From Kansas Rep. Mike Kiegerl:

ONE MORE WEEK, ONE MORE REPORT:

After 40+ hours of work in 3 days, both House and Senate adjourned Wednesday evening until Monday, March 30, when the final week of the regular 2009 session will end. Both chambers will reconvene at the end of April for the clean up (veto) session. This will be when bills vetoed by the Governor, if any, will be dealt with. To override a veto, two thirds majorities are required in both House and Senate.
This number is hard to come by and we have only succeeded to do so once in the last five years when we overrode the right to bear arms veto and adopted the right to carry firearms law.

The Governor has indicated she will veto the Sunflower Electric Cooperative’s right to build two power plants in Holcomb, and possibly sections of the Omnibus Appropriations bill.

HOUSE/SENATE ACTIVITIES

Bills passed by either Chamber which differ from the version of the other Chamber in the slightest detail are sent to a House/Senate conference committee consisting of the chairman, vice chairman and ranking member. These 6 people negotiate to find wording acceptable by both House and Senate, then report back to their respective venues where a final vote on the compromise is needed to agree to then send the bill to the Governor for signature. These committee meetings have been going on since Wednesday evening and some progress has already been made so that, come Monday, we can vote on the Mega Budgeting bill. The Senate basically agreed to the House version of that bill.
Dozens of other, less contentious bills are also being negotiated and we’ll remain busy over the weekend.

MIRACLES DO HAPPEN: SEBELIUS SIGNS “A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO KNOW ACT”
HB 2206, a bill I carried, gives women considering a late term abortion the right to hear the heartbeat and see a sonogram of her child in utero. It also requires signs in the clinic that she alone can make the decision whether to proceed, making coercion illegal. It was widely expected that the Governor who is joined at the hip with Tiller and the abortion industry would veto this bill, as she has 6 other bills which dealt with late term abortion, parental notification, and “clinic” inspection. She did sign the bill into law, noting that it passed both Chambers with the necessary margin to override. Good job, Kathleen.

Shhhhhh! A NOTE FROM REP. KIEGERL’S LEGISLATIVE AIDE

Rep. Kiegerl’s 70th birthday is April 8th. We would like to surprise him with a basket of cards and well wishes. If you would like to send a card, please address it to P. O. Box 847, Olathe KS 66051.

He will not receive this version of the newsletter with this notice.
Remember to not say any thing to him about his birthday until after April 8th. Thank you!

SADLY, KANSAS REMAINS LATE TERM ABORTION CENTER OF THE NATION

Tiller was acquitted of all 19 misdemeanor charges and continues his disgusting practice of aborting viable babies. He remains the only one practicing this horror in Kansas. Tiller said he is one of three doctors in the U. S. who currently perform late-term abortions. The others are in Boulder, CO and Los Angeles, CA, but Tiller is the only one who will perform the proceedure up to the moment prior to the birth of the child.

Tiller makes $ millions. He spreads his blood money like dung over the political arena and the results are obvious. His influence reaches deeply into the Governor’s office and the Judiciary. Kansas Board of Healing Arts (KBHA) is responsible for investigating complaints against MD’s. Buening was the Director of KBHA until last year when he was forced to resign. He shielded Tiller for years, now we find out that he actually advised Tiller how to skirt the law (by Tiller’s own testimony). Buening’s wife holds a top staff position with Sebelius.

The Olathe News had it right last year when they called Tiller the most influential political player in the state. The present case was weakened by the Wichita District Attorney Nola Foulston, the previous State’s Attorney Paul Morrison and the newly appointed State’s Attorney, Steven Six; all recipients of Tiller’s political contributions. Critical rulings by the trial judge also made conviction unlikely. Judge Paul Clark, who had been involved with Tiller cases, had come under a cloud of suspicion because of undisclosed financial connections to Tiller and/or his attorneys; this was the same judge who dismissed 30 criminal charges brought by former Attorney General Phill Kline. Judge Gregory Waller, the presiding judge who arraigned Tiller, also had received campaign contributions from Tiller’s attorneys.

The judge who was originally assigned the case, Sedgwick County District Judge Anthony Powell, was a leading voice for anti-abortion lawmakers during his eight years as a legislator and recused himself since he helped write the law that Tiller was being tried under. Judge Clark Owens sat on this case.

