Friends,

Friday I voted against H.R. 5, the (IN)Equality Act. This bill might be the most irresponsible and least thought out legislation I’ve seen in my tenure in Congress. It allows males who self-identify as females the right to use the same bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, domestic violence shelters, and prisons as females. It also and forces doctors to perform abortions and transgender surgeries.

As a doctor and a Christian, I have been taught to show compassion, tolerance, and respect to all. This legislation does the exact opposite and is in direct contradiction to Kansas values.

In other news, last week the President unveiled his plan to modernize America’s legal immigration system to secure the southern border. I look forward to reviewing it and am glad to see that we are again bringing awareness to the crisis at our border and talking about solutions.

NO vote on the IN’ Equality Act
I heard from many of you week, and one thing is clear- Kansans know this legislation for what it is, an ‘IN’equality Act that will threaten the safety of millions. This legislation makes many changes to the law, each one worse than the last.

It entitles males who self-identify as females the right to use the same bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, domestic violence shelters, and prisons as women or girls. All federally funded entities would be forced to interpret “sex” as including multiple and fluid gender identities. The act also requires no medical or legal changes, but rather “gender identity” be reliant on the person’s self-identified gender. This bill would violate the privacy of women and men.

As a physician that’s delivered thousands of babies, I was horrified to find out that this legislation would force doctors and health care providers to perform abortions and be faced with harsh consequences. Christian schools would be legally forced to adapt their faith to the whims of the Government’s beliefs.

I want to thank all of you who have called my office to voice your thoughts on this legislation and am like many of you outraged by this bill that will harm men women and children.

‘Hoppy’ to have Kansas Brewers in Town
Beer is a product of agriculture, and breweries are just another perfect examples of what agriculture and small businesses contribute to the national economy and local communities. Whether it’s on the ranch, in the field, or the brewery, Kansas produces some high-quality brews.

I had the great pleasure of meeting with the Kansas Brewers Association here in Washington. I recently stopped in to check out the Radius Brewing Company in Emporia. I had the chance to sit down and catch up with the owner of Radius Brewing, JJ, here in DC to discuss the beer brewing industry. As a member of the Small Brewers Caucus, I know the value of having local breweries like Radius Brewing in our communities.

National Woman’s Health Week
I cannot stress enough the importance of a healthy diet. In my previous role as an OBGYN, nutrition and medicine went hand in hand in caring for patients. I want to take a moment to talk about some nutritious everyday steps that can be taken to encourage healthy living.

Calcium and vitamin D are both essential for building and maintaining bone strength throughout your lives. With nutritious foods and calcium-rich diets, women can help prevent the onset of debilitating diseases, such as osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is incredibly dangerous considering there are no symptoms until a fracture occurs. That’s why physicians run tests for measuring bone mass to predict fracture risk. Dairy products are a great natural source of calcium, and for the vitamin D just get out and get yourselves some sunshine, with sunscreen of course!

National Infrastructure Week
Last week was National Infrastructure Week, and in almost every meeting I took the need for an infrastructure package was raised. From maintaining our roads, bridges, and railways so that we can get our commodities to market, to expanding broadband access in rural communities, there is a lot of work to be done. Rural America faces unique challenges when it comes to infrastructure investments, however they are critical as we continue to grow the rural economy. These are true investments for our children and grandchildren’s sake, and vital for the communities across my district!

Celebrating ‘Colonel’ Bob Dole
Last week we celebrated my friend, mentor and legendary Kansan, Bob Dole for his recent honorary promotion to Colonel this week.

In his own words, he is now a “full bird colonel!” Read more about his honorary promotion HERE.

‘American Hero’
Great Work Ethan!
Join me in congratulating Ethan Beckman for his winning submission for the “I Like Ike” Congressional Art Competition.

Ethan, a junior at Wheatland High School in Grainfield, Kansas, submitted his original piece honoring our 34th president, Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Ethan’s submission, titled “American Hero” depicts solider, Dwight D Eisenhower, in front of an American flag and will be hanging in the capitol for the next year. Great work, Ethan!

Supporting Diabetes Research
As a supporter of robust funding for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, I understand the importance of preventing and managing one of America’s most common, costly, and chronic diseases. Diabetes can affect anyone, all races, ages, and regions are susceptible, and the economic costs of the disease continue to rise.

