Dear Friend:

We are experiencing historic times in Topeka. The Capitol-watchers who have been doing this for 40+ years say it’s the worst they’ve seen. And that’s saying something! When I ran for this, I knew it wasn’t because the job would be easy, and I’ve already made one hard vote that made my stomach turn, but felt it was the right thing to do.

Rescission bill: H Sub SB 4 makes significant current-year cuts to most non-education or corrections functions of government, and most significantly from KDOT and delayed payments to KPERS. I want to be part of the solution – the bill did not include cuts to schools, which were likely if it did not pass.

I voted for the rescission bill in order to prevent the state from defaulting on its financial obligations as soon as next week. This is no way to run a state. This bill presented us with terrible choices. It destabilizes vital governmental programs and increases the financial burden on future legislatures and the Kansans they will represent. As distasteful as these choices may be, our focus must be on what led us to this difficult decision. The overly aggressive tax cut of 2012 has created a structural imbalance that cannot be responsibly corrected with budget cuts alone. I reluctantly voted yes on the rescission bill, but with the resolve that future budget bills must be accompanied by additional revenues to correct that imbalance.

However, with this bill, the revenue shortfall became smaller, and the effort backfired for many of us who support public schools…

• Rescission is from the word “rescind” and means to revoke, cancel, or repeal the current budget which is in state law.

Wednesday’s rescission bill turned out to be only a small part of a bigger plan to cut schools anyway. Governor Brownback announced yesterday that he will unilaterally cut K-12 public schools 1.5% and higher education institutions 2% across the board. This one-time fix will cover $44.5 million of the state’s shortfall for this fiscal year ending June 30. This reduction will cut K-12 state aid by $42 per pupil, which amounts to a cut of $1.4 million for the Shawnee Mission School District. Protecting funding for public education is one of my highest priorities, but the governor did this by executive action, which does not allow the legislature to act on it.

• The timing is impeccable for this: The Kansas Department of Education is hosting a community conversation on Feb 18, 1 pm at the Olathe Education Center, 14160 Blackbob Rd in Olathe.
• Wichita Eagle article

From the District

Opportunities
Please join me for a casual conversation about the latest happenings in Topeka:

• Saturday, February 14, 10 am
• Lenexa HyVee Deli, 87th & Pflumm

I attended the Shawnee Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee this afternoon to discuss business issues before the legislature.

Pages

I still have a few openings for legislative pages on Feb. 12. If your student (12 or older) is interesting in helping out around the Capitol for a day, please reply to this email.

Each week, I am fortunate to meet constituents who are in town for their trade association conferences or Capitol visits. I hope you will let me know when you are in Topeka; I would love to chat. Here is a handful of constituents and community leaders recently in Topeka:

• KS Assn of School Boards: Constituent John Heim
• KS Assn of Family Physicians: Dr. Margaret Smith
• Law Enforcement Officers’ Assn: Chief of Police Larry Larrimore of Shawnee, and Major Douglas Dunn and Lt. Col. Simon Happer of Overland Park
• KS County Appraisers: Johnson County Appraiser Paul Welcome
• City Hall Day – Lenexa: Mayor Mike Boehm, Assistant City Manager Mike Nolan, and council members Andy Huckaba and Mandy Stuke.
• City Hall Day – Shawnee: Councilmen Jim Neighbor and Neal Sawyer, City Manager Carol Gonzalez and Chamber Director Linda Leeper.

In the News

Thanks to the folks at KCUR who are hosting regular segments featuring Kansas lawmakers, called Statehouse Blend. My conversation with Sam Zeff was a lot of policy mixed with a little fun. You can listen here. 

SB 71: This bill would slash school funding by nearly $40 million in this budget year – by June 30 – with more than $4 million cut from Shawnee Mission schools alone. This is absolutely shocking, and my email inbox is full of requests to stop this bill. It has had hearings in the Senate, but it is yet to be seen if the committee will pass it, let alone the full Senate. It is encouraging to see people standing up and contacting their legislators. We shouldn’t balance our budget on the backs of Kansas students.

Next Week
To get an idea of the various issues we discuss from week to week, I encourage you to look through the Calendar for next week. Under “House Committee Agenda” about two-thirds through the Calendar, you can view hearings and briefings under review in each committee. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to testify as I can help you through the process.

Committee Work

Children & Seniors
Last week, we heard success stories from KS Children’s Service League beneficiaries. KCSL provides parenting and financial advice and is a great example of government granting organizations scheduled for a cut who play a vital role in our “hand up, not a hand out” social services system.

AARP presented to the committee on a proposal to require hospitals to train caregivers before discharging a patient who needs continuing medical care. In order to receive most insurance and federal payments, hospitals must provide this training. I can certainly see both sides of this issue but think the bill needs more discussion and work.

We heard testimony from Rachel Mast, a 15-year old from Olathe with Down Syndrome. She absolutely blew us away with her testimony in support of (Achieving a Better Life Experience) ABLE accounts. Similar to a 529 account, ABLE plans would allow Kansans to save tax-deferred funds for the medical, educational, transportation, and living expenses of disabled loved ones. We passed the bill and I am confident it will receive broad support.

Social Services Budget
We have heard overviews from the Kansas Departments for Children and Families (DCF) and Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), as well as the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Division of Health and Health Care Finance. We also heard from the three private entities with whom the state contracts to provide Medicaid services (KanCare): Amerigroup, United Healthcare, and Sunflower State Health Plans.

This week, we received an overview from the Division of Health Care Finance in KDHE and on the Health Care Stabilization Fund, which provides liability coverage for Kansas health care providers.  We wrapped up the week with a virtual tour of Kansas state hospitals, with presentations and budget conversations about:

• Kansas Neurological Institute
• Parsons State Hospital
• Larned State Hospital
• Osawatomie State Hospital

Ag & Natural Resources Budget
This committee began meeting in earnest this week and we heard from the “E” of KDHE and voted on the budgets for the KS Corporation Commission, Citizens’ Utility Ratepayer Board (CURB), Kansas Water Office and Kansas Fair Board. It is rare for a freshman to serve on one – let alone two – budget committees, and they are such a distinct reminder of our dire budget situation.

In 2000, the Kansas Agricultural Remediation (KAR) Fund was established to help farmers correct environmental issues with water or land as a result of chemical contaminants. The money in the fund comes from fees on fertilizer, pesticide, and commercial grain facilities. HB 2072 would increase those fees:

• Pesticide Product Registration fees: $210 - $260
• Custom Fertilizer Blender Licenses: $125 - $200
• Fertilizer Product Registration fees: $25 - $45
• Fertilizer Tonnage fees: $1.67 - $1.87
• Pesticide Dealer Licenses up to$2,500: $25 - $30
• Pesticide Dealer Licenses over $2,500: $100 - $170
• Commercial Grain Capacity (per bushel): $0.0005 - $0.0008

For my western Kansas readers, I’m curious to learn about your experience with the KAR Fund – please reply with your thoughts.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or comments. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent your voice in Topeka.

At your service,