their occupation based on the satisfaction it gives them, not the money they make. They also believe when faced with a decision between economics and doing the right thing, most farmers and ranchers would do what is right.

Today’s American consumer also believes farmers have a high level of professional training and competency in agriculture. They also will tell you farmers care about food quality and safety. Nearly 80 percent of the public thought farmers and ranchers do an excellent job of taking care of their farm animals.

Believe it or not, depending on where you look or find information, two of every three people agree the use of land for agriculture is good for the environment. The public believes farmers take care of the land. Nearly half believe farmers and ranchers do an excellent or good job of taking care of the nation’s water.

Don’t listen to what the naysayers say. The public’s image of farmers and ranchers remains strong. Overall, the public appreciates the jobs farmers are doing and they like hearing from them. That means farmers should take every opportunity to speak up about their profession.

Stand up for agriculture. Say what’s on your mind and speak from the heart. American farmers and ranchers can help shape the message and mold the public image of their profession in their own likenesses, rather than having it molded for them by dictionary synonyms or advertising’s stereotypical overalls and pitchforks.

John Schlageck, a Hoxie native, is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas.

Gotta wonder just how many legislators will schedule public meetings to report to constituents on progress of the 2017 Kansas legislative session next week. Or, whether they’ll even step outdoors to do their own grocery shopping between Friday and March 5 while they are on break.

The time frame is tricky.

Beside debating and passing with non-veto-override margins in the House and Senate a bill that will tax those LLCs again, and put back that top income tax bracket, not much else has happened.

Legislators don’t know whether Gov. Sam Brownback will sign that tax increase bill that will lighten Kansans’ wallets by about $590 million next year—and may not know until after their break ends and they come back to work on March 6.

So, what do they talk about with neighbors and constituents during that week? Well, there’s just that one bill that the governor has signed so far this session, the deal that established the dates and some other details of electing a new U.S. House member in the 4th Congressional District to replace Mike Pompeo, who resigned that seat when he got a (better?) job as President Donald Trump’s director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Well, three-quarters of Kansans won’t see their life change in that April 11 election for a new congressman, so…we guess they’ll talk about taxes…and probably be delighted to shift the conversations to guns in hospitals and colleges.

But it might be a long week for those legislators whose constituents are mostly going to know about the tax bill and want to know whether they’ll pay more or less (don’t count on that) and whether those LLCs which Brownback would prefer not to inconvenience are going to start paying taxes.

With an estimated 330,000 Kansans not paying taxes now and likely to see that change if the tax hikes become law…the intensity of the conversations rises.

(Might be good for those off-duty legislators who do leave the house to buy groceries to purchase hamburger or hot dogs, and not prosciutto.)

If the governor vetoes the bill, those non-taxpayers get a gulp of air—even those who in public rend their garments and lament that their tax preparer doesn’t know what form to use to make voluntary contributions to the State General Fund.

A quick decision by the governor, sign or veto, will make those legislative break meetings with constituents clearly as a victory, for some, or a defeat for some, or the bell that opens the second round of this fight.

If the governor decides not to sign and wait out the calendar? Well, that’s a little different than a veto in terms of public response. Many, or at least some Kansans, remember pictures of legislators crowded around the governor’s desk back in 2012 when he signed that seminal tax cut bill into law. We’re thinking that not many of those photos are still taped to the refrigerator door, but he didn’t wait 10 days for it to become law. He signed it quickly.

Sign or veto, those are the definitive actions he can take, and like it or not, it probably represents the firmly held opinion on the part of Brownback whether it is the best thing for the state. Or not. Checking off days on a calendar doesn’t.

So, we’ll see just what happens: Delay or an affirmative or negative action on a bill that has triggered budget cuts, sweeps of funds from state agencies and the state’s current fiscal year budget shortfall.

One way or another, a fast decision would probably make those meeting with constituents on the upcoming vacation week a little easier to handle, or at least script.