I am proud to have joined hundreds of my fellow colleagues in signing on in support of reauthorizing the Special Diabetes Program (SDP). The SDP funds research into diabetes and is making meaningful progress in developing new insights and therapies that are improving the lives of those suffering with diabetes. I fully support funding the SDP and am optimistic about the work that they are doing.

To view the letter, click here.

National Police Week
This past week we showed our appreciation to all the men and women and K-9’s who protect and serve our communities as we celebrate National Police Week.

Our law enforcement officers are on the front lines of combating the opioid epidemic, human trafficking, and domestic violence in our state. We must continue to support our more than 7,500 law enforcement officers across Kansas and law enforcement officers across the country and acknowledge the risk they put themselves in to keep our communities safe. I know these risk far too well as a son of a Sheriff. I want to also thank my father, who was the Chief of Police and Fire Chief in El Dorado, Kansas for nearly 25 years.

Thank you to all of our police officers.

Eisenhower Women’s Leadership Visit
On Tuesday, we hosted a night tour with members of the 2018-19 Eisenhower Women’s Leadership Series. On the tour, we spoke with them about the legislative process and some of my top legislative priorities.

This year’s participants included a member of our own team, someone you’re probably familiar with, our District Director Katie Sawyer. The Eisenhower Series is a six-month leadership program for women across Kansas to learn more about local, state, and federal policy and stay involved in political issues. Participants travel the state, meeting with stakeholders in various industries and end the class with a trip to Washington D.C. where they meet with members of our delegation. Programs like these are excellent at teaching Kansans how to be more influential and engaged in the legislative process.

Innovative Cancer Treatments
I spoke to a group of research scientists about the progress on immunotherapies, specifically Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies. These are innovative cancer treatments that work by engineering a patients’ own immune cells to recognize and fight off life-threatening cancer cells. These therapies are the first of their kind and have only recently been approved by the FDA within the last two years.

These treatments stand to be potentially much less demanding on patients bodies, possibly not even requiring inpatient hospitalization in the future! I recently led a letter to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to recognize these treatment options for our Medicare patients. I am proud to carry the torch to ensure America’s seniors have access to the best new treatments to fight their cancer.

For more information, you can find my press release here.

Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the First District Kansas Congressman.

By MARK TALLMAN
Kansas Association of School Boards

It’s graduation season in Kansas. In high school gyms and college stadiums, in family living rooms and all-night parties, we’re celebrating those who have put in the work to complete a credential: a high school diploma, technical certificate or college degree.

That is appropriate because each education step usually has a big impact on future standard of living. The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that each step in the educational ladder increases employment and earnings. As would be expected, the reverse is true of poverty: each educational level lowers the chances of living in poverty.

Graduation is a sign of accomplishment. Completing twelve years of “formal schooling” used to be rather unusual. In 1940, the earliest year U.S. census information is available, only about one-third of Kansans (and Americans) had a high school diploma. Completing a four-year degree was quite rare: only five percent of the population had a bachelor’s degree in 1940.

Despite frequent criticisms that our school system is failing and programs have stagnated, Kansas educational attainment has continually improved. I can trace this in my own family history. In 1940, my parents were children. When I entered school in the 1960s, about half the population had a high school diploma. When my children were beginning school in the 1980s and 1990s, about 75 percent had completed high school; as my eldest granddaughter celebrates her “promotion” from preschool to kindergarten next fall, it’s over 90 percent.

Likewise, when my parents graduated from Fort Hays State University in the late 1950s, less than 10 percent of the population had a four-year degree; when I graduated from college in the 1980s it had only recently passed 15 percent; when my children earned degrees in the 2000s they were joining about 25 percent of the population; and today about one-third of adults have a four-year degree or higher.

By these long-term standards, educational attainment in Kansas has never been higher. There are short-term advances, as well. Since 2010, when Kansas and most other states began using the “adjusted cohort graduation rate” calculation, the overall percentage of Kansas students who graduate “on time” in four years rose from 80.7 percent to 87.3 percent in 2018. (This doesn’t count students who complete high school in more than four years or earn an equivalency.) Crucially, most subgroups of students who have lower graduation rates – those eligible for free and reduced lunch, disabled, African American and Hispanic students and English Language Learners – made even more progress, narrowing the gaps among groups.

