KANSAS SAFE AND SECURE SCHOOLS ACT

On Monday, March 19th, the House Appropriations Committee past HB 2773 out of committee and on its way to the full house. The Kansas Safe and Secure Schools Act, a comprehensive approach to making schools safer for our kids by ensuring coordination with schools and local law enforcement to improve school security infrastructure. Principally, HB 2773 would do the following:

1. Coordinate with the Kansas State Board of Education and other agencies to develop statewide standards for safe and secure school buildings.
2. Empower local school districts to coordinate with local law enforcement and emergency management agencies to review and evaluate current building infrastructure policies and procedures.
3. Establish the Safe and Secure Schools Grant Program with funds that can be used for improvements to any facet of the school safety and security plan including infrastructure and training.
4. Provide standardized firearm safety education programs that may be offered by school districts.
5. Appropriate funds to the Department of Education, which will be used for two FTE positions to review and evaluate school safety and security plans. The provisions of this bill would encourage schools to make improvements, such as reinforced doors, additional security cameras, and training opportunities to enhance the overall security of school grounds. The Safe and Secure Schools Act will advance communication between local school districts and law enforcement. A safe and secure learning environment is one of the highest priorities in our state, and this establishes an opportunity for all Kansas school districts. Additionally, for the purposes of promoting the safety and protection of students via education, the State Board of Education would be required to establish curriculum guidelines for a standardized firearm safety education program.

Representative Mastroni would like you to know about the Page Program at the State Capitol. It is an awesome experience for all our young students to know hands-on how the Legislative Branch of the Kansas government works, how laws are introduced, voted on and passed. Students who desire to Page, please call 785-296-7396 for more details. Pages must be between the age of 12 to 17.
I hope to hear from you soon.

OFFICIAL STATE ROCK, MINERAL, GEMSTONE, AND FISH

HB 2650, which would designate the official state rock of Kansas as limestone, the official state mineral as galena, and the official state gemstone as jelinite amber. The bill was brought forward by Casey Friend, a fourth grader attending Trailwood Elementary School in Overland Park, Kansas, who stated that he has always been interested in geology. He conducted his own research to discover that Kansas had no designated official state rock, mineral, and gemstone and therefore wanted to make a change. Friend explained that limestone is commonly found in Kansas, galena attracted a large mining workforce to Kansas, and jelinite amber was discovered in the bedrock near the Smoky Hill River. Jackson Svaty, a nine-year-old from Topeka Collegiate School also testified, principally in support of the state gemstone provisions of the bill. Svaty explained how difficult it is to obtain jelinite amber, as it is only found at the bottom of Kanopolis Lake.

Chris Tymeson, chief legal counsel for the Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism expressed his support for the bill’s passage. He also noted how Kansas is one of four states that has yet to designate a state fish. The committee decided to amend the bill to label the channel catfish as the official state fish, as it is found in almost every body of water in Kansas.

Due to the steps taken to improve transparency of the legislative process, Friend’s classroom was able to watch and listen to their classmate testify before the committee and were even able to experience HB 2650 pass out of committee favorably.

The bill passed the full house on March 22, 2018, and will be in the Governor’s office for his consideration this coming week.

CAITLIN’S LAW

Governor Jeff Colyer M.D. signed Caitlin’s Law on March 9, 2018. Pictured above are Caitlin’s mother, father, and sister along with the legislators that sponsored Caitlin’s Law. Caitlin (24 years old) left her home to drive to the grocery store and was hit by a drunk driver and was killed. The driver had previously been convicted of drunk driving and had an ignition interlock system installed in his vehicle that he had to blow in to start his vehicle. Because of his intoxicated condition, he borrowed a friends car and was driving it when he crashed into Caitlin’s car.

Caitlin’s Law creates two new offenses under the general crimes of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated battery. The law will provide for greater penalties for those who drive under the influence at a time they are not entitled to drive because of a prior offense of driving while under the influence when death or serious injury or dismemberment occur because of a crash. The law will hold those who choose to drive while under the influence and ignore restrictions or elimination of their privilege to drive because of a past instance of driving under the influence, where serious injury or death results, accountable for their behavior.

DROUGHT CONDITIONS, EXECUTIVE ORDER

Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D. signed Executive Order 18-11, which officially declares a Drought Watch. Drought Warning, or Drought Emergency in several counties throughout the state. The order also authorizes and directs agencies to implement appropriate responses under the Governor’s Drought Response Team.

Drought Watch counties: Anderson, Atchison, Bourdon, Brown, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Crawford, Decatur, Doniphan, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Gove, Graham, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Labette, Leavenworth, Linn, Logan, Lyon, Marshall, Miami, Mitchell, Nemaha, Norton, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Rawlins, Republic, Riley, Rooks, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Thomas, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wyandotte.

Drought Warning counties: Allen, Butler, Chautauqua, Chase, Cowley, Dickinson, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Greeley, Greenwood, Harvey, Lane, Lincoln, Marion, McPherson, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Ness, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Trego, Wallace, Wichita, Wilson, Woodson.

Drought Emergency counties: Barber, Barton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Hamilton, Harper, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Meade, Morton, Pawnee, Pratt, Reno, Rice, Sedgwick, Seward, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner.

ECONOMIC INCENTIVES TRANSPARENCY

House Sub. for HB 2572 requires that the Department of Commerce collect data from economic development incentive programs that provide more than $50,000 in annual incentives. This data from multiple years would be stored in a database and would be searchable on the Department’s website. Specific information would be provided, including names or counties and recipients who receive benefits from various programs, including STAR bonds. Descriptions and histories of the programs, along with purpose, goals, and qualifications would also be included. Another component is the program cost and returns on investment. On Thursday, the House Committee of the Whole debated the measure. On Friday, the bill passed the House with a vote of 114-7.

INDUSTRIAL HEMP RESEARCH

The Agriculture Committee heard testimony on SB 263, which would allow the Kansas Department of Agriculture to cultivate and research the uses of industrial hemp. Principally, the research would be conducted in effort to analyze its required soils, growing conditions, harvest methods, and the potential for an industrial hemp market in Kansas. Additionally, a pilot program in Russell County would be established to study its effect on economic development and the development of industrial hemp products. A number of Representatives expressed their support, as well as the Department of Agriculture, the Sierra Club, small businesses, and private citizens. Data was included that showed hemp uses 66% less water than corn, requires virtually no pesticides or fertilizers, and has great potential to improve agricultural and economic activity in rural Kansas. Opponents argued that the provisions of the bill would lead to the legalization of marijuana, while others asserted that this bill would not go far enough concerning hemp.