We’ll see, won’t we?

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.

February 17, 2017

Tax Bill Passes House
On Thursday, February 16, the House of Representatives passed a substitute bill for House Bill 2178 on final action, 76 to 48. The original bill, which was substituted on February 15th in the House of Representatives by the Committee of the Whole, proposed changes to the tax structure, specifically the income tax, by freezing the lower income bracket tax rate at 2.7 percent and raising the upper income tax bracket to 5.25 percent. The bill also eliminated the automatic income tax rate reduction procedure. The bill offered several alternative changes to the tax code in place of the original. First among those being to non-wage business income where the bill repealed the 2012 exemption on non-wage business income and allowed citizens to claim federal non-wage business exemptions beginning with fiscal year 2017. The second change is that Kansans would be allowed to claim itemized deductions on medical expenses under federal law. The last change was to the income tax rate. Instead the of the current two bracket tax code the substitute bill would create three tax brackets. The lowest bracket being 2.7 percent for those earning $15,000 or less, the middle bracket being 5.25 percent for those earning between $15,000 and $50,000, and the upper bracket being 5.45 percent for those earning $50,000 or more. The Department of Revenue calculated these changes would increase tax receipts by $2.4 billion over the next 5 fiscal years with no changes to the sales tax rate, which is currently at 6.50%. Due to the fact that this was not a true comprehensive tax plan and that the sales tax was not reduced from the rate we raised it to during the session of 2015, I could not support this particular tax plan.

The 2017 Kansas Budget: Rescission Decision
On Thursday, February 16th, the House of Representatives debated House Bill 2161, which would liquidate $317.1 million available from a long-term investment portfolio of idle funds the State Treasurer has transferred for long term investment and had deposited those funds in the Pooled Money Investment Portfolio (PMIP). The liquidated funds would then be loaned to the State General Fund and would be paid back over a 6-year period with an annual payment amount of $52.9 million, the first loan payment is due June 30, 2019. The bill also changes the long-term investment procedures for idle funds by not tying future transfers from PMIP to unclaimed property and by giving the State Treasurer the ability to liquidate future long term investments by certification to maintain cash flow after consulting with the Director of the Pooled Money Investment Board.

Also on Thursday, the House of Representatives debated House Bill 2052, which relates to the appropriations to state agencies for the remaining months of fiscal year 2017, which commenced on July 1, 2016. The bill, brought by the Appropriations Committee, contained three amendments. The first amendment requires that 50% of the ending balance for fiscal year 2017 be paid back to KPERS for the full amount of the 4th quarter employer contribution payment which was not allocated in the Governor’s Budget. The Second amendment, requires that 10% of the ending balance of the 2017 budget, only after the KPERS payment in the first amendment is paid in full with an amount of $85.9 million, be deposited to the Budget Stabilization Fund, or what is commonly referred to as the “Rainy Day Fund.” The third amendment grants the State Board of Pharmacy the discretion to spend federal grant dollars on the Prescription Drug Overdose Data driven Prevention Program from a revenue fund. Both House Bills advanced to final action for Friday and both passed out of the House of Representatives.

Appropriations
Last week, the House Appropriations Committee continued hearing reports from the Budget Committees on the fiscal year 2018 and 2019 budgets. The Committee finished hearing the Judicial Branch report, along with Department of Labor and Secretary of State reports. We also received an update on current and recent audits from Legislative Post Auditor. The Committee recommended House Bill 2109 favorably for passage, which allows for Kansas State University and Wichita State University to sell certain tracks of land. On Tuesday, the Committee heard the General Government Budget Committee recommendations for: Department of Revenue; Real Estate Appraisal Board; Real Estate Commission; and Board of Tax Appeals. Then Wednesday, the Committee heard recommendations from the Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee on: Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board; Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism; Department of Agriculture; and Board of Veterinary Examiners. The Committee also heard House Bill 2133, which would move the Consensus Revenue Estimate date from April 20 to May 1. On Thursday, the Committee heard the recommendations for Kansas Department of Health and Environment; Kansas Water Office; and State Fair reports, along with Social Service Budget Committee reports on the State Hospitals. The Committee also heard House Bill 2068, which addresses child support payment which are in arrears and the enforcement thereof. This past Wednesday, the Committee heard House Bill 2180, which involves increasing the HMO privilege fee and Friday, the Committee we heard House Bill 2184, which extends the sunset date of the STAR Bonds Act.

