The article “Making it more complicated,” published by the Hays Post, contained numerous factual errors. This article is wrong, inaccurate and misleading.
Kansas has not “turned over management of Medicaid” to a company called Maximus. Kansas has never provided health care in “local Medicaid offices.”
Kansas didn’t “adopt” something called KanCare. KanCare is the state’s managed care Medicaid program overseen by the state and administered by three managed care organizations under contract, none of which is Maximus. So far KanCare has saved state taxpayers close to $2 billion while at the same time adding about 45,000 beneficiaries to the Medicaid rolls in Kansas. Health outcomes for Medicaid beneficiaries in Kansas, in particular those with chronic illnesses and those with disabilities, are significantly better under KanCare than they were under the old system.
Medicaid, which is funded by the federal government based on state spending on the program, has nothing to do with federal deficit reduction legislation. Nothing.
The state acknowledges that there is an ongoing problem with Medicaid eligibility determination for those applying for long-term care. The state is working diligently to straighten out this situation, which is impacting some of the most vulnerable Kansans. But Mr. Clinkscales’ article provided no insight into the matter, and no doubt served to confuse and frighten anyone planning to apply for Medicaid, in particular the elderly.
Raising revenue is tough, especially in red states.
Kansas tax receipts nose-dived between 2013 and 2016, placing great pressures on public services. The 2017 income tax revisions have staunched the bleeding, and revenues have consistently exceeded estimates since July, to the tune of $275 million. That is good news, and it may well reflect a major revenue rebound for the state.
Burdett Loomis, Professor, Political Science, College of Liberal Arts and Science, University of Kansas
First, revenue increases have proved resilient and real, in part because the state never had a clear understanding of how many independent businesses actually had their income taxes cut to zero. The conventional estimate was 330,000, but subsequent analysis indicates that the number was more than 400,000. Hence, returning these firms to the tax rolls captures more revenue.
Second, recent federal income tax cuts will likely provide a substantial windfall for Kansas tax collectors. The most important change doubles the standard deduction, thus assuring that far fewer federal returns will include itemized deductions. To date, Kansas has not increased its standard deduction, so more income is subject to Kansas taxation, to the tune of more than $500 million over the next three years.
The sigh of relief you can hear in Topeka comes from legislators’ anticipation that these revenue streams will allow them to address school funding without raising taxes. While some legislators will seek to “return the windfall,” as in 1989, retaining current rates will make it easier for the Legislature to comply with the Supreme Court’s mandate.
Moreover, the state has huge needs beyond school finance, from funding KPERS to adequately maintaining roads to ending the onerous sales tax on food to supporting KanCare, foster care, and the prison system. Legislators are unlikely to raise taxes further, but for Kansas to meet its obligations more funding is essential.
Bets and Bongs.
Two simple truths: (1) many Kansans bet on sporting events and/or smoke marijuana; and (2) these common activities produce virtually no funds for the state. Rather, they cost Kansas tens of millions of dollars in law enforcement expenses and the forgone revenues of underground economies.
Americans’ views on legalizing both marijuana and sports betting have grown far more positive over the past quarter century. In 1990, the public backed sports betting at a 41 percent rate and legalized marijuana at just 16 percent; in 2017, the respective figures were 56 percent (gambling) and, remarkably, 81 percent (marijuana).
Legalizing these behaviors would generate real revenues, but marijuana, both recreational and medical, is the clear winner. By one estimate, national legalization would provide $132 billion in revenues and create about a million jobs if it were in place by 2025. Sports betting, while offering reasonable gains, trails far behind; still, states could help fill their coffers with no increase in taxes, simply by legalizing this everyday activity.
While the data are thin, the downsides for both these changes appear modest. Increased marijuana consumption tends to reduce alcohol consumption, with its many negative effects, from auto accidents to domestic abuse. In addition, there has never been a documented death from overconsumption of marijuana; nor is it a feared “gateway” to more potent drugs.
Over the next few years, Kansas can enhance revenues and direct spending toward major issues, all the while it enhances education, responds to citizens’ preferences, and re-directs law enforcement resources to toward important public safety issues.
Seriously, what’s not to like?
Burdett Loomis is an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Kansas.
In 2006, I moved my grandmother from Fort Worth, Texas to Hays, Kansas so that I could care for her more directly. In Texas, she was under a health management organization (HMO). Without getting into the specifics, it was a terrible system.
I was so thrilled to move my grandmother to Kansas where she would be on traditional Medicare A and B plans, but I had to enroll her in Medicare D and obtain a supplemental insurance policy for her as well.
At the point of the move, my grandmother was 92-years-old. Little did I know that she would be with me for another four years, but that is another story.