REPRESENTATIVES IN HOUSE TAKE A 10% PAY CUT, VOTE FOR MINIMUM WAGE

During the Mega Budget battle Rep. Bill Otto (R - LeRoy) introduced a bill reducing House members pay by 10%. It passed by voice vote over my objection. It will cost each of us $8.30 per day. Considering it costs more to serve in the legislature than it pays (less than $17,000 per year), I don’t find this reasonable. Otto’s idea was that we set the example and then cut State employees making more than $50,000 a year also. That failed. Then he proposed to eliminate funding numerous commissions. That too, failed, as did several other proposals to save money. We’ll survive.

More economic nonsense prevailed when we passed the bill to raise the minimum wage. Our minimum wage is the lowest in the nation, but that is totally meaningless as not one single individual depends on it. I argued against the bill. Every study demonstrates that imposing a minimum wage is counter productive, inflationary and most importantly, that it kills jobs. It destroys the jobs where they are most needed, namely entry level work for those with few if any skills.
This issue has become a matter of faith for many, and they cannot be persuaded by facts. Emotion rather than reason guide those votes: they actually believe they’re doing something good. I read into the record 5 studies by Congress, Financial Institutions, Think Tanks and Universities supporting my views, to no avail.

Many non-economists suffer from money illusion, confusing the number on the currency with the purchasing power of it. Arbitrary government intervention in the competitive free market is always detrimental. In times when joblessness is on the increase, we need more, not less jobs.

BILLS, BILLS, BILLS

We voted on 58 bills in three days. When you consider that all are subject to amendments and most have several proposed (on the Mega Budget alone there were 32 amendments offered, each of which require a vote), we must have voted more than 200 times. That makes for long days.

Remember, if you want a short synopsis of a bill go to www.kansasvotes.org <http://www.kansasvotes.org/> . To read the entire bill, go to www.kslegislature.org <http://www.kslegislature.org/> . Warning: the Budget bill is 296 pages of reading.

Passed unanimously:

HB 2310 Long term care

HB 2366 Elder care

HB 2098 Crimes and punishment

HB2185 Reciprocal deposit programs

HB 2233 Criminal procedure

SB 72 Credit unions

SB 153 Consumer protection

SB 178 Amusement rides

SB 228 Property tax exemptions

HCR 5018 Adjournment rules

HB 2171 Veteran affairs

HB 2283 Rural water

HB 2323 Employment of care providers

HB 2353 Homestead Property Tax

HB 2383 Fines and penalties

SB 8 Tort claims

SB 9 Construction improvement

SB 30 Surplus property

SB 39 Investment of public money

SB 41 Consolidated school districts

SB 44 Civil actions, penalties for false claims

SB 45 Power of attorney

SB 60 Redevelopment districts

SB 61 Prison made goods

SB 66 District courts

SB 87 Disclosure of records

SB 108 Economic revitalization

SB 120 Comprehensive training

SB 135 Kansas open meeting act

SB 154 Habeas corpus, civil procedure

SB 158 Drivers license youth restrictions

SB 168 Wages, salaries state agencies

SB 237 Criminal procedures

SB 275 All terrain vehicles

SB 290 Teacher contracts schools for the deaf and blind

H Sub for SB 91 Residential development

Bills passed by majority vote: (I voted for all of these)

SB 228 Property tax exemptions 108-15

HB 2369 Mega Budget 118- 6

HB 2373 State agencies budget 70-54

HB 2275 Drug testing for people on public assistance 99-26

HCR 8015 Dyslexia education 122-3

Sub for SB 28 Criminal procedure 121-4

SB 33 State Board of Pharmacy 117-8

Sub for SB 51 Annexation 77-46

SB 78 Transportation 123-2

Sub for SB 98 Estate taxation 114-11

SB 253 Zoning restrictions in counties 111-9

SCR 1611 Individual’s right to bear arms 115-9 (this needed 84 votes to pass)

My NO votes and brief explanation: (all of these bills passed anyway)

SB 35 Municipal bonds in time of financial need, we must live within our means not borrow more. (Passed 113-12)

SB 134 Increase in court fees and costs, these are too high already.
(107-18)

SB 203 Powers for Secretary of Agriculture. Not needed to do the job.
(111-14)

HB 2002 Second, third counting of military transfer students. A hard call, not intended to hurt military families but several recounts give unwarranted funds to districts near bases like Junction City at the expense of the others. (90- 34)

SB 68 Allows judges to increase docket fees, See SB 134 above, raising fees is the role of the legislature not the judiciary branch of government (95-30)

SB 160 Minimum wage increase. Economic nonsense, see article above.
(104-21)

SB1 Theater festival designation. Proclamations like this use valuable time, resources and clutter committees with trivia delaying or preventing serious work. They are designed to get publicity for the author and soon forgotten.