Legislative Post Audit
The Legislative Division of Post Audit (LPA) was created in 1971. Their mission is to provide the Kansas Legislature with accurate and unbiased information on the performance of state and local government. Audits, generally, evaluate if agencies’ programs are effective in carrying out their duties, are efficient with their resources, and are in compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and other requirements. Audits are performed at direction of the Legislative Post Audit Committee. The Committee is made up of 5 representatives and 5 senators. The Committee determines which audits will be conducted. Audits are independently conducted and reports are issues without input from the Committee or other legislators.

Along with performance audits, the LPA conducts information technology audits (IT). This includes the broad classes of IT security and project monitoring. LPA also contracts with external CPA firms to conduct financial audits of several state agencies. These include annual audits of the state’s comprehensive annual financial report, as well as financial statements for the Kansas Lottery, the state pension fund (KPERS), the state highway fund (KDOT), and certain water funds (KDHE).

Every performance audit report issued since 1972 can be found on the Kansas Legislative Post Audit website. Most Recent audits will be present on the home page of the site. To visit this site or acquire any more information on Legislative Post Audit please visit: http://www.kslpa.org/

Last Wednesday, the Legislative Post Audit Committee received a presentation on the K-12 Benefits Consolidation audit. The audit highlights can be found at: http://www.kslpa.org/assets/files/reports/h-17-001.pdf. The audit can be found at: http://www.kslpa.org/assets/files/reports/r-17-001.pdf.

Medicaid Expansion
The Health Committee last week held a three-day hearing on Medicaid Expansion, HB 2064. On Monday, the Committee heard neutral testimony. On Tuesday, the Committee heard HB 2217, which enacts standards governing the use and administration of emergency opioid antagonists. This bill regulates the dispensary and administration of Narcan or Naloxone, a lifesaving drug that combats the effects of an opioid overdose. This drug could be used by first responders around the state to combat an opioid overdose. On Wednesday, the Committee heard from proponents for Medicaid Expansion. Proponent testimony focused on hearing from those who would benefit from expanding KanCare to more low income Kansans. Other testimony focused on economic gain and job creation opportunities. They also discussed the lack of certainty that healthcare will be repealed at the federal level. On Thursday, opponents indicated there is no economic gain from Medicaid expansion and it would cost the state more in the long run. They also noted that there has been significant talk of repeal or removal of the Affordable Care Act, which impacts the amount of money the states are given to help cover the cost of expansion.

K-12 Education Budget
The K-12 Education Budget Committee began hearing school finance ideas, plans, and legislation last week. On Monday, the committee heard from former Speaker Mike O’Neal on a framework for school finance. His premise is that the Legislature maintain its role as appropriators, but that the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE), along with the State Board of Education, be the allocators of resources. On Wednesday, the committee received a briefing on the Legislative Post Audit report on the Health Insurance for School Districts audit. The audit addresses the Alvarez and Marsal Efficiency Study recommendation regarding savings from consolidating school district health insurance benefits. On Thursday, the committee worked the operational budget for the Department of Education, along with the budgets of the School for the Blind and School for the Deaf. These recommendations were forwarded to the House Appropriations Committee this week.

The school finance plans that have been referred to the K-12 Education Budget Committee are: HB 2242, HB 2270, HB 2324, HB 2344, HB 2346, and HB 2347. Additional resources on various school finance proposals can be found at the KSDE website: http://www.ksde.org/Agency/Fiscal-and-Administrative-Services/School-Finance/Whats-New

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.