In March of 2017, the House passed HB 2182 on a vote of 103-18. HB 2182 differs from SB 263, in that SB 263 solely allows the Department of Agriculture, either alone or in coordination wit a state institution of higher education to grow, cultivate, and research industrial hemp. Earlier in February, the Senate approved this bill with a final vote count of 36-3. The committee passed SB 263 this week, and has yet to be considered by the Committee of the Whole.

WILDFIRES

Over the past few weeks, fires have burned across the state, fueled by dangerously dry conditions and strong winds. Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D. issued disaster declarations for the following counties: Barber, Clark, Ellis, Greenwood, Harper, Kingman, Logan, Reno, Smith, and Stevens. On Tuesday, firefighters battled a wildfire in Greenwood County. On Wednesday fires were fought in Wabaunsee County, near I-70 and Vera Road, and in Hamilton County, along the Colorado border. Kansas Army National Guard helicopters delivered water through aerial support for some of the fires.

According to a Wednesday press release from the National Guard, “Approximately 50 fires were reported to the State Emergency Operations Center in Topeka since Monday, burning more than 25,000 acres. Aerial and ground firefighting resources were coordinated by the SEOC through the Kansas Forest Service and Kansas Army National Guard to augment fire suppression efforts by local responders. Soldiers of the Kansas National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation, along with troopers from the Kansas Highway Patrol and personnel from the Kansas Forest Service provided aerial and ground support to local crews battling fires in Ellis and other counties yesterday and the Greenwood County fire today.

The State Emergency Operations Center in Topeka is providing support and coordination of state and federal resources as requested by the counties. County emergency managers may continue to report incidents and request state assistance to augment local response and recovery actions through the state’s 24-hour emergency notification line.

DRIVER’S LICENSE RENEWALS AND VISION SCREENINGS

On Tuesday, March 6, 2018, Rep. Mastroni carried HB2606 onto the floor of the house for debate. The bill specifies the vision test requirements for renewals. A current requirement, that a driver’s license examiner administer an eye exam before the renewal of a driver’s license would be waived under certain conditions: (1) online applicant must be at least 18 years old and less than 50 years old; (2) must certify under penalty of the law that their vision meets requirements in continuing law; (3) must certify under penalty of the law that applicant has received an examination by a licensed ophthalmologist or licensed optometrist within the previous year; and, must authorize the exchange of information (medical and vision) between the Division of Vehicles and applicant’s ophthalmologist or optometrist.

The bill increases the convenience of online renewals. The House approved the bill with a vote of 120-2. The bill is in the Senate and had a hearing on March 15, 2018. No further action at this time.

FLOOR ACTION

HB 2757 – Due process for terminating teachers’ contracts. This bill would grant due-process for Kansas teachers who have completed two to three consecutive years of employment and have been offered a subsequent contract. Final Action, 73-48. Rep. Mastroni voted in favor of the bill. The bill is currently in the Senate Education Committee as of March 9, 2018.

HB 2758 – Publication of school district bullying policies. This bill would require school districts’ anti-bullying plans to include consequences and appropriate remedial action for a person who engages in bullying, cyberbullying, or similar forms of harassment. Additionally, the bill would require a procedure for reporting such bullying, including anonymous reporting. Such plans must be adopted and implemented by the local school board and must be published on the district’s website. Final Action, 120-1. Rep. Mastroni voted in favor of the bill. The bill is in the Senate Education Committee as of March 9, 2018.

HB 2572 – Requiring the department of commerce to create a database of economic development incentive program information. This bill would require the Department of Commerce to establish a database for the purpose of disclosing information pertaining to the state’s economic development incentive programs. Final Action, 114-7. Rep. Mastroni voted in favor of the bill. Bill is currently in the Senate Committee on Assessment and Taxation.

SB 405 – Clarifying animal conversion units for poultry facilities with dry manure systems. This bill would establish the animal unit measurement calculation for chicken facilities that use a dry manure waste system as the number of laying hens or broilers, multiplied by 0.003. The bill would also require a confined chicken facility to obtain a federal permit if the facility uses a dry manure system and confines 125,000 or more broilers or 82,000 or more laying hens. Rep. Mastroni voted in favor of the bill and it was enrolled and presented to the Governor on Friday, March 16, 2018, for his consideration.

HIGHLIGHTS FOR LAST WEEK

• Monday March 12: House Judiciary Committee: Hearings on SB 281 Protection orders for human trafficking victims under the protection from stalking, sexual assault or human trafficking act and SB 309 Providing for the disposition of judicial branch docket fees in FY 2020 and FY 2021: 3:30,
Rm 112-N

• Tuesday March 13: House Federal and State Affairs Committee: Hearing on SB 307 Amendments to the Kansas amusement ride act concerning home-owned amusement rides and agritourism activities: 9:00, Rm 346-S

• Tuesday March 13: House K-12 Education Budget Committee: Hearing on HB2445 Amending the Kansas school equity and enhancement act regarding local option budget provisions, certain weightings, capital outlay expenditures and repealing provisions of the CLASS act: 1:30, Rm 346-S

• Wednesday March 14: House Health and Human Services Committee: Hearing on: SB 312 Licensure of dental therapists: 1:30, Rm 546-S

• Wednesday March 14: House Agriculture Committee: Hearing on SB 263 Creating a program to research the use of industrial hemp: 3:30, Rm 582-N

• Wednesday March 14: House Taxation Committee: Hearings on HB 2569 concerning income taxation; doubling the standard deduction for the tax year 2018 and all tax years thereafter and HB 2761 allowing an individual to itemize deductions in Kansas despite not itemizing on their federal return: 3:30, Rm 346-S

• Friday March 16: HB 2516 – Providing immunity from civil liability for damage to a motor vehicle related to the rescue of a person or animal. The bill creates the law providing immunity under specified circumstances when a person enters a vehicle, by force or otherwise, to remove a vulnerable person or animal.
Final Action, March 15, 122-1

HB 2527 – Creating the crime of unlawful acts involving automated sales suppression devices manufacturing, creating, designing, updating, repairing, using, or possessing certain automated sales suppression device. The bill was requested for introduction by the Kansas Department of Revenue. Final Action, March 15, 123-0

SB 335 – Including savings and loan associations and savings banks in the state banking code and repealing the savings and loan code. The bill amends and creates the law to incorporate savings and loan associations and savings banks into the State Banking Code. Existing Savings and Loan Code is repealed. The bill was requested for introduction in the Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee by the Kansas Bankers Association. The House Committee on Financial Institutions and Pensions Committee amended the bill to clarify references to mutual banks.