There is good news on postsecondary graduation, as well. According to the Kansas Board of Regents Vision 2020 Progress Report, the total number of degrees or certificates awarded by public technical and community colleges and universities increased from 37,462 in 2010 to 43,843 in 2018, an increase of 17 percent, although total enrollment has actually declined.

Colleges and universities report graduation rates in two ways. First, the percentage of students who graduate in the expected time to complete a degree (two years for community colleges and four years for universities). Second, the percentage who take 50 percent longer: within three years for community colleges and six years for universities. Kansas community college and universities have increased both rates. Overall first-to-second year retention rates have also improved.

The enrollment of students in college and universities by racial and ethnic groups is similar to the overall population. Increasing numbers of students are enrolling and earning credit for postsecondary courses while in high school, which experts believe will further increase the rate of successful degree completion. The number of adults with previous prior credit but no degree returning to college has also increased.

Furthermore, Kansas compares favorably with the nation on many of these measures. Kansas’ average adjusted cohort graduation rate (percent graduating high school in four years) from 2011 to 2017 is 17^th in the nation; the percent of 18-24-year-old Kansans with any postsecondary education ranks 11^th.

Despite these improvements, Kansas is still struggling to keep up with needs. Economic experts predict that over 70 percent of future Kansas jobs will require a credential beyond high school. Currently, approximately 65 percent of Kansans over age 24 have some postsecondary experience, but that includes those who have not completed a degree or certificate. The Board of Regents estimates that Kansas will need an additional 5,000 bachelor’s degrees and 8,000 technical certificates and associate degrees by 2020 to meet that demand.

The Kansas State Board of Education has developed a measure called the Postsecondary Effective Rate for Kansas school districts, which looks at the percentage of each class of seniors that have both graduated from high school and either completed a degree or certificate or are enrolled in a postsecondary program within two years of graduation. Because of this two-year lag, the most recent data was for 2016, when the effective rate was 48.9 percent, up from 44.5 percent in 2012 but still far below the target of 70-75 percent.

Finally, although Kansas ranks high nationally in education attainment, there is evidence other states have been improving faster in recent years.

So, while Kansans are celebrating the achievement of graduates at all levels this spring, it is important to remember those who have not been as successful and redouble efforts to help them. That is a particularly important charge to school leaders after the Kansas Supreme Court and Legislature have directed significant new resources to help exactly those students. Let’s commit now to have many more students and families celebrating next year.

Mark Tallman is the Associate Executive Director for Advocacy for the Kansas Association of School Boards.

By JACKIE MUNDT
Pratt County farmer and rancher

I have never been able to bring myself to wear jeans to church. It might seem antiquated but putting on a nice dress before heading to Sunday service makes me feel like my grandmother is smiling down on me. I understand God does not care what you wear, and “Sunday Best” is no longer in fashion. This choice of wardrobe is my own way of showing respect and humility to God and His church.

As our culture evolves, so do the rules of what is acceptable, proper etiquette. Many rules of how to be proper or polite were cemented during previous generations. They are no longer expected or required.
However, good manners will never be completely forgotten. Etiquette continues to have a place in the modern world. It is just no longer expected. What were once rules have become a choice we make, a way to show respect, deference, humility, kindness and any number of other positive regards.

When I reflect on my choice to conform to proper etiquette, it is part of my character, my brand and my style. Etiquette is not a set of rules that leave me in a constant state of fear of making a mistake. I see it as a set of reminders to be kind, not to make a scene and try to make others feel comfortable.

The Collegiate Farm Bureau Chapter at our local community college has a tradition of hosting an etiquette dinner at the start of finals week for sophomores graduating from the agriculture department. I serve as the hostess for the evening’s three-course, narrated meal. During the meal, I share the rules of etiquette – how to recognize the proper fork, eat a dinner roll properly, when it is appropriate to put your elbows on the table, and to pass the salt and pepper together because they are “married.”

None of these are vital rules but they all have a purpose. They make the meal move smoothly, help participants feel more comfortable or keep the focus on good conversation. Understanding the guidelines helps turn situations that are often met with trepidation or unease into a fun and enjoyable events.