At 92 years of age, my grandmother was hard of hearing and her eyesight was very poor. When she would try to write out a check, it was hard to figure out what she had written, and typically she used the wrong line on the check. That is when I started taking care of her affairs.
She had asked that I make arrangements to get her enrolled in the Medicare programs. Medicare D was new. It was the first time that I had to enroll for anyone. I got on the phone with someone from Medicare.gov. Being a lawyer, of course I waited until the last minute (December 31). I spent the next almost two hours on the phone going through my grandmother’s medications and what would be the best plan for her. I cannot imagine that my grandmother could have ever done that. I pushed multiple buttons and had to make more option choices along the way. It simply would have been way too complicated for her.
I wish I could relate to you that life has been streamlined for seniors. It has not. I suppose that is why I do what I do.
At the time I am writing this article, I just read an editorial piece. As you may or may not be aware, a few years ago Kansas adopted something called KanCare. KanCare basically turned over management of Medicaid to a private agency. The company is called Maximus. Local Medicaid offices were closed and they were centralized in Topeka.
Guess what the result has been? Not only is service more frustrating, and time-consuming, there are fewer people on going on Medicaid. According to the article in the Kansas City Star, the number of seniors that KanCare covers for in-home nursing home health has actually declined. So has the number of Kansans covered for nursing home beds.
According to the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging, seniors are getting frustrated, as are the poor or declining in health, becoming defeated by the process and just giving up. (“Kansas City Star”, February 26, 2018, page 6A).
I remember years ago there was a law passed called the Deficit Reduction Act. It changed a lot of laws dealing with Medicaid. Part of the “savings” was a line item built in for the number of people who would just give up or die before they could get qualified. What a way to save money.
If I sound frustrated, it is because I am. The system needs to be fixed.
At the very least, I would urge that the local offices be reopened so that the poor and infirmed can deal directly with a person, and not deal with a computer or a telephone operating system.
Let me go back to my grandmother for a moment. I spent almost two hours on the phone with somebody from Medicare.gov. The woman, on New Years’ Eve, was incredibly helpful. She did help my grandmother get on a good plan, and I am still grateful for her guidance.
I know navigating the system can be complicated. Do not be afraid to seek help. You will be glad you did.
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.
Linda Beech, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, Cottonwood District, Kansas State Research and Extension.
Getting into exercise isn’t always easy with today’s hectic lifestyles, but Walk Kansas from K-State Research and Extension could provide a solution.
Walk Kansas, which runs from March 18 to May 12 this year, is not a competition- there are no winners or losers. The goals is for all participants to be successful in adding or increasing exercise with a team format. Teams consist of six members with one serving as captain. Teams can select one of three fitness challenges to accumulate 150 minutes of exercise per week or more.
This year for the first time, participants will learn about the 8 Wonders of Kansas for the basic challenge as they log the minutes they’ve walked each week.
The 8 Wonders include such places as the Kansas Cosmosphere, Monument Rock and Castle Rock, and the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and the Flint Hills. These places were identified through a contest series organized by the Kansas Sampler Foundation to inspire awareness of the beauty and value in Kansas, and to encourage travel.
Walk Kansas participants don’t actually walk to those places, but as they log the exercise minutes they’ve walked in their own neighborhoods, they learn about those iconic sites around Kansas.
“The program is for all fitness levels,” said Sharolyn Jackson, Walk Kansas program coordinator. “Whether you never walk around the block or your idea of a great afternoon is a three-mile hike, this program helps you work toward or maintain a healthy lifestyle. Plus, it can connect you with friends, colleagues at work, or family members as you log miles together as part of a six-person team.”
Walk Kansas is supported by many K-State Research and Extension offices around the state. The cost for participants is $8 with an optional Walk Kansas t-shirt available at an extra charge. Team are encouraged to get registered by March 15th.
Since the launch of Walk Kansas in 2001, thousands of Kansans have walked millions of miles at almost no cost, but the benefits are huge, Jackson said, adding that study after study has shown that walking and other forms of moderate exercise can cut rates of heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease by at least 40 percent. After eight weeks, many participants say they sleep better and have more energy, endurance, muscle strength, and flexibility.
And it’s not just about walking. Through the eight weeks, participants can enjoy local events and receive a weekly e-newsletter with tips on healthy eating, stretching, strength training, mental and physical well-being and recipes. Walk Kansas also counts minutes of other activities such as swimming, bicycling and dancing, for those who prefer other activities to walking. The idea is just to get moving and work together to keep moving.
State of Kansas employees can earn four Health Quest credits for participating in the program. Information on how to claim the credits will be available at the end of the program.