Friday March 16: Joint Meeting of the House K-12 Education Budget Committee and Senate Select Committee on Education Finance: Presentation on Dr. Lori Taylor’s Cost Study by Jeff King and Curtis Tideman, Attorneys: 1:00, Rm 346-S.

THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

* Monday, March 19: Appropriations:
Discussion on HB 2773 – Creating the Kansas safe and secure schools act.
Discussion on HB 2468 – Appropriation revisions for FY 2018 and FY 2019 for various state agencies.

* Monday, March 19: Financial Institutions and Pensions:
HB 2698 – Establishing the Kansas children’s savings account program.

* Monday, March 19:
Joint K-12 Education Budget: Education Finance Presentation on: Dr. Lori Taylor and Jason Willis will present the overview of Dr. Taylor’s study. NOTE: starts at 12:00 p.m.

* Tuesday, March 20: Federal and State Affairs:
Hearing on HB 2687 – Creating the adoption protection act (proponents).

* Wednesday, March 21: Federal and State Affairs:
Hearing on HB 2687 – Creating the adoption protection act (opponents).

* Wednesday, March 21: K-12 Education Budget:
Informational Presentation by Commissioner Randy Watson and the State Department of Education on the following policy items included in the Governor’s budget proposal: increase of 150 school counselors, social workers, and school psychologists statewide; offering every Kansas high school student the choice of taking either the ACT college entrance exam or the WorkKeys assessments; and the education superhighway.

* Thursday, March 22: Water and Environment: Effects of Kansas Wildfires.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Rep. Leonard Mastroni, R-LaCrosse, 117th House Dist.
State Capitol Building
300 SW 10th – Room 167-W
Topeka, Ks 66612
Phone: 785-296-7396
[email protected]
Legislative Hotline 1-800-432-3924

 

A common question that I get from producers across the state is should they be adding cover crops into their crop rotation to improve soil health. The answer to that is not a simple yes or no. It really depends on the producer and what they are trying to accomplish with a cover crop. Also the environment that they are in and the specific field itself can be a determining factor.

There are several benefits to using cover crops, even in western Kansas.

If you are a livestock producer grazing covers can provide high quality forage at times when other quality forages may not available. One such scenario would be grazing a late summer cover crop that was planted after wheat harvest. Normally our native range pastures are on a downward trend, in both quality and quantity during that time of the year and covers can really help fill that void. Planting one in the early spring can provide quality livestock forage in the late spring, early summer. Both of these scenarios reduces the grazing pressure on the native range and provides the pastures some rest during critical growth periods. This helps the native grasses be more healthy and productive in the long run.

Cover crops can also help with weed suppression.

Studies have shown that a timely planted cover can decrease both weed emergence and the overall weed biomass in a field. The key to making this work is that that the cover crop has to be planted and growing before any of the targeted weeds have emerged. So timing is critical to making this work. For example, if we are trying to suppress kochia we would need to have the cover crop planted in late winter or early spring and have moisture available to get it to emerge and grow. If the weeds emerge before, or with the cover crop, weed suppression will be compromised.

The one question that you really need to ask before planting cover crops is will it be profitable for my operation? Can I get enough economic gain from grazing, weed suppression or other benefits, including soil health benefits, to make more money then I already am with the system I’m currently using? You want look at the both the short and long term costs and benefits and compare it to what you are already doing.

Cover crops are not a silver bullet that will fix any and all soil health issues. They are just another tool in the toolbox that may work for some producers but not for others. There are other soil health practices, like nutrient management, no-till, crop rotation and others that may be a better fit for some producers.

If you are new to using cover crops I suggest that you start small and experiment to figure out what might work for you before implementing it on a large scale. Seek out others in your area that are using cover crops and ask what they are doing to make it work for them.

For more information about soil health practices you can contact me at [email protected] or any local NRCS office.

Dale Younker is a Soil Health Specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Jetmore.

Like moths, miners and marksmen, our Republican legislature has been busy making holes this session. Voters should be paying attention. One hole cost about $200,000 to buy a tool that legislators could use to bury the idea that spending more money was necessary for public K-12 education. Instead it appears that their contract led to findings that homegrown critical analyses, past studies and the Kansas Supreme Court have all in one way and another discovered the same thing Dr. Taylor found — Kansas doesn’t spend enough to get the outcome its politicians rhetorically demand because of the requirements they perennially reject. In digging the analytic hole, legislators have been buried under a mountain of reality.

The second hole antagonistically and bizarrely also relates to education. While deliberations on the questions of school finance are now focused on the consultant’s report, the legislature has also debated questions surrounding schools, gun violence and the hoary conservative shibboleths surrounding the 2nd Amendment. In typical Red State America fashion the strongest legislative preference appears to continue to endorse the Old West solution to quelling violence by assuring a plentiful supply of gunslingers.

The Republicans in the statehouse now “own” both of these issues. The Republican majority in the legislature voted to hire Dr. Taylor from Texas A&M to do the school finance analysis in order to buttress their pushback against the education lobby, Democrats and the state Supreme Court for more money to public schools. Now, they have the news from the consultant’s report that Kansas schools overall spend their money with a remarkably high 96% efficiency, currently have an 86% graduation rate, are on the path to 89% graduation in the next couple of years, and will need to spend two billion more to meet Sam Brownback’s endorsed goal of 95% by 2022, Senate President Susan Wagle has declared that the required spending level is a fiscal and political impossibility. She adds, ominously, that other state supported programs and services will have to be slashed to achieve more for K-12. This is the dog whistle to all other interests invested in state support to get down here and help prevent us (the current, election year legislature) from hurting ourselves again.