SOME ADDITIONAL POINTS OF INTEREST

When a bill comes to the floor of the House we become “The Committee of the Whole” which means we debate the intent of what the proposed bill is to do. Any member has the right to go to the Well (the podium in the front of the House) and present his or her view trying to persuade the body to vote one way or the other. Sometimes the appeals are passionate, partisan, humorous, and fairly hostile considering that we all are required to observe the rules of the House and conduct expected of its members. We all become frustrated at times when we fail to see our own obviously reasonable, positions failing to gain traction. Often we get “heartburn” having to vote on imperfect legislation, compromise being required to get anything accomplished.

An example might be the Educational and Developmentally Disabled wait list, which has 3,800+ names on it. These are more than mere numbers; they are unfortunate fellow citizens who are entitled to desperately needed services. The House twice appropriated funds to eliminate this shameful waiting list only to have it reduced by the Senate and cut by the Governor. Anyway, we put it back in the Mega bill. Let’s see whether it will survive.

I also insisted on an amendment to restore $29,000 cut by the Governor for a reading program for the blind which is administered by our state library. A pittance for a $413.5 billion budget but quite important for the visually impaired. I hope it stays in the final version.

HEALTHWAVE

…is our designation for the state children health insurance program. The state provides this insurance for people who cannot afford to do so. In order to capture some stimulus funds we raised eligibility to 250% of poverty. This means that a family of 4 can have an income of $54,000 and we’ll still buy their insurance. I consider this profligate, leading those who now buy their own insurance to drop it and to come for the “free” state paid program. Hawaii experienced exactly that phenomenon and canceled its program. It is in the budget; the vote was 77-49.

AN EDITORIAL WE CAN AGREE WITH

Over a three day period KMBC aired the following editorial on Channel 9, favoring SB51 which regulates annexation. We supported such restrictions last year when Overland Park attempted to annex 15 square miles of land without a vote of the land owners. In the end they took about half the land.

The bill passed by the House gives land owners a vote. It also requires cities to be accountable for promised improvements to the annexed area. If officials fail to deliver they could be sued. Shame on those Representatives who opposed the annexation bill; they should be the first to support a process that allows people with the most at stake to determine their own destiny.

PAGES

April 2nd is my last day for pages this session. There might be one slot open. If interested, email Terri Lois Gregory at terri@mikekiegerl.com <mailto:terri@mikekiegerl.com>  or call 816-616-7586.

THE (NEXT TO THE) LAST WORD

On his deathbed Voltaire was asked to renounce Satan. His response:
“This is no time to make enemies!”

Well said

Robert A. Hall, MEd, CAE, has been an Association Executive since 1982. He was elected to the Massachusetts State Senate in 1972, defeating a Democrat incumbent by 9 votes out of 60,000. He was reelected 4 times by large margins, and was nominated by both parties in 1976, retiring undefeated 1982. Hall holds an AA from Mount Wachusett Community College, a BA in Government from the University of Massachusetts and an MEd in History from Fitchburg State. He is a Marine Vietnam veteran, having served four years in the regulars and, while a Senator, another six in the Reserves, finishing with the rank of Staff Sergeant.

“I’m Tired” by Robert A. Hall, MEd, CAE, FSA Scot, FSR

I’ll be 63 soon. Except for one semester in college when

jobs were scarce, and a six-month period when I was

between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I’ve worked,

hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I

still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven’t called in sick in

seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn’t

inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I

am. Given the economy, there’s no retirement in sight, and

I’m tired. Very tired.

I’m tired of being told that I have to “spread the

wealth around” to people who don’t have my work ethic. I’m

tired of being told the government will take the money I

earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too

lazy or stupid to earn it.

I’m tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to

“keep people in their homes.” Sure, if they lost their

jobs or got sick, I’m willing to help. But if they bought

McMansions at three times the price of our paid-off,

$250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the

leftwing Congress critters who passed Fannie and Freddie

and the Community Reinvestment Act that created the

bubble help them-with their own money.

I’m tired of being told how bad America is by leftwing

millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros and

Hollywood entertainers who live in luxury because of the

opportunities America offers. In thirty years, if they get

their way, the United States will have the religious

freedom and women’s rights of Saudi Arabia , the economy

of Zimbabwe, the freedom of the press of China, the crime

and violence of Mexico , the tolerance for Gay people of

Iran, and the freedom of speech of Venezuela. Won’t

multiculturalism be beautiful?