More information is available at www.walkkansas.org or by contacting the offices of the Cottonwood Extension district in Hays at 785-628-9430 or Great Bend at 620-793-1910.
Linda K. Beech is Cottonwood District Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.
The Midyear Meeting of the Kansas Independent Oil & Gas Association is scheduled April 18-20 in McPherson. Sponsorship forms and trade-show contracts are available at their website (www.kioga.org) and are due by next Thursday, March 15th. The event will feature a tour of the CHS Refinery, an educational outreach program called “Petro Pro Class,” some great food, plus sporting clays and golf tournaments.
The Kansas Geological Survey says the state’s energy operators produced nearly three million barrels of crude in November of last year. The total statewide for the year through November was 32.97 million barrels. Ellis County led the way with a total through November of 2.43 million barrels, adding 223,000. Haskell and Finney counties were next. Then Barton County with 1.562 million barrels through November, an additional 147,000 barrels. Russell County added 129,000 barrels for an 11-month total of 1.46 million. Stafford County added another 92,000 barrels to bring its cumulative total to 963,000 barrels.
Baker Hughes reported 981 active drilling rigs across the US last week, up three. The count in Canada fell by four to 302 active drilling rigs. Independent Oil & Gas Service reported a more than 21% drop in Kansas: seven east of Wichita, down five, and 22 in western Kansas, down three. Operators report drilling about to commence at one site in Barton County and three in Stafford County.
Operators filed 31 permits to drill at new locations across Kansas last week, 12 in the eastern half of the state and 19 west of Wichita. There are two new permits in Stafford County. Independent Oil & Gas Service reported 35 new well completions for the week, 15 east of Wichita and 20 in western Kansas, including one in Barton County, three in Ellis County and one in Stafford County.
The Kansas Corporation Commission reports 146 intent-to-drill notices filed across the state during the month of February, including four in Barton County, three in Ellis County and seven in Stafford County.
Oklahoma regulators hope to reduce the number of earthquakes, mostly too small to be felt, in the so-called SCOOP and STACK plays. They blame fracking for the smaller quakes in those areas, where wells produce much less wastewater than those in northern Oklahoma. Oklahoma Corporation Commission officials argue that the threat of induced quakes from fracking and other completion activity is much smaller than the threat linked to wastewater disposal. But, under the new rules, if a tremor of magnitude 2.0 or greater is detected, the producer must take action. If the tremor is over 2.5, they must pause fracking operations for at least six hours.
A new study by the energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie asserts that booming US shale oil production will soon overwhelm our current refining capacity, and suggests that within five years, three-fourths of our additional production will be exported to Europe and Asia. Reuters reported that the additional oil could also bottleneck at Gulf Coast ports unless new infrastructure is built.
Revised numbers from the government show the US set an all-time crude production record last November: 10.057 million barrels per day, beating out the prior record set in November of 1970.
Texas energy regulators say total crude oil production in the state last year topped 1 billion barrels and daily production in December was 5 percent higher year-on-year. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reported the number of drilled, but uncompleted wells rose 4 percent in the Permian shale between December and January and more than doubled year-on-year, far outpacing the rest of the country.
A trade group in Texas reported the state’s oil and gas industry paid just over $11 billion in state and local taxes and royalties last year. The Texas Oil & Gas Association translates that into $30 million a day for the state’s schools, universities, roads, and first responders. Public school districts received $1.1 billion in property taxes for the fiscal year. TxOGA says counties received $336 million.
In Washington state, a project to build a massive oil-by-rail terminal officially ended last week when the project’s developers and the Port of Vancouver terminated the lease for a site along the Columbia River. Vancouver Energy said it would not appeal the Governor’s decision to reject a permit for the terminal, and said it would donate its $100,000 March lease payment to a fund that helps local nonprofits.
What’s billed as the biggest bribery trial in history opened briefly Monday, but has been postponed until May. Prosecutors in Italy charge oil majors Shell and Eni, and some of their executives, in connection with a $1.1 billion bribery scheme to win one of Nigeria’s most lucrative oil blocks.
According to Reuters, people were audibly gasping when Royal Dutch Shell bid more than $343 million for nine Mexican offshore oil blocks last month. What they didn’t know was that six months earlier, Shell had struck a giant oil reservoir in adjoining US waters. Shell didn’t tell anyone about the so-called “Whale” well until after the auction. The Whale could contain upwards of 700 million barrels of oil, about half of Shell’s production last year, and is likely one of the biggest discoveries in the industry in the last ten years.
John Schlageck writes for the Kansas Farm Bureau.Every seasoned Kansan knows we live in smack-dab in the middle of tornado alley. The Heartland of America boasts one of the most tornado active regions in the world.