Troy L. Waymaster, (R-Bunker Hill) is the 109th Dist. State Representative and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

Hello from Topeka!

We are in the final days before we reach the half-way point of the session, which is called turn-around. It means the bills that were passed out of the House of Representatives go the Senate, and the bills the Senate passed go to the House for consideration. In preparation, we will be out of session from February 24 – March 5th. Many of us will be holding town hall meetings and I am looking forward to seeing and listening to many of you in the days ahead.

The big story from the past week is the tax bill which was passed out of the house and senate and is waiting for a decision from Governor Brownback on whether he will sign the bill, veto it or just let it go into law. At the time of writing this column we do not know what he will do.

I serve on the Taxation Committee and heard many different ideas on how we solve the problem with matching the revenue and spending. I did not vote for the bill when it came out of committee. I did vote for it to move it to final action where I voted no as I did in committee.

We are early in the session, and this will probably be one of several attempts to get this solved. There are many moving parts to the process and so often we get caught up in voting for the first thing we see as the answer, when there may be a better solution. I do not like the idea of a third-tier bracket, as the two tier system we have now should be fine. I do not like the idea of retroactively placing taxes back on to citizens months after a new year has begun and I don’t like the rate. I also do not like the idea of taxing the working poor and disincentivizing those who are struggling to make a better life for themselves.

To me, it is like going to a car lot and telling the salesman, I want the first car you show me and I will pay whatever you ask. Knowing full well I need transportation before I leave the lot, but I can’t afford the payments when he tells me what the price is.

I am continuing to work with others on solutions by broadening the tax base, making rates affordable and working with the Appropriations committee on the best funding solutions for the programs the state administers.

We are also just beginning the journey on finding a better way to fund our schools with more clarity than a block grant, finding a funding mechanism will be another great challenge.

During the session, my office is Room: 352-S. My phone number is: (785) 296- 7463 and email is: [email protected] and my cell number is (785) 302-8416. You can also follow along with what is going on through social media: kenforkansas on Facebook, @kenrahjes on twitter or my website: kenforkansas.com.

It is my honor to serve as your representative.

Ken Rahjes, (R-Agra), is the 110th District State Representative.