On the gun side, we have Senator Ty Masterson asserting that events like the Florida high school shooting, while tragic, were provoking widespread irrationality and overreaction among those seeking tighter gun control measures. In managing committee discussion on several bills to restrict gun accessibility, Masterson’s efforts resulted in two bills being sent on for floor debate. One prevents adjudicated domestic abusers from possessing firearms, and the other recognizes permits for concealed carry gun possession issued by other states. Amendments regarding ownership waiting periods, banning of bump stocks, raising the age of gun ownership and three dozen others were beaten back. Unofficially, it appears that gun control in Kansas should include something like, “A well-regulated faculty being necessary to the security of our teaching institutions, the rights of teachers to bear arms, shall be encouraged.” If you have no qualms concerning teacher martyrdom to suppress school gun violence be sure to vote for the right Republican this August and again in November.

For the rest of us, we’ll watch the development of these holes which could figuratively bury the future of the state of Kansas.

Dr. Mark Peterson teaches political science at the college level in Topeka.

By RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

Step inside the door. As you enter this store, you’re surrounded by quality products, and the tasty aroma of baking cinnamon rolls and frying chicken wafts over you. That’s the vision of the owners of a new locally-owned grocery store in northeast Kansas. They’re seeking to create an experience with smells and tastes that might remind you of Grandma’s house.

Carly Whorton is manager and co-owner of Cecil K’s Hometown Market which opened on Feb. 28, 2018 in Holton. Carly and her cousin Chad Bontrager grew up at Holton. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics at K-State. After graduation, she went to work for a software company in Texas, but she knew that she wanted her own business.

Carly took a year off to travel overseas. Then she got a call from her cousin Chad. The local grocery store in Holton had closed some months ago. Chad was interested in opening a new store there, and wanted Carly to partner with him.

The timing was perfect. “He offered me full creative freedom to design the new store,” Carly said, so she took the position. “I feel like everything I’ve done has helped prepare me for this,” she said.

As a teenager, Carly had worked at the previous grocery store in this building. When that store closed, all the equipment and furnishings had been removed, so the new owners were starting from scratch. Carly threw herself into the work. Her design included new flooring, shelving, coolers and freezers, plus new display cases for the deli, produce, meat and seafood, and more.

The previous owner had hired a painter to paint Jackson County farm scenes on the walls. Not only did Carly and Chad save those scenes, they designed the store in such a way that the murals stand out more than ever. For some customers, it was the first time that they noticed them.

What should the store be named? “Cecil Kern is Chad’s and my great-grandfather,” Carly said. “He and his wife Lottie ran a grocery store down in Iola before moving back here.” Carly and Chad decided to name the new store Cecil K’s in his honor. “Grandma teared up when we first shared this with her,” Carly said.

“Cecil and Lottie farmed and had a big vegetable garden,” Carly said. “People told me that they remember going to his place to get produce.” Now those people are coming to get produce and other products from a new store named in his honor. Cecil’s farm was located near the rural community of Denison, population 187 people. Now, that’s rural.

The store is clean and bright. New, rustic-looking checkout stations were built.

Full service is a major theme of the store. The cashier unloads the carts. Workers bag the groceries and carry them to the customer’s car. The meat counter customizes and hand cuts meat for the customer. The bakery department takes custom cake orders and will decorate cakes while you wait.

“The response from the community has been awesome,” Carly said. “There were 20 people waiting outside at 7 a.m. on the first day we opened.” Total sales on the first day doubled what their grocery supplier had predicted. “We’ve had so many thank yous. The community couldn’t have provided us with a warmer welcome.”

Behind the scenes, the new owners invested in top technology. “We gauge customer demand in real time using the analytics in our computer system,” Carly said. The sophisticated refrigeration monitoring system is called Einstein. In the future, the store owners hope to implement online shopping, curbside pickup, and grocery delivery. The center of the store features a wide aisle which could accommodate a farmers market, local products, or special events.

“We want to create a luxurious, friendly experience that people can look forward to,” Carly said. For more information, find Cecil K’s Hometown Market on Facebook.

We commend Carly Whorton, Chad Bontrager and all those involved with Cecil K’s Hometown Market for making a difference with their commitment to the rural grocery business. They are creating an experience like a wonderful trip to Grandma’s.

While K-12 finance, a budget and taxes are all consuming oxygen in the Statehouse, gun legislation is locked and loaded and ready for a House-Senate shootout in which just one major policy change is apparently ready to be approved. But there is another piece of gun legislation which might move to center stage.

The apparently agreed-to issue is to prevent people who have been convicted of misdemeanors for domestic violence within the past five years from having guns, along with those who are under court order to stop stalking, harassing or threatening an “intimate partner, child or child of an intimate partner.”

Now, that may be as far as legislators are ready to go this year. No prohibition of those bump stocks which turn a semi-automatic rifle into a machine gun that can fire off multiple bullets with just one trigger pull, no new limits on carrying concealed weapons on college campuses.

And…so far, no action in either chamber on what could become the center point of gun safety, the so-called “red flag” law, which some other states have enacted after a series of mass shootings. That red flag business is interesting, and there are versions of the bill in both the House and Senate which haven’t gotten hearings yet.

Key to the red flag is that if friends or relatives or other close acquaintances notice a dramatic change in the behavior of a gun owner—maybe a tragedy has happened or there has been an emotional or other significant change in behavior—they can make a complaint to a judge and the judge can order that the person’s guns and ammunition can be seized.

It’s just a temporary deal, with the subject of the complaint getting the chance for a quick evaluation to determine whether he/she does present a danger to himself or others, and if there is no problem, the person gets the guns and ammo back. That’s something that can happen within a couple weeks.

It’s a “prove you aren’t dangerous” standard that proponents believe will prevent suicides or other dangerous use of weapons. The red flag is just a way to improve the chances that a tragedy can be prevented. But it’s not making any progress yet and might not this year.

It’s not quite as simple as Kansas-made gun silencers or bump stocks or those throwing stars that some are OK with people carrying around as long as they don’t threaten anyone with them.

Pre-emptive gun bills are a little tougher to sell because, well, they’re pre-emptive, messing with the constitutional right to bear arms. If that crazy guy next door wants his guns, it’s OK as long as he/she doesn’t hurt anyone…until they do.