If you’re like me, you’ll never forget May 4, 2007. On that fateful day the town of Greensburg, in Kiowa County, was all but wiped off the face of the earth. This EF5 tornado demolished the small Kansas community of 1,500 killing 11 people and injuring dozens more.
Ninety percent of the town was destroyed including 961 homes and businesses. Another 216 received major damage. Wind speeds more than 200 miles per hour accompanied this storm.
This killer tornado roared through Comanche and Kiowa counties for 26 miles and ranged nearly two miles wide at one time resulting in damage in $250 million worth of damage.
Other killer tornadoes occurred that day with a death in Pratt County and another in Stafford County. Eleven tornadoes occurred on May 4.
The next day another 36 tornadoes rampaged across Kansas, falling just short of the record of 39 tornadoes in one day set in June 1992.
The Sunflower State nailed down a record 137 twisters in 2007 with 137 tornadoes ripping through Kansas.
Sixty tornadoes occurred in Kansas in 2017. This is near the long-term average, but well below more recent 10 and 20-year averages.
Fortunately, no tornado-related fatalities occurred in Kansas last year, but two injuries were reported. Both injuries happened May 16 as an EF3 tornado tracked for 26.64 miles across Pawnee and Barton counties. This tornado was also the costliest at an estimated $658,000.
The most active month in 2017 transpired in May with 29 tornadoes observed. This is 98 tornadoes below the one-month record high (127 in May 2008). April, May, and June, typically the core of the tornado season, remained quiet last year.
As tornado season approaches, it’s important to remember to tune in, stay informed and keep an eye on the sky.
Remember, pay attention when you hear a tornado watch because this means severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are possible over a wide area. Tornado warnings are issued when Doppler radar indicates tornadoes are forming or a trained weather spotter has sighted a twister. This warning will tell the location, and if possible, movement, estimated speed and the towns in the tornado path.
Think ahead during this upcoming severe weather season. Listen to forecasts daily, key into local weather conditions in your area. Know where your nearest shelter is and remember when a tornado threatens, immediate action may save you and your loved ones’ lives.
John Schlageck, a Hoxie native, is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas.
The Kansas Supreme Court may…depending on when…inadvertently weigh in on the Democratic gubernatorial primary election with its decision on the constitutionality of an abortion restriction law.
That law, which prohibits dilation and evacuation abortion procedures, the most-used technique in second-and third-term abortions, essentially will define Kansas abortion law. And, though there will be scraps, and even a potential effort to put an anti-abortion constitutional amendment before voters this year or next, the high court’s ruling may well end the issue save for special interest groups.
How’s this a Democratic gubernatorial issue? Just one contestant for the party’s nomination has an anti-abortion voting record, from more than a decade ago—former State Rep./Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Josh Svaty, who held a House seat as a Democrat from Republican-weighted western Kansas.
While a strong candidate who gives good speeches, his previous anti-abortion votes have sprung to the surface again, and for many Democrats that issue is the bright yellow line that overshadows every other issue…at the primary election level. Whether that is the right issue to virtually abandon a candidate is one that Democrats will decide at their primary election.
But there’s more to operating the state than abortion, and that single disqualifier from party support may tilt the race and deny Democrats a candidate that is on board everywhere else and could potentially give the party a state government leader.
While Democrats support choice for women, this is still either an anti-abortion state or one in which abortion is seen as a woman’s decision, which can be broadened to other decisions women make. Or, maybe Republicans, even pro-choice Republicans, will vote for pro-life Republicans (and have in the past) to take the reins of state government for a broad list of other issues ranging from tax policy to highways to school funding and the other 99 percent of what Kansans expect from their government.
Democrats, of course, have several candidates for their party’s nomination for governor, and so far in the relatively collegial battle for the primary election, none has brought up the life issue. Look for that to come from pro-choice organizations within the party, and to be stirred further from anti-abortion partisans who aren’t party-based and will use Svaty’s record to eliminate a potential challenger to their favorite Republicans.
Now, abortion isn’t the only one that Democrats have in the past used to sink a candidate in intra-party primary election scraps. House Minority Leader Jim Ward, D-Wichita, has taken an early swing at Sen. Laura Kelly, D-Topeka, for some gun rights votes in her past. At some point, look for that to be used by outside-the-party interests to be targeted, though in her Senate district, she’s apparently weighed the effect of those votes and has been elected to four terms in a district which includes parts of rural Pottawatomie and Wabaunsee counties.
You gotta be elected to represent your district’s and party views…
So, there’s an interesting little issue here…do parties ditch candidates on one or two issues when they are on board with most of a party’s issues, or do you strain out candidates who have represented the party philosophy on most issues?