Tax bill passes the House Last week the House of Representatives took an important step toward restoring fiscal responsibility while stabilizing state revenues. The bill eliminated the income tax exemptions for some Kansas businesses and made adjustments to individual income tax rates. It is important to note that even with those adjustments Kansans will still be paying income taxes at a lower rate than they were in 2012. The bill is a positive step which allows us to restore fiscal responsibility by maintaining healthy ending balances, creating a permanent rainy day fund, moving towards the actuarially required contributions for KPERS, and repaying the pooled money investment board. Additionally, the bill does not preclude us from making budget cuts when examining agency budgets during the next several months, and the Legislature will continue to look at performance based budgeting. Here are the numbers: Individual Income Tax Brackets, Married Filing Jointly Taxable income Tax Year 1992-2012 Current Law Tax year 2016 Sub for HB 2178 Tax year 2017 $0 – $12,500 3.5% 0% 0% $12,501 – $30,000 3.5% 2.7% 2.7% $30,001 – $60,000 6.25% 4.6% 5.25% $60,001 – $100,000 6.45% 4.6% 5.25% $100,001 and above 6.45% 4.6% 5.45% Additionally, the bill would restore full deductibility to medical expenses, which are disallowed under present law. The Department of Revenue estimates that the plan would generate $590 million in additional revenue in Fiscal Year 2018 and $454 million in Fiscal Year 2019. The bill passed on a final action vote of 76 yes and 48 no, reflecting the sense of a large majority of the members that current tax policy must be adjusted to provide a system that is fair, balanced, and adequate without being excessive. The state’s structural imbalance between expenditures and revenues has gone on too long. The state cannot continue to spend more than its revenues, as it has done for several years. Ending balances have been depleted. Hundreds of millions of KDOT funds have been swept. With few options remaining, Governor Brownback has suggested selling the income stream from the tobacco master settlement (approximately $55 million per year in perpetuity) for a one-time up-front payment of approximately $500 million to address the current shortfall. He has also advocated for making reduced KPERS contributions at a level below what is statutorily mandated. And he has proposed liquidating a long-term investment fund, again to make up for revenue shortfalls. The obvious question is why not just cut expenditures if revenues are not adequate? Consider that Sam Brownback, a strong fiscal hawk, has been governor for the past six years. And during that time the appropriations process in the legislature has been directed by strong fiscal hawks as well. They have been looking for unnecessary expenditures and have found places where budgets could be cut. Since 2014, tax receipts have grown by only 0.3 percent, well below the rate of inflation. Breaking it down further, entitlement expenditures (human services caseloads) increased nearly $144 million while all other categories decreased by $127 million. The entitlement programs (Kancare, Medicaid, TANF, and foster care) continue to increase, with little or no opportunity for the legislature to affect that trend, although KanCare was initiated several years ago, in attempt to bend that cost curve downward. In 2010 Kansas had 41,586 state employees, in 2017 we have 36,423 . . . a reduction of more than 5,000. On Friday morning, the Kansas Senate passed an identical tax bill, which means the measure is now on its way to Governor Brownback. The governor has three options: Sign the bill into law Veto the bill and send the legislature back to the drawing board Allow the bill to become law without his signature, ten days after he receives it. I would place very low odds on option one, because the bill radically alters the tax plan that the governor has promoted for the past four years. My hope is that Governor Brownback will accept the will of the people and the intentions of the legislature and allow the bill to become law without his signature. Rescission Budget Bill Passes the House On Thursday of this week the House passed a rescission budget bill to address the $340 million projected shortfall in the budget for the fiscal year ending June 30. The main component of the plan is the liquidation of the state’s long-term investment fund, totaling $362 million. $45 million represents the fund’s capital gains, and the remaining $317 million is the fund’s principal, which will be paid back in six annual installments of $53 million beginning in Fiscal Year 2019. The budget calls for not making the fourth quarter KPERS payment of $86 million, but if projected ending balances are adequate, some portion of the payment may be made. Both of those actions are bad choices. Liquidating the long-term investment fund is like cashing in one’s savings account or IRA to meet current expenses. And delaying payments into KPERS is very unfortunate, given that KPERS has been severely underfunded in the past and recent legislatures have taken steps to move it toward fiscal solvency. But bad as these two choices are, they are necessary given the unstable fiscal situation of state finances. That we must look to these options to keep things going illustrates quite vividly how dire our plight has become. By passing the tax bill and coupling it with the rescission bill, we have taken steps towards sounder financial footing for state government. I voted yes on both measures. Town Hall Meetings Saturday, February 25 8:00 a.am Jake n Chet’s Cafe, WaKeeney 9:30 a.m. Buck’s Bar and Grill, Hill City 11:00 a.m. Bowen Scout House, Hoxie 1:00 p.m. Colby Community College, Colby 2:30 p.m. Buffalo Bill Cultural Center, Oakley 4:00 p.m. Jay Johnson Public Library, Quinter Wednesday, March 1 10:00 a.m. Leoti, location to be announced Saturday, March 4 Scott City and Dighton locations and times to be announced Appearance on WIBW radio On Wednesday, February 22 I will be on WIBW radio at 6:00 a.m. with my friend and colleague, Larry Hibbard (R from Toronto). We will be discussing the current legislative session. You can listen live to WIBW Radio 580 on: FirstStreaming.com (https://tinyurl.com/z7uo9p6) TunedIn Radio (https://tinyurl.com/8xqgzus) Or, on your mobile device with the TunedIn Radio App. Cowboy Logic This week’s installment is actually from Mark Twain, but I found it quoted in the New Year’s letter of my good friend and former colleague, Tom Moxley. I think that qualifies it as cowboy logic: “I have reached the age where the things I remember the most clearly never even happened “. Quote of the day “You are never a loser until you quit trying.” – Mike Ditka Sermon in a sentence “If you can solve your problem, then what is the need of worrying? If you cannot solve your problem, then what is the use of worrying?” – Shantideva