With a red flag law, that Second Amendment right to have guns gets interrupted, and that’s a tough choice for responsible gun owners who aren’t a danger to anything except targets and maybe a rabbit or deer or two. A major change in mental capacity or emotional stress probably means more than if, after an icky divorce, an ex-spouse with that major change just acts out by buying a red convertible or maybe those shirts designed to be worn untucked.

Every time someone who even Second Amendment activists don’t think should have a gun shoots him/herself, or others, well, it just puts more anti-gun stories in the newspapers and on TV and threatens some wider gun restrictions.

See the problem here? It’s how to essentially mess around with a constitutional right that the writers of the Constitution didn’t think of more than 200 years ago. If they’d thought of adding the word “safe” or “competent” or something similar, well, things would be a lot different.

But they didn’t, and things aren’t.

So, let’s watch this one.

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

Hello from Topeka and it was great to see moisture over much of the area the first of the week.  Although we can use more, we thank the Good Lord for providing much needed precipitation.

At the end of last week, the much-anticipated report was received on funding from K-12 education.  There were some numbers that were not correct in coming up with the total dollars the study said was needed, but by all indications it shows it could be as much as $2 billion dollars over the next several years. We will know more as the next few days progress on what the legislature will do in sending a response to the Kansas Supreme Court, I think it is going to be difficult to find the votes for a major tax increase this year. There continues to be speculation of additional income taxes or property taxes levied to provide additional money.  As a member of the tax committee, there have been several proposals but not much support for anything currently.

One of the bills which has been given a lot of attention was SB 405, which is clarifying animal conversion units for poultry facilities with dry manure systems. The bill would establish the animal unit measurement calculation for chicken facilities that use a dry manure waste system as the number of laying hens or broilers, multiplied by 0.003.  The bill would also require a confined chicken facility to obtain a federal permit if the facility uses a dry manure system and confines 125,000 or more broilers or 82,000 or more laying hens.  It may not be a perfect bill, but it is a first step if communities want to pursue poultry operations. It passed by a vote of 84-37, I voted yes.

Also last week, the Agriculture Committee heard testimony on SB 263, which would allow the Kansas Department of Agriculture to cultivate and research the uses of industrial hemp.  Principally, the research would be conducted in effort to analyze its required soils, growing conditions, harvest methods, and the potential for an industrial hemp market in Kansas.  Additionally, a pilot program in Russell County would be established to study its effect on economic development and the development of industrial hemp products.  Representatives Willie Dove, Steven Johnson, and Troy Waymaster expressed their support, as well as the Department of Agriculture, the Sierra Club, small businesses, and private citizens.  Data was included that showed hemp uses 66% less water than corn, requires virtually no pesticides or fertilizers, and has great potential to improve agricultural and economic activity in rural Kansas.  Opponents argued that the provisions of the bill would lead to the legalization of marijuana, while others asserted that this bill would not go far enough concerning hemp.

In March of 2017, the House passed HB 2182 on a vote of 103-18.  HB 2182 differs from SB 263, in that SB 263 solely allows the Department of Agriculture, either alone or in coordination with a state institution of higher education to grow, cultivate, and research industrial hemp.  Earlier in February, the Senate approved this bill with a final vote count of 36-3.  The committee passed SB 263 this week and has yet to be considered by the full house.

The Kansas House recognized the Kansas Small Business Development Center’s 2018 Businesses of the Year with House Resolution 6051.   The resolution was sponsored by 75 members of the House.  The resolution noted that the mission of the Kansas Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is to, “increase economic prosperity in Kansas by helping entrepreneurs and small business owners start and grow their businesses through professional consulting and training, and the identification of appropriate resources.  The Kansas SBDC choose seven Emerging Businesses of the Year, seven Existing Businesses of the Year, and two Exporting Businesses of the Year award recipients.

The 2018 Kansas SBDC Emerging Businesses of the Year are: BellaRose Boutique and Tanning Salon, LLC in Burlington, owned by Lindsay Beyer; Lost Creek Supply in Kensington, owned by Kaid Baumann; Angel Competition Bikinis, LLC in Lenexa, owned by Karah and Lauren Beeves; HMC Performance Coatings in Tonganoxie, owned by Shawn and Amie Bristol; Root Coffeehouse in Pittsburg, owned by Lindsey and Trent King; Advantage Marketing in Wichita, owned by Cori Kohlmeier and Amy Hoefer; and Sugar Creek Country Store in St. Marys, owned by Dan Hohman.

The 2018 Kansas SBDC Existing Businesses of the Year are: Radius Brewing Company, LLC in Emporia, owned by Justin Bays, Jeremy Johns and Chad Swift; KYVZ Radio in Atwood, owned by Joe Vysourek; KC Restoration, LLC in Olathe, owned by Bill and LeAnn Luemmen; KEAdvisors in Lawrence, owned by Keith Ely; LaHarpe Telephone Company, Inc. in LaHarpe, owned by Harry Lee, Joyce Lee and Carol Higginbotham; T & B Towing, LLC in Liberal, owned by Ty Rader; Overstock Art, LLC in Wichita, owned by David Sasson; and Wabaunsee County Signal-Enterprise in Alma, owned by Lori Daniel.

The 2018 Kansas SBDC Exporting Businesses of the Year are: Double D Family Mat Shop, Inc. in Park, owned by Dale and Dena Goetz; and Northwind Technical Services, LLC in Sabetha, owned by Mike and Marlene Bosworth.

My office is now on the 5th floor at 512-N.  The phone number stays the same. Please feel free to reach out with concerns and questions, I will do my best to respond it a timely manner. My phone number is (785) 296-7463 and email is: [email protected], my cell number is (785) 302-8416. You can also check out kenforkansas.com.

It is my honor to be your representative.

The personal letter may soon go the way of the dinosaur or the Edsel automobile – extinction.

Maybe because of the time it takes to write a hand-written letter, this type of communication isn’t as popular as it once was. That’s why people who receive such letters cherish them so.

The best letters are hand-written with a fountain pen. Sometimes the handwriting is smooth with the letters beautifully shaped and spaced.

My mother wrote letters filled with such penmanship. Legibility marked her every word.

As Mom grew older, her writing became a bit less beautiful. I used to become a little melancholy when I’d see the envelope she’s addressed to me arrive in the mail. But once I opened the envelope and began reading, my mood changed to joy.