Is there a hole in that bright yellow line of party viewpoints…or does a party lose seats in the Legislature or the chance for a governorship for walking outside the line?
Is being elected better than being party-perfect?
We may see…
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
Unfortunately, common sense too often is totally lacking in today’s world of American politics. Sound judgment, facts, logic and reality takes a back seat to emotion. One could easily write a book about this dilemma since the lack of common sense has become far too often the common modus operandi.
It is safe to say, lack of plain old common sense is a major problem on both sides of the political aisle. I can prove, however, what is lacking is far more prevalent when we look at agendas and issues coming from the left.
For example, as I wrote in my last letter, does it make sense to give illegals called Dreamers special privileges and favoritism over American citizens? Obviously, that agenda clearly lacks sound judgement. Most of us have enough sense to know the underlying motive of catering to illegals by the left is to swing elections to the Democrat Party. No, obviously, most Americans are not going to support such a ridiculous agenda.
Where in the Good Lord’s name is the common sense with sanctuary cities harboring illegals, many of whom have criminal records? Making residents in these cities less safe is lunacy.
Who in their right mind favors gun free zones in our schools and along with that supports advertising with huge signs there are no weapons on the premises? Where’s the sound judgment or logic by the left if we wish to provide a safe place for our children?
Where’s the common sense where everybody should now give up our Second Amendment right to protect ourselves because 17 students (as horrific as that was) were murdered?. At the same time, the gun-grabbing liberals look the other way as poor defenseless unborn babies are killed at the rate of over two thousand per day. That is the height of hypocrisy which makes no sense whatsoever.
It’s a fact that higher taxes will cause American businesses and corporations to move to foreign countries where taxes are lower. Why wouldn’t they? Lower taxes means more jobs stay in these United States. Common sense alone would tell us the higher taxes usually proposed by the left isn’t the answer in creating a good economy.
When it comes to our economy and jobs, the more people working the more taxes are paid to the government. The fewer taxes businesses have to pay the more they can afford to hire additional personnel and at higher pay. It’s a no brainer! It’s a win win for all that are involved. It’s just plain old common sense that the left fights against.
No voter ID to vote makes no sense period. Arguments for no ID don’t hold up in the realm of reality in as much IDs are needed for everything else. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out why the left fights against voter IDs. It’s obviously about cheating at the polls.
If 95% of mainstream media is negative toward President Trump and 95% of journalists in the media donated to Hillary for president, common sense alone shows Trump will not get a fair shake. In fact, it is reasonable to expect a lot of distorted and fake news about our duly elected president coming from destroy Trump media.
If Obama does something and nothing is said by media, but goes ballistic when Trump does the same thing it clearly shows that hypocrisy and common sense have nothing in common.
The worst scenario is Obama giving billions to Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Why was it necessary to give the world’s greatest sponsor of terrorism another fortune of taxpayer monies in the middle of the night and in cash? It’s hard to find the words to describe the stupidity (pardon my language).
There’s a second one nearly as bad as the one just mentioned. Obama and Hillary sold U.S. uranium to Russia. Uranium is used to develop nuclear weapons and we don’t even have enough of this ingredient for our own development.
Why would any open minded patriotic American with common sense get caught up with silly personal stuff about Trump and overlook the president’s many accomplishments. For example, Drudge Report recently showed people without jobs plunged to a 49 year low. Incomes are up the most in five years and manufacturing expands at fastest pace since 2004. And, that isn’t even half of the great results and accomplishments by our president.
This writing is just a partial list of an endless number of agendas and issues that should be obvious to anybody with an open mind.
One’s opinion about politics and the issue I address in this letter is not the same thing. Far from it.
Using one’s head and not just heart needs to rule the day in November when we go to the polls for mid-term elections.
Hello from Topeka! We are underway with the “second half” of the 2018 session. As committee meetings start back up, there have been several hearings and just a few bills to report on. One of the bigger topics this year has been cybersecurity.
Last session, the Government, Technology, and Security Committee was created to study issues like Cybersecurity, making sure there is a system to protect citizens and state government from dangerous attacks and breaches on personal and critical data. The Committee heard extensive testimony on the risk that Kansans and government agencies face from cyberattacks. The Legislature is tasked with balancing the probability of cyberattacks and fiscal costs to the state to protect personal information and defense against potential attacks.
Kansas has not been immune from cyberattacks (Department of Commerce) and release of personal information (KDADS incident reported just this week. Last Thursday, the House debated two cybersecurity measures. HB 2332 and HB 2359. HB 2332 amends the membership and frequency of required meeting for the Information Technology Executive Council (ITEC). The proposed language was provided by the Office of Information Technology Services (OITS), to increase the effectiveness and attendance of the ITEC meetings.