The Consumer Federation of America was on the right track when they established America Saves Week at the end of February– this year February 27 – March 4, 2017. By now, many of us who made resolutions to save money are finding our resolve slowly waning away. And as the Kansas economy tightens up for many families, it becomes even more difficult to try to save.

How can those who currently aren’t saving afford to save money? And how can those saving only a little save more? Here are ten tips from America Saves for saving money when budgets are tight.

1. Find small savings that add up to big savings over time
Keep a careful record of all of your spending for a month. You may be surprised to learn how much you are spending on dining out, daily drinks or snacks, or impulse purchases. One method is to save all your bills and receipts over the month and stack them into categories like “utilities” and “groceries.” If you find a few expenditures you can do without, put that amount into savings.

2. Comparison shop to find the lowest prices
When you compare prices at different stores before making a purchase, you can often find lower prices for necessary purchases — such as food, transportation, and insurance— leaving you more money to save. Bonus tip: Take a list with you to the grocery store and stick to it. This will help you from buying items you don’t need.

3. Limit spending on gifts.
Limit spending for birthdays and holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Friends and family are more likely to appreciate a few well-chosen gifts than a more costly pile of gifts chosen thoughtlessly in a mall shopping spree.

4. Put all your loose change in a savings account.
My husband and I did this over Christmas break. I rolled all the coins that had piled up in a dish on his desk for a little less than a year. His loose change added up to $53 which we tucked away in our savings account. For some people, loose change could add up to over $100 a year. That’s enough to jump start your savings program.

5: Ask your bank or credit union to automatically transfer funds each month from your checking to your savings account.
The easiest and most effective way to save is automatically. Even as little as $10 or $15 a month helps. After all, that’s $120 or $180 a year. Ask your financial institution to automatically transfer a certain amount from your checking account into your savings account at the beginning of each pay period. If you don’t see it, maybe you won’t be tempted to spend it. Paying yourself first is more effective than waiting to save whatever you might have leftover at the end of the month– because too often there may not be anything left to save!

6: Build an emergency fund to avoid having to take out loans to pay for unexpected expenses.
We all have those unplanned expenses– car repairs, a medical bill, a broken washing machine. Saving for emergencies helps you avoid going into debt to deal with the expense. Emergency savings are usually best kept in a savings account, despite the low interest rates these accounts pay, because they are easy to access when you need it. Remember, keep a high enough balance in the account to avoid monthly fees.

7: Avoid using high-interest credit card and payday loans.
Payday loans typically charge interest rates of 500 percent, and the interest rate on credit card debt can run 25 percent. You can save hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dollars a year by paying off these high-cost debts and starting an emergency fund to cover future expenses.

8: See if you qualify for an Earned Income Tax Credit.
Many low- and moderate-income workers qualify for an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) that can be over $1,000, and often more than $2,000. IRS Publication 596 explains how to apply, or you can contact your local tax payer assistance center for in-person help. Even if you haven’t qualified in the past, it is worth considering the EITC each year, especially if your income has dropped, you’ve had a child or other qualifying financial change. Then pay down debt and build savings with at least half of the money you receive from this credit.

9: Split your income tax refund to deposit some directly into savings. Taxpayers who are due to receive a tax refund can direct-deposit a portion of that refund directly into existing savings or investment accounts, or use some of the refund to purchase U.S. Savings Bonds. IRS Form 8888 tells how to split your refund, because if you don’t see it, you may not be as likely to spend it.

