Dear Friend:

Welcome to Spring Break… for the legislature at least! We wrapped up the regular session on April 2 and are off until April 29. This break is a good opportunity to meet with constituents and host events at home. By the time we return to Topeka, we will know exactly how much money we have to work with (or don’t have) through the end of this fiscal year, and how things are looking for the next year. This information will help us finalize the Fiscal Year 2016 budget, which is the only must-pass bill during each session. 

Around the District

Coming up, my next constituent event is:

• April 25, 2 pm: Town Hall Meeting at Lenexa Hy-Vee, 87th & Pflumm.

While I’ve been home for the past couple of weeks, I’ve been spending a lot of time catching up on email and attending several events around the district and the Kansas City area. This week’s events included:

• Lenexa Chamber of Commerce luncheon where Shawnee Mission School District Superintendent Dr. Jim Hinson presented an update on the district and school funding issues;
• Colchester Court subdivision Meet & Greet, hosted by Karen Washburn, a CC resident and “Uncork Kansas” advocate who testified in support of the bill in Topeka; and
• Labor Management Council of Greater Kansas City’s annual awards dinner, featuring keynote speaker Esther George, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

Last week, I:

• attended the Bright Futures Fundraising Luncheon benefiting the Growing Futures Early Education Center (formerly Shawnee Mission Head Start), celebrating 50 years of service this year;
• met with the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce’s Governmental Affairs Committee;
• filmed a session of Time Warner Cable Newsmakers – I’ll provide the link when it’s available;
• provided a Legislative Update at my church, Old Mission United Methodist Church; and
• had the honor of joining my colleague, Rep. James Todd (District 29 – Overland Park) in cutting the ribbon at the starting line of the MS Walk at Sporting KC Park.

On Education

In support of public education, I attended the kickoff event in Merriam and the wrap-up event in Topeka for the 60-mile Walk to Topeka undertaken by more than 20 supporters of Game On for Kansas Schools in late March. More than 100 people attended the news conference in Topeka, and they crammed into the meeting room in the capitol and out into the hallway.

As a longtime PTA mom at Shawanoe, Trailridge, and finally at Shawnee Mission Northwest, I heartily support the work these parents have undertaken to bring awareness about Kansas education issues to parents across our state. They do a great job of "unspinning the spin" and helping parents understand the legislative process, the people, and the power of our roles as parents in the process.

On the House Floor 

On the Floor: the last week of the regular session was spent sending bills to conference committees for negotiation and waiting on conference committee reports.

• Jargon Alert: A bill is referred to a conference committee when one chamber does not like the changes the opposite chamber made to a bill. The chairman, vice-chairman, and ranking minority member from the House and Senate committees which passed the bill comprise the conference committee. These six people meet to hammer out differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. The report of the conference committee is referred to both chambers for an up-or-down vote without the opportunity for amendments.

The legislature passed major changes to the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program for the working poor (HB 2258). Job training, work, and/or school is part of the requirement to receive the benefit, and it isn’t exactly a Friday paycheck. To give you an idea of how little you must live on to even qualify for this help, please refer to the 2015 Federal Poverty Guideline below:

Federal law provides a maximum of 60 months assistance, but allows states to determine their own max. This bill:

• Reduces the max to 36 months.
• Changes the Child Care Assistance Program: provides assistance for families up to 185% of federal poverty for 24 months per adult, so if you’re married, you get twice as much child care time, but only one parent can be in school.
• Provides Food Assistance up to 130% of federal poverty.

In these times, I am reminded of Matthew 25:37-40: ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

• Bill Summary
• Senate Vote
• House Vote (I voted NO.)

One of the reasons I voted against this bill, which is called the HOPE Act, is that several social service agencies opposed it, including United Consumer Services of Johnson County, Kansas Action for Children and Harvesters. They said it would make it more difficult for families facing difficulties to get the help they need. Another reason for my NO vote is that the bill was rushed through the House after the Senate spent a great deal of time on it, including six hours of debate on the Senate floor. House members received the conference committee report on HB 2258 just an hour before meeting to vote on it. We were unable to amend it, only vote it up or down, after having little time to study the bill. This is one of several things about how the legislative process is being handled this session that left a bad taste in my mouth as I left Topeka after first adjournment.

Motions to Concur or Nonconcur

To convene a conference committee, the House must vote to concur or nonconcur on the Senate’s changes. The House nonconcurred and asked conference committees be appointed for the following bills:

Sub HB 2159 would allow offenders to request expungement of a first-time DUI violation five years (rather than 10 years) after the sentence or diversion is served, and 10 years after a 2nd or subsequent conviction. The bill also establishes a restricted driver’s license which would allow convicted drivers to drive a car with ignition interlock. This will help DUI offenders maintain transportation to jobs. It appears that limiting records on DUI offenses might put us out of compliance with the federal law and could cost $8.2 million in federal highway funds.

The “seclusion and restraint bill” (S Sub 2170) has been quite controversial and is an example of legislating for everyone because of a handful of bad actors. The bill defines Emergency Safety Intervention (ESI) and details cases where it is to be used and documented, establishes a parent complaint process and an ESI Task Force. Originally, the bill applied only to students with disabilities, but now covers all students. The Senate made major, critical changes to the bill, including removing the ability for use of physical restraint when a student is involved in an altercation. This bill needs more work.

HB 2055 would provide guidance for sentencing offenders with a background in out-of-state offenses which might not match Kansas offenses in an apples-to-apples way. The bill also includes Mija Stockman’s Law, which creates the crime of aggravated battery when someone is greatly harmed or disfigured by someone driving under the influence. 

The Senate gutted a bill providing employment protections for the National Guard in the case of domestic deployment, and inserted the fantasy sports league, charity raffle, and bingo bills into one “omnibus gaming” bill (Senate Substitute for HB 2155).

In the News

The big hubbub during the last week of the regular session involved the ride-sharing service Uber. Uber employs ordinary people to provide transportation services similar to taxis, but more efficiently and affordably. Many legislatures are dealing with this entrepreneurial effort due to liability and safety issues. H Sub SB 117 requires Uber (and Lyft) drivers to carry $1,000,000 in insurance coverage and pass a background check. When background checks are required by statute, they must be conducted by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, at a cost of $42 each.

Uber sent an alert to its Kansas subscribers to oppose these requirements, and so many emails were sent to legislators that it crashed the state system and it took a day or two to get back to normal. I have received 1,700 emails on this subject, let alone the emails I receive on other issues in a given day.

I understand Uber’s concerns and I hope it chooses to keep operating in Kansas. However, when Kansans are operating a business where lives are in a driver’s hands, our citizens should have a minimum expectation of personal safety and protection if something should happen. The bill passed the House 107-16 and the Senate 35-2. I voted YES.

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,