My mother wrote a wonderful letter – filled with news about what Dad and she were doing. Whether they’d received rain. Father Walshe’s Sunday sermon or the condition of her garden.

It was jam-packed with details and provided me with updates about my family and their animals. I learned about my aunts and uncles, neighbors I grew up with, or how many quarts of tomatoes she’d finished canning for the upcoming winter.

Once upon a time, a letter was sent as a personal message from one person to another. It’s unfortunate more of us don’t communicate this way anymore.

I consider it a real gift to receive a letter written in conversational form intended just for me.

A couple weeks ago, I received such a letter from a friend in Sedgwick County, Kent Winter, who farms northwest of Wichita near Andale. The envelope was also penned in Winter’s hand.

The letter opened with (salutation), “Good morning John,” and continued in his easy, flowing style. The message of the letter focused on Kent’s oldest son, Alan, and news of his education in the seminary at St. Michael’s Abbey in Silverado, Calif. Alan continues in the preliminary phase of becoming a member of the Norbertine Order.

Consider the news about his son Kent related to me in just this one paragraph. Think about how much else I learned in his entire message to me.

Personal letters are special. I have a box of them tucked away in my birch- wood desk in the study of our home. Another bunch of contemporary letters clutter one of the kitchen drawers where our portable phone sometimes hides out.

A treasured letter will last a lifetime. Letters are a form of communication that allow the writer to reveal some of his/her most personal thoughts. These thoughts may be critiqued and scrutinized time and time again before some letters are even mailed.

In a letter the subject matter is specific. Individual topics may be addressed. The writer’s personal self surfaces in a hand-written letter.

Often, people write from their hearts, as well as their minds, in their letters. What may appear trite to a disinterested third party makes sense to the person who receives the personal message.

Personal letters may not make sense to anyone else, but the two parties involved usually understand every word, sentence, paragraph and page. And, oh, how wonderful it is to sit down in your favorite chair and read through a personal letter intended just for you.

If you are one of those people who enjoy receiving a hand-written letter, think of how one of your close friends or loved ones might enjoy hearing from you in the same form.

Write to someone you know and care about soon. Let’s keep this personal form of communication alive.

Better yet, lets revitalize a treasured tradition.

Sincerely,

John L. Schlageck

Doing laundry probably tops the list of the most frequent household tasks, so anything to make the chore easier is certainly welcome. While single-load liquid laundry packets offer lots of ease and convenience, these highly concentrated doses of detergent can be harmful if swallowed or splashed in the eyes of children.

This week is National Poison Prevention Week (March 18-24, 2018), a time when the American Cleaning Institute reminds parents and caregivers to store liquid laundry packets up and out of the reach of children.

The packets have been called “pretty poisons”– a term poison control centers use for look-alike products that look like something good to eat or drink to a child but which can be harmful if tasted, swallowed, or gotten on the skin or in the eyes. The packets often resemble candy or juice, and are the perfect size for a young child to grab and put in his mouth.

The health risks have been around nearly as long as the laundry packets themselves. Tide, for example, began selling its pods in February 2012. About a year later, federal consumer safety officials were compelled to warn families that children find such packets appealing.

In a study reported in Pediatrics, laundry detergent packets were identified as the biggest contributor to hospitalizations and serious medical issues among any other kind of detergent poisoning. Last year, poison control center received 10,585 reports of children 5 or younger being exposed to the packets. In the first two months of 2018, so far there have been reports of 1,194 exposures by young children, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. (Note: The term “exposure” means someone has had contact with the substance in some way; for example, ingested, inhaled, absorbed by the skin or eyes, etc. Not all exposures are poisonings or overdoses.)

While unintentional misuse by children five and under accounts for the majority of laundry packet cases, a recent trend among teenagers ingesting the packets— and uploading videos to social media— has caused significant concern among poison control centers.

In January and the first half of February 2018, poison control centers handled 191 cases in which teenagers were intentionally exposed to the detergent packets. The American Association of Poison Control Centers reports there were 53 such cases in 2017 and 39 cases in 2016.

The companies that make the packets use different formulas, but one thing is clear: they contain more than just soap. Highly concentrated detergent and a variety of chemicals are inside, depending on the brand. A dissolvable covering holds it all together. The chemicals can cause severe burns to the mouth, esophagus or respiratory tract, and some very young and very old patients with cognitive issues have been rushed to emergency rooms or even died as a result of eating the packets.

Manufacturers of laundry packets have taken steps to improve the product’s safety such as making the packaging opaque so children cannot see inside the packets and adding a bitter taste to the packet’s film covering. In addition, the packets have been revamped to withstand the pressure of a child squeezing it and prominent warnings are now stamped on packaging along with contact information for the Poison Control Centers, in case of accidental exposure.

An American Cleaning Institute national survey revealed 61 percent of parents stored laundry packets in sight or in reach of young children. That is why they created the PACKETS UP safety initiative to help reduce accidents related to liquid laundry packets.

Families can prevent possible poisonings by following a few easy- but critical- safety measures. Laundry packets should be stored in their original packaging, with the label intact, and placed up high, out of reach and out of sight of toddlers and young children. It also is important to use laundry packets as directed and be sure to seal and put the package away immediately after use. Consumers can find more information at the ACI website: www.PACKETSUP.com.

Contact the Hays or Great Bend offices of the Cottonwood Extension District for a free PACKETS UP cling containing a safety reminder from the American Cleaning Institute.

Don’t let a “pretty poison” cause a tragedy for your children. Put packets up for accident prevention.

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

Friend,

Last week, Governor Jeff Colyer declared a drought for all 105 counties in Kansas. With his declaration the state will deploy their disaster relief efforts for our farmers and ranchers.

Currently, there are 66 counties experiencing severe or extreme drought levels. These dry temperatures devastate our crops, and affect our livestock. And when our lands get this dry, we know far too well the other consequence, wildfires. I want to thank all of those that have worked to provide aid to our communities. During these tough times we must stick together.

STOP School Violence Act

The Preamble of the U.S. Constitution states that we as a nation need to “Provide for the Common Defense.” This past Wednesday, the House of Representatives is holding true to this principle by unanimously passing the STOP School Violence Act.

This bill provides funding for prevention training that will help students and staff recognize and respond quickly to warning signs of a possible attack.