HB 2359 creates the Kansas Cybersecurity Act. The bill contains the contents of HB 2560, which was introduced at the request of OITS. The bill establishes the position of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and delineates the duties for the position. The bill also creates the Kansas Information Security Office (KISO), which for budgeting purposes, will operate separately from the Department of Administration. The CISO and KISO were created by Executive Order. The bill also spells out the Information Technology and Cybersecurity duties of Executive Branch agency heads. The bill was supported in the Government, Technology, and Security Committee by representatives of OITS, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers.
The cost of defending and protecting sensitive data was provided for the in the legislation. The bill creates the Cybersecurity State Fund, which is financed with the imposition of an annual basic cybersecurity rate per employee for all governmental and nongovernmental entities connecting to state network services. The rate could not exceed $700 per employee per year. Collections begin on July 1, 2020. The bill allows governmental entities to pay for cybersecurity services from existing budgets, grants, or other revenues to offset costs associated with the rates. The fiscal note for HB 2560, which was amended into the HB 2359 shell, contains estimates from the agencies and branches of government provides the fiscal estimate to the state. Both measures were advanced to Final Action on Monday, March 5.
The other issue which has had much attention is transparency. Last week the House session was video streamed live with the new camera system. Video can be viewed on the You Tube Channel, just search for KS Legislature.
Also last Thursday, Governor Colyer issued Executive Order 18-09 which established the Task Force to Address Substance Abuse Disorders. The purpose of this task force is to gather information concerning substance abuse disorders, but also to develop solutions that will have lasting impacts in Kansas.
Rep. Ken Rahjes and Lt. Gov. Tracey Mann at Norton Valley Hope.
Specifically, the task force will be evaluating and leveraging existing resources, investigating additional options, and examining the best practices for prevention, treatment, and recovery of at-risk individuals through early detection and education for parents. Chief Medical Officer of KDHE, Greg Lakin, will chair the task force to find measurable outcomes for those who are suffering from substance use disorders. On Friday, Lt. Governor Tracey Mann was in Norton to discuss the Talks Force and tour Valley Hope’s flagship treatment center. I was pleased to accompany him for his brief stop in the 110th District.
And more good news, on Friday it was revealed that total State General Fund (SGF) receipts from taxes only are up $275 million from the November estimate. Individual income tax receipts are $269 million above the estimate. KLRD cautions that “as with the previous two months, a large portion of the growth in individual income tax receipts above the forecast appears to have been driven by the recently enacted change in federal tax law.” If you want to follow along each month, KLRD posts revenue reports and the Consensus Revenue Estimates on its website: http://www.kslegresearch.org/KLRD-web/Appropriations&Revenue.html .
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. Good luck to the area teams competing in state basketball this week.
On Friday February 23rd, Dr. Lori L. Taylor gave a preliminary presentation to a joint session of the Kansas Senate and House of Representatives on the methods, data, and analysis plan for her research on K-12 education funding in Kansas. Dr. Taylor was hired by the Legislature in December to act as an expert witness and to investigate whether Kansas’ K-12 funding is adequate. This comes after the Kansas Supreme Court declared the current funding level is not enough and gave the legislature an April 30th deadline to create a new funding system. The school districts that are suing the state claim that $600 million more is needed to properly fund schools. The legislature hopes Dr. Taylor’s report will show that funding is adequate and help end years of school finance litigation between the courts and legislature.
Taylor, a native Kansan, holds a BA in economics and a BS in business administration from the University of Kansas and received her PhD in economics from the University of Rochester.
She is currently a professor at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University and works as the Director for Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy. Taylor’s research is focused in school finance and she has consulted for numerous state legislatures and state and federal agencies on the topic.
During Friday’s presentation, Taylor outlined her study’s objective to estimate the level of spending required to produce a given outcome within a given educational environment. Taylor explained that she is looking at many different factors of school finance such as differences in spending, student outcomes, student needs, labor costs, geographical differences, and many other variables. One major variable Taylor will investigate in her research is student achievement relative to spending per pupil. Taylor is expected to deliver her results to the Legislature by March 15th, a few weeks before the court mandated deadline.
TASK FORCE ON SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER
On Thursday, Governor Jeff Colyer issued an executive order creating a task force addressing substance use disorder. The objective of the task force is to gather information regarding substance abuse in Kansas, particularly regarding the growing number of opioid and heroin overdoses in the state along with methamphetamine addiction. The task force will work to find useful resources and initiatives to fight drug abuse. It will also examine practices for prevention and treatment along with recovery options for at-risk individuals through early detection and education. The task force will be chaired by Dr. Greg Lakin, Chief Medical Officer at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Membership will be comprised of heads from numerous state agencies, legislators, and professionals in industries such as education, law enforcement, hospitals, and more.