I’m tired of being told that Islam is a “Religion of Peace,”

when every day I can read dozens of stories of

Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for

their family “honor;” of Muslims rioting over some slight

offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because

they aren’t “believers;” of Muslims burning schools for

girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death

for “adultery;” of Muslims mutilating the genitals of

little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur’an

and Shari’a law tells them to.

I believe “a man should be judged by the content of his

character, not by the color of his skin.” I’m tired of

being told that “race doesn’t matter” in the post-racial

world of President Obama, when it’s all that matters in

affirmative action jobs, lower college admission and

graduation standards for minorities (harming them the

most), government contract set-asides, tolerance for the

ghetto culture of violence and fatherless children that

hurts minorities more than anyone, and in the appointment

of US Senators from Illinois. I think it’s very cool that

we have a black president and that a black child is doing

her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the

emancipation proclamation. I just wish the black president

was Condi Rice, or someone who believes more in

freedom and the individual and less in an all-knowing

government.

I’m tired of a news media that thinks Bush’s fundraising

and inaugural expenses were obscene, but that think

Obama’s, at triple the cost, were wonderful, that thinks

Bush exercising daily was a waste of presidential time,

but Obama exercising is a great example for the public to

control weight and stress, that picked over every line of

Bush’s military records, but never demanded that Kerry

release his, that slammed Palin with two years as governor

for being too inexperienced for VP, but touted Obama with

three years as senator as potentially the best president

ever.

Wonder why people are dropping their subscriptions or

switching to Fox News? Get a clue. I didn’t vote for Bush

in 2000, but the media and Kerry drove me to his camp in

2004.

I’m tired of being told that out of “tolerance for other cultures”

we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund

mosques and madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate

in America , while no American group is allowed to fund a

church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to

teach love and tolerance.

I’m tired of being told I must lower my living standard

to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to

debate. My wife and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and

carpool together five miles to our jobs. We also own a

three-bedroom condo where our daughter and

granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of

Al Gore’s, and if you’re greener than Gore, you’re green

enough.

I’m tired of being told that drug addicts have a

disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay

for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a

dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their

noses while they tried to fight it off? I don’t think Gay

people choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies

chose to take drugs. And I’m tired of harassment from cool

people treating me like a freak when I tell them I never

tried marijuana.

I’m tired of illegal aliens being called “undocumented workers,”

especially the ones who aren’t working, but are

living on welfare or crime. What’s next? Calling drug

dealers, “Undocumented Pharmacists”? And, no, I’m not

against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic and it’s been

a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me for

my religion. I’m willing to fast track for citizenship any

Hispanic person who can speak English, doesn’t have a

criminal record and who is self-supporting without family

on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our

military. Those are the citizens we need.

I’m tired of latte liberals and journalists, who would

never wear the uniform of the Republic themselves, or let

their entitlement-handicapped kids near a recruiting

station, trashing our military. They and their kids can

sit at home, never having to make split-second decisions

under life and death circumstances, and bad mouth better

people then themselves. Do bad things happen in war?

You bet. Do our troops sometimes misbehave? Sure.

Does this compare with the atrocities that were the policy of

our enemies for the last fifty years-and still are? Not even

close. So here’s the deal. I’ll let myself be subjected

to all the humiliation and abuse that was heaped on

terrorists at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo, and the critics can let

themselves be subject to captivity by the Muslims who

tortured and beheaded Daniel Pearl in Pakistan , or the

Muslims who tortured and murdered Marine Lt. Col. William

Higgins in Lebanon, or the Muslims who ran the blood

spattered Al Qaeda torture rooms our troops found in

Iraq, or the Muslims who cut off the heads of schoolgirls

in Indonesia, because the girls were Christian. Then we’ll

compare notes. British and American soldiers are the only

troops in history that civilians came to for help and

handouts, instead of hiding from in fear.

I’m tired of people telling me that their party has a corner

on virtue and the other party has a corner on corruption.

Read the papers-bums are bi-partisan. And I’m

tired of people telling me we need bi-partisanship. I live

in Illinois, where the “Illinois Combine” of Democrats

and Republicans has worked together harmoniously to loot

the public for years. And I notice that the tax cheats in

Obama’s cabinet are bi-partisan as well.

I’m tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and

politicians of both parties talking about innocent

mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we

all know they think their only mistake was getting caught.

I’m tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.