The STOP School Violence Act goes beyond keeping our schools safe, this bill will help our communities work together to identify threats in all public spaces, like airports, stadiums, malls etc. Our children, educators, and officers will now have the resources to report and better understand the warning signs. We as a nation, will be much safer with this law.

It also provides funds for technology and equipment to drastically improve school security and would create an anonymous reporting system via mobile apps, a hot-line, and a website where people can report or provide tips about individuals they believe may commit an act of violence.

We must identify threats and prevent violence with training, coordination, and intervention. I think regardless of party affiliation we all share the same goal of a safer America, and this is a great step towards that.

Small Businesses Flourish

According to the National Federation of Independent Business, the small business optimism index rose to one of the highest levels we’ve seen in nearly 50 years. Small business owners are more confident than ever in today’s economy, and we want to continue to reduce the regulatory and financial burdens that startups and entrepreneurs in the Big First face as they start and grow a business.

The Small Business Committee held a markup of six bills on Wednesday of this week, which would amend the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act. As a cosponsor of two of these bills, H.R. 4743, the Small Business 7(a) Lending Oversight Reform Act, and H.R. 3170, the Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act, I was pleased to see that all six of the bills passed unanimously out of Committee. The two bills that I cosponsored aim to help small businesses more easily access capital, and enable entrepreneurs to gain training needed to protect their sensitive information from cyberattacks. More information on all 6 bills can be found here.

Section 199a Tax Glitch Fix

I am pleased to see the National Grain and Feed Association and the National Council for Farmer Cooperatives announce a technical fix to the tax code that inadvertently provided incentives for farmers and ranchers to do business with certain business structures and not others. I’m hopeful the fix will be included in the omnibus appropriations bill the House is set to vote on this week. The fix will ensure that the benefits of the December tax reform package are positive for all business types and that the federal government doesn’t pick winners and losers through the tax code. You can read more about that item here: :https://www.ngfa.org/press-releases/ncfc-ngfa-joint-statement-legislation-resolve-section-199a-tax-cuts-jobs-act/

Kansan in the State Department

Mr. Mike Pompeo, who has very close ties to our state, was just appointed last week as our new Secretary of State. I am proud and excited to see Mr. Pompeo represent our values and interests overseas. His more than qualified track record and experience will make him an excellent Secretary of State, and I will fully support him in his challenging but utmost important task of heading our country’s foreign policy, diplomacy and national security.

Back in Kansas

I had the pleasure this past week to visit some outstanding Kansas innovators, energy producers, state leaders and others working hard every day to help Kansas lead in new ideas, advanced research, the economy, and job growth.

I also met with ethanol producers and agriculture industry leaders at the Kansas Ethanol LLC facility to discuss the preservation of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and current Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) structure.

In the discussion, producers made it clear that a cap on RINs would have serious implications on the Big First District. Ethanol not only benefits Kansas farmers but provides a higher-octane, cleaner-burning fuel alternative for drivers across the country. These discussions between ethanol producers and refiners must lead to a win-win solution for both industries.

 

By JOHN P. TRETBAR

Kansas oil producers set another unwelcome record last year. According to the Kansas Geological Survey, total oil production in the state reached 35.82 million barrels. That includes an additional of 2.85 million barrels in December. The total is over two million barrels less than last year and marks the lowest annual production since 2005.

Ellis County continues to lead the way with an additional 213,000 barrels in December for a yearly total of 2.64 million barrels. Next comes Haskell County with 2.45 million barrels for the year. Barton County was next, with an annual total of 1.699 million barrels. Finney County had total production last year of 1.63 million barrels. Russell County’s total for the year was 1.599 million barrels. Stafford County brought its total for last year to 1.049 million barrels of crude.

Here are the annual totals for the top ten producing counties in Kansas:
Ellis County: 2.643 million barrels
Haskell County 2.453 million barrels
Barton County: 1.699 million barrels
Finney County: 1.636 million barrels
Russell County: 1.599 million barrels
Rooks County: 1.592 million barrels
Ness County: 1.484 million barrels
Stafford County: 1.049 million barrels
Harper County: 996,000 barrels
Barber County: 948,000 barrels
(Source: Kansas Geological Survey)

Operators filed 50 permits for drilling at new locations across the state last week, 27 east of Wichita and 23 in western Kansas, including one permit each in Ellis and Stafford counties. So far this year we’ve seen 333 new permits filed. Operators filed 145 new drilling permits across Kansas in February.

Independent Oil & Gas Service notes 29 new well completions over the last week in Kansas, 339 so far this year. There were 18 completed wells reported in eastern Kansas, and 11 west of Wichita, including one dry hole in Barton County. Independent reported 136 new well completions across the state last month.

Baker Hughes reported 990 active drilling rigs across the US last week, up four oil rigs and one gas rig. In Canada there was another seasonal drop, down 54 to 219 active drilling rigs. Independent Oil & Gas Service reports 15 active rigs in eastern Kansas, up six, and 26 west of Wichita, which is down one for the week. Operators report drilling ahead on two leases in Stafford County. They’re moving in completion tools at two sites in Barton County, four in Ellis County, two in Russell County and one in Stafford County

The Kansas Geological Society recognized and named five new oil fields in Kansas during a meeting last month. That’s five so far this year, including the Beran South Field in Barton County.

Injured oil-field workers in Oklahoma can now sue well operators for injuries suffered on a drilling rig. That’s according to a ruling from the Oklahoma Supreme Court. A law under court challenge said operators could be sued only in worker’s compensation court, and not in civil court. Justices called that unconstitutional, a “special law,” that gives preferential treatment to oil rig operators.

The boom in Texas shale production, along with displaced homeowners after Hurricane Harvey, have prompted a nearly ten percent growth in hotel revenue in Texas. The consulting firm Source Strategies tells the San Antonio Express News that the lodging industry reaped $10.9 billion in revenue last year, up from $10 billion the year before. About one fourth of that was generated by residents affected by the Harvey storm system. But the consultant asserts that the booming oil and gas sector would have propelled hotel receipts upward without the storm.

A lingering problem for heavy crude producers in Canada may be coming to an end. Analysis by Bloomberg shows the discount of Canadian crude to the near-month contract for WTI is about $25/bbl. But contracts for later delivery are trading at less than $20 below the US benchmark. Canadian prices have plummeted because of pipeline slowdowns and the lack of other transportation options.