Since 2012, more than 1,500 Kansans have died from opioid or heroin overdoses and more than 100 Kansas residents continue to die each year. In 2016, drug poisoning was the cause of death to more than 300 people in Kansas, with 95 deaths caused by methamphetamine alone. The task force acknowledges that substance abuse is an illness which not only impacts the lives of those addicted but also their families and surrounding communities.
AVIATION DAY
The Kansas Department of Transportation Division of Aviation along with the Kansas Commission on Aerospace Education (KCAE) held their 4th annual Aviation Day event Thursday. The day began with an economic development training event for city officials on how to best harness state and local resources to boost the aviation industry. During the Aviation Day event, legislators, manufacturers, suppliers, and aviation organizations gathered to discuss industry growth and opportunities and addressed development potentials for Kansas economic stakeholders. The Kansas Commission on Aerospace Education highlighted industry development opportunities throughout the day, spreading awareness regarding STEM and aviation education through KCAE.
FROM THE STATE LIBRARY
Consumer Health Complete covers all areas of health and wellness. Did your doctor prescribe a new medication? Recently diagnosed with diabetes? Look it up here. Designed for the everyday consumer, this online database offers popular reference books, medical encyclopedias, fact sheets, and magazine articles. This full text database covers topics such as aging, nutrition, cancer, fitness, drugs & alcohol, even yoga. You can find more information at http://kslib.info/ConHealth.
FOLLOW THE KANSAS LEGISLATURE
Both the House and Senate have taken historic steps towards the promotion of open government. For the first time, you can view video streaming of both chambers via the Kansas Legislature YouTube page. In addition, many committees are now audio streamed. YouTube Streaming: http://bit.ly/2CZj9O0 Committee Hearings: http://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00287/Harmony/en/View/Calendar/
Kansas residents can access information on legislation, legislative procedure, state government, public policy issues and more by calling 1-800-432-3924. Calls are answered by experienced reference/research librarians at the State Library of Kansas and kept confidential. Lines are open weekdays 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Callers can also leave brief messages to be delivered to legislators as well as request copies of bills, journals, and other legislative documents. In addition to calling the hotline, residents can also text questions to 785 256-0733, email or instant message at kslib.info/ask. The State Library is located on the 3rd floor, north wing of the Capitol.
THANK YOU FOR ENGAGING
Thank you for all of your calls, emails, and letters regarding your thoughts and concerns about happenings in Kansas. 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 11:00 a.m. and the Senate at 2:30 p.m. 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!
Senator Elaine Bowers
Kansas State Capitol Building
Room 223-E
300 SW 10th St.
Topeka, KS 66612 [email protected]
785-296-7389
Ron Wilson is director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development
The young man was feeling homesick. He was browsing through a used bookstore in Georgia when he came across a book about his home area in the Flint Hills of Kansas. The book gave him a lift. Years later, he would create his own tour company to share the beauty of the Flint Hills with others.
Casey Cagle is the founder and owner of Prairie Earth Tours in Emporia. He grew up on a farm near the rural community of Oswego, population 1,829 people. Now, that’s rural.
Casey went to Emporia State and got involved in the community, helping with the restoration work on the Granada Theatre. He did similar work at the Midland Theatre in Kansas City.
But what Casey really wanted to do was travel. In 2009, he set out to travel across the country in his camper. After lots of sight-seeing, he became a tour guide in California. “That’s the one type of business where this kind of experience looks good on a resume,” Casey said with a smile.
He led lots of tours, in settings ranging from wilderness camping to luxury lodging across the U.S. and Canada. One day, while browsing through a used bookstore in Georgia, he came across the book PrairyErth by William Least-Heat Moon. This lengthy tome is about Chase County in the heart of the Kansas Flint Hills. Such a reminder of home lifted Casey’s spirits. He was already a fan of another of Least-Heat Moon’s books, Blue Highways, which celebrates travel around the back roads of America.
Casey then went to Australia where he guided tours in the outback. In the back of his mind, he was thinking about his home state.
“Emporia was becoming a community that supports entrepreneurs,” Casey said. “I decided to take the leap and move back to Kansas.” His goal was to create his own tour business in the Flint Hills.
He enrolled in a Start Your Own Business class at Flint Hills Technical College. “I met with the Small Business Development Center which was extremely beneficial,” Casey said. By being in the class, he qualified for Emporia State University’s Entrepreneurship Challenge. Some 40 business ideas were part of that challenge, where entrepreneurs pitched their ideas to outside evaluators.