Speaking of poor, I’m tired of hearing people with

air-conditioned homes, color TVs and two cars called poor.

The majority of Americans didn’t have that in 1970, but we

didn’t know we were “poor.” The poverty pimps have to

keep changing the definition of poor to keep the

dollars

THE 2010 BUDGET

The House appropriations committee under the chairmanship of Rep Kevin Yoder has been working hard on the budget of the new fiscal year, which begins July 1 2009. Because of the Governor’s lack of leadership, the committee was forced to deal with balancing the current budget which took the first 5 weeks of the session in its entirety. Since then, the committee tackled the greater problem, namely reconciling the 2009/2010 expected shortfall with the need to balance a workable budget. The members of the committee deserve our appreciation for a job well done under most difficult circumstances. Instead the chairman and committee members have been severely criticized and reviled for making the hard decisions to ensure that we are not continually faced with enormous debt as the economy struggles.

Much of the most hysterical and noxious criticism comes from the school lobby and misinformed individuals dealing with K-12 funding. The committee sought to capture and utilize every available stimulus dollar from the Feds for schools. Because of these activities, the cuts to our district are minimal. In many cases, with Title 1 money from Washington, Kansas public schools will get more money this year than last year.

It is important to understand that the stimulus money is a one term event and it will only postpone an inevitable financial catastrophe for a year or, at most two, unless we take prudent steps now to reorganize, consolidate, and cut administration costs. It should also be noted that the aggregate contingency funds of Kansas school districts exceeds $100 million.

The decision to accept all, even the majority of Federal Stimulus Funds, is not easy. Much of these funds are earmarked to bulk up social programs which, once the feds money is spent, the state will have to finance forever. Many states have either rejected stimulus money altogether or in part (Governor PALIN took 39%). Except for the Dept. of Transportation, we have taken all we can so far. It allows us to pass a budget without raising taxes.

We expect to work the House version of the new budget on the floor the week and I’ll keep you updated in my next report. There will be long sessions and numerous amendments will be offered as individual Reps attempt to restore or enhance pet projects. (Last year we had 96 proposed amendments, 1 passed.)

NBAF

A press conference on Tuesday last, progress on the National BIO Agro Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan was reported. This facility will add a great boost to our economy. It is designed to protect the nation’s food supply and the agricultural economy. Six states competed for this lab and, although Texas is still unhappy and asking for reconsideration, Kansas was awarded this prestigious project. Along with the Bio-Science corridor and the world famous animal health research facilities in our state we will be recognized as pioneers in these fields.

On the agenda is cooperation between KBA and NBAF to secure National Cancer Center at KU. There are only a few such recognized centers in the US and many patients with rare cancers requiring highly specialized treatments must now travel to find it, NCC designated facilities attract the internationally recognized scientists needed. KU is already known as having a top tier School of Pharmacy and clinical research facility and drug delivery expertise to significantly expand cancer research and care.

BILLS DEALT WITH THIS WEEK

(To read a short synopsis of any bill, go to: www.kansasvotes.org. The entire bill can be found on the state web site: www.kslegislature.org )

We had a very busy week, voted in final action 34 bills. Those which passed are on the way to the Senate, where if discrepancies between House and Senate versions exist a House/Senate conference committee will try to find suitable compromise so that the bill can be sent to the Governor for signature. In addition we “worked” 24 bills on the House floor, which means these bills were debated, amended and disposed of, to be voted in final action this week.

BILLS PASSED

The following non-controversial bills passed unanimously:

HB 2324 sales tax exemptions

SB 34 open records

SB 50 insurance, risk capital

SB 161 recreation commission

SB 115 fire dept, training

SB 148 silver alert, missing elderly

SB 156 close corporation

SB 123 antique cars license plates

SB 132 voting in 3rd class cities

SB 70 uniform principal and income act

SB 175 school districts

SB 16 drug repository

SB 38 hospital districts

SB 85 Secretary of State, return of filings

SB 97 liquor enforcement

These bills passed with opposition - I voted to pass, except where indicated.

HB 2084 annexation (90-32)

HB 2343 RN certification

SB 84 Board of Education, school districts

HB 2032 unilateral annexation

HB 2299 sales tax exemption for Goodwill (83-40)

SB 240 regulation of mortgages (112-12) NO vote

HB 2072 retirement, pensions police firemen (115-7)

HB 2325 sales taxation (120-2)

SB 122 rebuilt salvage vehicles

SB 131 technical colleges, scholarships (109-13)

SB 80 certain cities, elections (82-38)

SB 171 Sherman County election (109-11) No vote

SB 11 community colleges (117-3)

HB 2295 milk, dairy products labeling (79-46) No vote

SB 19 crime and punishment (117-5)

SB 64 Water appropriations (108-12)

COMING UP

This week will be the battle of the budgets part 2, I expect long sessions and some contentious debates.