Etiquette is not meant to be a scoreboard to track who is breaking the rules. It is a way to conduct yourself, so people enjoy your company. We all can benefit from that reminder.

If you find yourself lamenting a rule of etiquette that seems to have been dismissed as a relic, ask yourself: Do you miss it because it was drilled into your head that it is proper behavior or is it something that brings value to your actions?

If there is value in the practice, be a trendsetter. Take pride in the knowledge you are living by a standard that is slightly more than what is expected. People will always notice when you are kinder than you need to be, more respectful than is deserved and humbler than you should be.

Good manners and proper etiquette will never go out of style. Don’t worry about what is proper or what other people are doing. Make the conscious choice to do what is kind, gracious or respectful to the world around you and you can be confident you have nailed etiquette in the modern world.

“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.

By JOHN P. TRETBAR

Saudi Arabia is blaming saboteurs for damage to two of its oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, in attacks it said posed a threat to shipping and the security of global oil supplies. Four tankers were targeted overall, as tensions with Iran escalated. Officials in the U.A.E. called it a “sabotage attack” that took place near a strategic port Sunday.

A senior source at Saudi Arabia’s ministry of energy told CNN Business that the attacks were particularly alarming because the tankers were targeted outside the Strait of Hormuz. One of the two Saudi vessels was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude oil to be delivered to customers in the United States. A Norwegian tanker suffered hull damage after being struck by an unknown object at the waterline, according to that ship’s managers.

Weekly crude oil production figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed a slight decline from the previous week’s record high. Total production reached 12.176 million barrels per day for the week ending May 3, a drop of about a 100-thousand barrels per day.

Crude oil inventories dipped by about four million barrels. E.I.A. says that at 466.6 million barrels, stockpiles are roughly equal to the five-year seasonal average.

The government says crude oil imports averaged 6.7 million barrels per day for the week through May 3, down by 721,000 barrels per day from the week before. The four-week average is about 15% below the same four-week period a year ago.

U.S. Gasoline inventories are about two percent below the five year seasonal average, after dropping 600,000 barrels.

Independent Oil and Gas Service reported only slight changes in its weekly drilling rig count in Kansas. There are four active drilling rigs east of Wichita, which is unchanged, and 24 in Western Kansas, which is down one. Baker Hughes reported 988 active rigs across the U.S., down two drilling rigs exploring for oil. The count in New Mexico was down four rigs, Texas was up one, and Oklahoma was up two. Canada reported 63 active rigs, which was up two from the week before.

Independent reported eleven wells completed last week, four in eastern Kansas and seven west of Wichita. That’s 562 new completions so far this year.

Regulators approved 14 permits for drilling at new locations in Kansas over the last week, two east of Wichita and 12 in the western half of the state. That’s 318 drilling permits so far this year. There was one new permit filed in Barton County, two in Ellis County and one in Russell County.

A company that came to Oklahoma when it acquired another firm’s Mississippian Lime holdings in Oklahoma and Kansas in 2012 has agreed to a merger with a Houston firm and will move back to Texas. Midstates Petroleum agreed to the all-stock deal with Amplify Energy, according to reporting in the Daily Oklahoman. Amplify works oil and natural gas properties in the Rockies, offshore California, Louisiana, as well as eastern and southern Texas. Midstates produces primarily from the Mississippian Lime play in northern Oklahoma.

Crude oil production as reported to the Railroad Commission of Texas for February 2019 topped out at just under 90 million barrels, compared to over 96 million barrels in February of last year. This year’s February total averaged 3.2 million [[“three point two million”]] barrels per day from 176-thousand oil wells.

US refineries have increased crude-oil imports from Iraq, Nigeria, Brazil and Angola, as a result of supply cuts of sour crude from Iran and Venezuela. That’s according to a report from Reuters Monday. May imports from those countries are expected to come in at about 1.23 million barrels per day, which is more than double April’s haul. The bump in imports from those nations versus the prior month reflects reduced supply from Venezuela and Iran due to U.S. sanctions, as well as declining OPEC production that has cut availability of heavy and medium sour grades.