Reuters is reporting at least 11 major oil companies have agreed to buy back billions of dollars worth of stock. The list includes Chevron, Devon Energy, Hess Corp and Noble Energy. Companies have reportedly committed to buy back about $3.6 billion in stock shares since February.

Lawmakers in North Dakota this week unanimously agreed to tighten requirements for royalties as well as oil and gas spills. The Department of Mineral Resources said the 43 changes would require what it called “sundry” notices for spills not responded to with adequate resources, as well as site assessments before and after reclamation if necessary, and changes in royalty information statement requirements.

Russia plans to sharply increase fuel exports and carve out a larger share of the European market. Reuters reports the initiative follows a rigorous $55 billion refit of the country’s refineries. Russia embarked on a modernization of its biggest refineries in 2011 following a fuel shortage crisis. That modernization is ongoing. It has already led to a surge in output of light oil products, including diesel fuel exports that have hurt European refineries’ margins.

The annual small business recognition awards ceremony was held last week for 17 deserving Kansas businesses.

From northwest Kansas two awards were given. The Export Business of the Year was awarded to Double D Family Mat Shop, Inc., owned by Dale and Dena Goetz of Park, KS. Goetz started his own feedlot business outside Park in 1993. Their business started with Dena making doormats from sidewalls of car tires. Dale heard of a feed yard that had poured concrete in front of the cattle chutes and the cattle were slipping and getting hurt on the slick concrete. Dale thought about the rubber doormats and came up with the idea of stitching the tire treads on hand together to make a large mat. This proved to work for the feed yard, was environmentally friendly and a way to re-use old tires. Goetz has a patent-pending on a Sled‘n’Sling that will allow livestock handlers to move injured animals in a safe and humane way. This family business exports its products to places like Canada and Australia.

Honored for an existing business of the year was KYVZ Radio. Joe and Becca Vyzourek of Atwood own and operate KYVZ radio. Back in September of 2013, Joe set out in his quest to start a radio station. Through much adversity and with a great deal of patience on March 16, 2016, the only locally owned and operated radio station in western Kansas and southwest Nebraska, was on air. Joe reports that one of his biggest accomplishments in becoming an entrepreneur is the ability to give back to his community through support of area projects and having the ability to donate to local clubs and businesses. Joe hopes to expand his radio station in the future so people will have access to his station online and through smart phones.

Tuesday, I testified before the House Fed and State committee on the Home-owned Amusement Ride bill. The bill is scheduled to be worked either Monday or Tuesday and I hope it will get to the floor this week.

HB2476 was passed out of the Senate last week. This bill would allow licensed microbrewers in the State to produce beer containing up to 15% alcohol by weight. Current law prohibits microbrewers from producing beer with more than 10% alcohol by weight. A microbrewery licensee would be allowed to sell beer manufactured by the licensee in refillable and sealable containers to consumers for off-premises consumption if the containers do not contain less than 12 fluid ounces or more than 64 fluid ounces of beer. Licensees would be required to affix labels to all containers sold, which would include the licensee’s name, the name and the type of beer in the container.

There were two gun bills passed out of the Senate last week. HB 2145 would prohibit gun ownership to those convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense within the last 5 years. HB 2145 would also amend state law by adding throwing star with the intent to harm as a crime. Before this amendment, an individual could be held accountable for simply possessing a throwing star. This amendment clarifies that individuals can only be held accountable if they possess a throwing star and have intent to harm another person.

HB 2042 allows for the recognition of out-of-state concealed carry permits. HB 2042 requires individuals with out-of-state concealed carry permits to abide by Kansas law while in the state.

True Facts: Since President Trump’s time in office the United States has 2 million less people on food stamps.

It is my honor and pleasure to represent the 40^th Senate District. Please contact me at 785 296-7399 with your suggestions or concerns.

 

Troy L. Waymaster, State Representative, 109^th Kansas House

March 19, 2018

Kansas Safe and Secure Schools Act

On Tuesday, March 6, the Republican House Leadership, including myself, unveiled House Bill 2773, referred to as the Kansas Safe and Secure Schools Act.  This act is a comprehensive approach to make schools safer for our children by ensuring a coordination with schools and law enforcement to improve school security infrastructure.

The bill encourages the Kansas State Board of Education and other agencies to develop statewide standards for school buildings to be safe and secure.  In addition, the bill will also empower local school districts to coordinate with local law enforcement, establish the Safe and Secure Schools Grant Program to be used for improvements, provide standardized firearm safety education that may be offered to school districts, and appropriate funding for the Department of Education to evaluate school safety and security plans.

The details of this bill would encourage schools to make improvements, such as reinforced doors, additional security cameras, and provide training opportunities to enhance the overall safety and security of our schools.

The House Appropriations Committee held a hearing on House Bill 2773 on Friday, March 16, with the intent of working the bill on Monday, March 19.

Education Deadline Approaches

Late Thursday, March 15, the comprehensive K-12 education study by Lori Taylor from Texas A&M University was released to the Kansas Legislature.  There has been much expectation on what this study would conclude, namely the amount that needs to been funded for K-12 education, especially since the Kansas Supreme Court rendered its opinion of the unconstitutionally of the funding mechanism on October 2, 2017.  Leadership decided that the attorneys for the House and the Senate would evaluate the study and then have the details publicly released to a joint hearing with the House and Senate Education committees on Friday, March 16, at 1:30 pm.  Lori Taylor is expected to present her study on Monday, March 19, to the House Education Budget Committee.

Appropriations Committee

Last week in the Appropriations Committee, we continued the budget reports from the respective budget committees and held several bill hearings.  The major bill that we had a hearing on was Wednesday with House Bill 2468, which will ultimately become the budget bill for the Appropriations Committee.  We also had a bill hearing on House Bill 2747, which would abolish the division of post audit with the Legislature and instead create a post audit division within the office of the State Treasurer.

The committee also continued our budget analyses on budgets from certain state agencies and departments.  We needed to finish the budget report outs so we can then begin work on the final supplemental budget bill for fiscal years 2018 and 2019.  Some of the budgets we heard from were the Kansas Water Office, the Department of Children and Families, and the Department of Education.

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.