Casey won first place. He later won third in the statewide competition at K-State. These awards encouraged him and provided some capital to advance his business idea. He also received a zero-interest loan from Emporia Main Street.
In 2016, he launched his new business. Fittingly, he named it Prairie Earth Tours. His goal is to provide a closer and deeper look at the Flint Hills rather than a mass market model. “I’m not just doing a tour, I try to provide an experience,” Casey said. “The small group model enables me to do that, while protecting the integrity of the places we visit.”
Instead of a mega-tour coach, he uses a 15-passenger shuttle bus. “This lets us have access to little cafes and get permission to visit private property and see the hidden gems of Kansas,” Casey said. “We have something really special here. What Kansas has to offer is authenticity.”
Tours include wildflower tours or photography clinics in the spring, sunset horseback rides in summer, or a craft brewer’s tour in the winter. Every Tuesday, he hosts lunch tours to special locations. “My regulars know where to find the best pie, the best salad bar, and the best chicken fried steak anywhere,” he said.
He can provide custom private tours or simply provide transportation. “One time I took a bunch of girls wedding dress shopping in Wichita and El Dorado,” Casey said. “I want to help people explore and enjoy Kansas while benefitting the local economy.”
Perhaps that book PrairyErth inspired this homesick young man to celebrate Kansas with his own kind of tours. We commend Casey Cagle of Prairie Earth Tours for making a difference by providing his guests a deeper look at the Flint Hills. I’m glad this young man found his way back home.
Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the First District Kansas Congressman.Friend,
This week I met with President Trump and congressional leaders on the Ways and Means Committee. As your Congressman, I’ve consistently been one of the biggest advocates in Washington to preserve the trade deal. The Big First is the second most NAFTA dependent agricultural district in the country, being a part of these meetings and discussions is imperative during the negotiation process.
While I am not comfortable with the president threatening to withdraw from NAFTA as a bargaining tactic, I feel confident that we will reach a high-quality agreement, which puts our producers first. I believe that the President understands the importance of agricultural trade. Our farmers and producers are some of the most hardworking people in this country, and I emphasized how important this is for my state.
Today I will also be joining congressional trade leaders on a trip to Mexico City. On this trip, I will continue these discussions on the future of NAFTA with leaders from Mexico and Canada.
I joined Fox News to address school safety. Keeping our children safe is a bipartisan issue, and I am eager to discuss solutions. I was encouraged by the president this week in his call to action, asking lawmakers, educators, law enforcement and the NRA to work together to find a solution.
On the House floor this week I discussed the importance of broadband internet access for rural communities, both in Kansas and across America. The digital divide is becoming increasingly present in rural America, and it’s our duty to help all Americans, no matter where they live, access the tools and resources that a high-speed internet connection provides. Watch my remarks below.
FARM Act of 2018
This week, a bipartisan group of members introduced the Fair Agricultural Reporting Method (FARM) Act of 2018, which will clarify regulations that an activist court had attempted to extend to farms and ranches. This bill will ensure that substances like manure will not have to be reported to federal authorities, including the coast guard as toxic waste. The court decision that is attempting to require these reports puts increased strain on producers and our national emergency management system, with no gain in environmental protection. Even the EPA under President Obama saw no need for these reports and fought against them in federal court. I’m pleased that this issue has finally brought a bipartisan group together in both the House and Senate, which will be needed to correct this judicial overreach.
Nelson Ag Co., Long Island, Kansas
Beefing Up Wages in the Big 1st
The Nelson Ag Company, in Long Island, Kansas, provides more than 1 million people with beef and pork annually. And now, due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the Nelson Ag company is beefing up wages as well by giving their employees raises and a ‘Trump Tax Cut Bonus.’
Tyson Foods employs hundreds of Kansans. With three plants in the Big 1st, I’m happy to see the company rewarding its workers due to the new tax code with a $1K bonus. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is making a real difference for families in my district and people across the country.
Rev. Billy Graham Honored in the US Capitol Rotunda
This week we honored Reverend Billy Graham in the US Capitol as he ‘Lied in Honor.’ We lost our Lord’s greatest soldier, but heaven gained its strongest ally. I grew up watching Reverend Billy Graham, a man of integrity, honesty, and faith. In these times of uncertainty and trial, the message of the Gospel couldn’t be more important.
Stop cancer before it starts!
Laina Marshall is part of the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program.
My wife Laina is part of the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program. This bipartisan group of spouses works together to increase awareness of the ways people can prevent cancer. Nearly 1.7 million people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer in 2018, with 15,400 diagnoses in Kansas. While we have no cure for the disease, many of these cancer cases are preventable.
The article “Making it more complicated,” published by the Hays Post, contained numerous factual errors. This article is wrong, inaccurate and misleading.