10: Take advantage of any matches to retirement savings contributions at work.
Some employers match up to 100 percent of your retirement contributions, others match less. But whatever the amount, if you’re not contributing up to their match, you’re leaving money on the table. Talk to your employer to explore retirement savings options at work.

Looking for more savings tips? Here are over 50 additional tips for reducing spending and increasing savings from the America Saves program: https://americasaves.org/for-savers/make-a-plan-how-to-save-money/54-ways-to-save-money.
Are you ready to make a commitment to save money or pay down debt?

Take the America Saves Pledge to receive emails, text messages, and savings challenges to support and motivate you to save or pay down debt. Consider us your personal savings system. And the best part is it’s completely free. You can connect to America Saves through our Kansas Saves website from K-State Research and Extension. Find the saver’s pledge and other helpful resources at www.kansassaves.org. Happy saving!

Linda K. Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.

As the old quote goes, “There is no honor among thieves.” I have never understood thievery, that blatant act of taking something that does not belong to you. Now I suppose the case can be made that we’ve all stolen at one time or another by taking home a handful of paper clips from the office or snagging a bottle of water from the break room fridge’ that we didn’t actually put there ourselves. But I’m referring to purposely and knowingly making-off with an object or objects belonging to someone else.

When I was a kid I can remember an early morning phone call from the neighbor telling me he had caught someone taking firewood from his woods and telling him that I had given them permission to cut firewood in my woods which was next door. The property line went right through the very middle of the woods, so I guess the guy could have mistakenly been on the wrong side.

But the neighbor Dave found him loading his truck from a stack of firewood cut and neatly stacked there on his side of the woods; something he should have known better than to do even if he had been on the right property. Neighbor Dave was a big guy and a cop in the local town. He later told me he stood and watched as the guy stacked his firewood back on the pile. I worked with the guy and honestly don’t remember if I told him he could cut firewood in my woods, but he later got fired from his job for stealing high-dollar motor parts from our employer.

I’ve been trapping beavers on the McPherson Valley Wetlands outside of town, as they have a main drainage ditch there blocked with a ginormous dam that’s flooding nearby farmland. To gather a little intel’ before I set any traps, I had two trail cameras fastened to a tree overlooking the dam and the main drainage ditch. Its fun to use trail cameras all year long at spots like that just to see what comes out at night, and my cameras were getting numerous pictures of swimming beavers and marauding raccoons.

Last week, however when I went to change the camera chips a second time, both cameras were gone. Now I like to cover all the bases before accusing someone of anything, so I went through all the possible scenarios to explain the cameras disappearance. One was held to the tree with a tiny bungee cord, which, had it broken would have dumped the camera into water below that is quite possibly 5 or 6 feet deep. The tree is a couple feet off the bank, and while holding onto it I stepped into the water below with my chest waders. I was over waist deep and hadn’t hit yet bottom, so that camera could be there somewhere on the bottom of the ditch.

The other camera however was buckled to the tree with a hefty nylon belt that was quite a chore to unbuckle once it was tightened, and the only way to take that camera off the tree was to loosen the belt or cut it with a knife. So, if that camera is at the bottom of the ditch, its disappearance is the same as thievery to me. I’ve had traps there now for a week and when I checked them Friday morning, discovered a trap missing also. Once again, I ran all possible scenarios through my mind, and determined there was absolutely no other explanation for that traps disappearance other than thievery.

This wetlands area is owned by the state and is public land, so the argument could be made that I was simply putting out “dirt bag bait” and asking for my stuff to disappear by using it there. Sorry but I don’t buy that! Using my stuff there doesn’t make it any more someone else’s and any less mine.