Petroleum and petroleum product deliveries by rail continue to outpace last year in the U.S. and Canada. According to the Association of American Railroads, U.S. oil-by-rail shipments totaled 12,231 rail cars for the week ending May 4, which is an increase of more than 34% over last year. The total so far this year is up more than 24% above the total at the same time last year. Canada’s oil-by-rail shipments were up 36% for the period.

A federal judge has sent back to North Dakota state court a lawsuit alleging the environmental group Greenpeace conspired against the Dakota Access oil pipeline. Texas-based pipeline developer Energy Transfer Partners maintains Greenpeace and others should be held responsible for trying to disrupt pipeline construction and damage the company’s reputation and finances. Greenpeace accuses ETP of using the legal system to bully critics. The environmental group has already prevailed in federal court on the racketeering claims brought by the pipeline company. But the two sides agreed to the latest move back to state court on the remaining allegations, and U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland recently signed off on it.

Just one day after clinching a win in the very public takeover battle for Anadarko Petroleum, executives at Occidental Petroleum survived a proxy fight during that company’s annual general meeting in Houston. Bloomberg reported that CEO Vicki Hollub defended her $38 billion pursuit of Anadarko. Her defiance capped a hectic four weeks, during which her two-year quest to buy the company became public knowledge. Chevron walked away from the fight after Oxy topped Chevron’s $33 billion merger agreement.

Statehouse insiders are already thinking ahead to next session and whether the near-certain veto of a tax-cut bill now on the governor’s desk is actually a political gift to lawmakers.

What? No tax cut this year? How can that be good?

Well, it will be. And here’s why.

First, it gives Republicans something to gripe about all summer, and into next winter, when the House and Senate both stand for election, and they’re going to want something to show their constituents that they got for them. We all like legislators who get us something we want, whether it’s legalizing crossing the highway on your ATV…or maybe a tax cut.

And remember that memories are relatively short while you’re in the voting booth or standing at the tall TV trays in the voting place checking off names on the ballot.

That crossing the highway on your ATV (that’s un-licensed All-Terrain Vehicle for us city folks who don’t have one or don’t have room in the garage for one if we even wanted one)?  It’s also on the governor’s desk, House Bill 2248: For those of you who want to get T-shirts printed up it is likely to be signed into law. Expect a Statehouse rally by ATV owners? Even for the diehard off-roaders it’s probably not going to cost any legislators seeking reelection a vote.

That’s a gift for all but that handful of legislators who cast a vote for their ATV-riding constituents can pridefully tell their ATV-issue voters (who generally crossed those highways anyway but can do it legally now) that they fought for them. Not much of a fight; 110 House members and 39 Senate members voted for the bill.

Now, that’s nice, but what if the governor, as expected, vetoes the half-price tax cut bill that lawmakers sent her after she vetoed the jumbo tax-cut bill which sent most of that cut to corporations which do business in foreign countries?

Well, it means that those tax-cutting legislators get another chance to vote for tax cuts in an election year when it’s going to be recalled and a major campaign issue while most voters will remember the fight and can congratulate that tax-cut Statehouse crowd at the polling place.

A veto this year on the bill sets up the best campaign issue legislators can wish for next session.

And while a tax cut is political candy, the real fight is again going to be how next year’s state tax-cut effort (or, for conservatives, returning the state tax increases that the federal government’s tax cuts, that they liked, caused) will be targeted.

It can be either an income tax cut for low-income Kansans or a reduction in the state’s sales tax on groceries or a gift for upper middle-income Kansas taxpayers.  But probably not a big a major reduction for those corporations with substantial overseas earnings which saw their state tax bills rise while their federal tax bills shrank.

Those corporations don’t vote, their employees do. So, whose name do you put on the tax-cut gift card? Probably voters. It’ll cost candidates some contributions from corporations, but not votes. The political decision next year comes down to whether a candidate’s constituents want food sales taxes or income taxes cut, or some sharing of the revenue shortfall that the state will see from either choice.

Governors don’t generally hold photo-ops when they sign a veto report, but there’s always the chance that the tax-cut champions might want to stand behind her at her desk, rending their garments as she signs the veto message that sets them up for an election year trophy with next session’s tax cut effort.

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