I try to give my fellow hunters (and I use that term loosely in this case) the benefit of the doubt and think the best of them, but when things like this happen it erodes my faith in mankind and in my fellow outdoorsmen! Don’t get me wrong I know the vast majority of outdoorsmen are honest, and treat each other and each other’s gear with respect, but just like all other facets of live, the minority can ruin things for the majority. I’m not a vengeful man and don’t wish anyone ill, so bring back my stuff, (yes you know my name and address are on the trap) apologize and convince me you need it more than me and I’ll probably give it to you.

I got pictures from the cameras before they were stolen so the game warden and I will be looking for you, but bring it all back and we’ll talk. Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at [email protected].

By RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

From scholarships to strategies, from volunteers to entrepreneurs, from rural health care to community betterment: All those elements are being supported by the Dane G. Hansen Foundation which is investing deeply and strategically in northwest Kansas.

Betsy Wearing is coordinator of programs, communications, and new initiatives for the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. Betsy was a long-time director of the Greater Salina Community Foundation before joining Hansen.

Last week we learned about successful entrepreneur Dane Hansen. His estate plan provided part of his assets for a foundation in his hometown of Logan to benefit northwest Kansas. A group of excellent trustees has grown those assets through the years.

For decades, the Hansen Foundation has been known for the scholarships it provides to students in northwest Kansas. There are several categories of these renewable college scholarships which can provide a student up to $10,000 per year. Last year 280 total scholarships were made available.

“To get the top level scholarships, the students have to interview with our committee,” Betsy said. Such a process can be nerve-wracking, but is helpful later in life. “The trustees are aware that there are lots of ways to be successful, so we offer career and technical education scholarships and community college transfer scholarships as well.

In addition to scholarships, the foundation is taking some new approaches to assisting northwest Kansas communities and businesses. In 2015, the Hansen Foundation launched a new partnership with K-State Research and Extension to support a community vitality specialist in the region. Nadine Sigle of Osborne now fills that position. She helps communities in various ways, assisting them in participating in such community betterment programs as Kansas PRIDE and First Impressions.

In 2016, the Hansen Foundation launched another initiative for entrepreneurs, businesses, and economic development. It’s called the Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center, Inc. Located in historic downtown Norton, the EICI works on such strategies as succession planning and other ways to create an environment that will attract entrepreneurs and encourage economic health. Scott Sproul, former Norton County economic development director, is president and CEO of EICI.

In addition to these initiatives to build the capacity of communities and businesses in northwest Kansas, the Hansen Foundation is also making funds directly available to these communities. The foundation has helped support and even create community foundations across the region. Every county in northwest Kansas now has some sort of community foundation or philanthropic organization through which funds can flow for community betterment.

The Hansen Foundation has made a huge commitment to these foundations. “We’ve provided $100,000 per county in the last two years,” Betsy said. These dollars were for individual counties to re-grant for local projects. Grant review committees are made up of local residents.

The foundation has also worked to encourage local giving. In March 2015, the foundation offered to match donations to each community foundation, dollar for dollar, up to $50,000 in endowed unrestricted funds. That initiative resulted in more than $1 million in local donations in northwest Kansas.

The community foundations, in turn, can then support local projects for the good of local citizens. These have included such projects as renovating senior centers, repairing swimming pools, reroofing buildings or fixing up city parks. “In the first two years, many of the dollars were used to take care of a lot of deferred maintenance in community infrastructure,” Betsy said. “With a lot of that done now, we can look forward. Now we are asking communities to think strategically about how to use these funds to benefit their future.”

Meanwhile, the Hansen Foundation continues its own grant-making process for worthy purposes in northwest Kansas. Recent grants range from support for the KU School of Medicine in Salina to the preservation of a unique, historic jail in the rural community of Lebanon, population 296 people. Now, that’s rural.

For more information, see www.danehansenfoundation.org.

From scholarships to strategies, from volunteers to entrepreneurs: Many community betterment initiatives are being launched to make a difference in northwest Kansas, thanks to the Dane G. Hansen Foundation of Logan. Just like a building, it all begins with a strong foundation.