Also possible the vote on the controversial HB 2332 which substantially changes criminal law, decreasing penalties for many criminal acts, including assault on a law enforcement officer, manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine, failure to register as a violent sexual offender and numerous other felonies. Unless major changes are made I cannot support this bill. The death penalty issue is barely alive and may come out of the Senate. I’m still conflicted but leaning towards abolition.

SB 25 the smoking bill will also likely be up, I favor prohibition in all public buildings, but would prefer that bars and restaurants set their own policies. HB 2275, which requires random drug testing for public assistance recipients, is bottled up in committee, as is rescission of the in state tuition assistance for illegal aliens. I favor both.

Finally, HB 2227, sponsored by Rep Kinzer and myself, is languishing in the education committee. This bill would give vouchers to parents with autistic children. KNEA opposes all loss of control of the bureaucracy to parents. They believe kids belong to the state and the state knows best what is good for them. It is very frustrating. I promise to try again next session.

The democrats are pushing for labor friendly legislation, including such economic nonsense as minimum and living wage increases and easier unionization. Every study shows such laws destroy jobs and especially jobs for those who need them most. The Nancy Pelosi School of Economics has reached Kansas: don’t let facts and reality interfere with your superstition that you can legislate the laws of economics out of existence.
YOUR STATE GOVERNMENT AT WORK (CONT)
The Sebelius administration is in the middle of another scandal. A Johnson County non profit organization, Community Living Opportunities, received $713,000 in funding increases while competitive agencies were told no funding was available. This award came with disregard of the usual requests which involves going before a local agency that oversees these requests.

This has never happened in the history of SRS administrations. It turns out that Larry Gates, KS Democrat Party Chairman, and his law partner Dan Biles, whom she just appointed to the State Supreme Court, are on the Board of Directors of Community Living. Sebelius says she knows nothing of the extra money and that SRS Secretary Jordan gave it away on his own. This is the same Jordan who tolerated a $2.9 million “mistake” by one of his subordinates in awarding a contract for another vendor, also said to have connections with the Governor.

While claiming to be under-funded, Community Living bought a 40 acre farm in Douglas County and is in the process of building a swimming pool - your tax dollar at work. Two committees, one chaired by me, will take ample time to investigate after the session.

UNRESTRICTED LICENSE BILL ADVANCED

HB 2143 is on the way to the Governor. It changes driving privileges for teen age drivers. Beginning with the effectiveness of the law January 1, 2010, the following will apply:

- You must be 17 for an unrestricted license (now 16)

- Learner’s permits are required for one year (now 6 months)

- 16 year olds will have restricted privileges. They may drive from 5 am to 9 pm but must have 50 hours of adult supervised driving.

- Non related teen passengers and the use of cell phones are prohibited.
It is hoped that these measures will prevent accidents and save lives.

VISITORS
…are always welcome. If possible call for an appointment. Walk-ins take a chance. We’ll gladly arrange tours. Call my secretary Florence Deeters at 785-295 7615. This week we will be on the floor all day Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with no session Thursday or Friday. During the three days we’re in Lunch if possible. I can also leave the floor during debate but not final action to visit. Go to my office at 121 West and have Florence call me.
This week’s visitor: Steve Shute Gardner, running for City Council.
THE LAST WORD
My country right or wrong is a thing no true patriot would ever think of saying. It is like saying my mother drunk or sober!

C K CHESTERTON
Go to mikekiegerl.com

BILLS VOTED ON THIS WEEK

HB 2320 is the rainy day fund for emergencies, also known as budget stabilization fund. It sets aside funds for disaster relief should we encounter another Greensburg type calamity. A lengthy and spirited debate centered on whether we can and should segregate such funds in these times or whether we ought to first pay down the state’s debt. These arguments certainly have merit, but they were countered that without such a fund we could not even pay for local assistance, let alone outside help in the early stages of recovery. As for paying off bonds, the normal revenue stream is in place. What we must do is avoid issuing more debt. The bill passed 89-33. I voted with the majority.

SB77 extends the sunset for the state use law committee and passed 121-0.

HB2259: I found myself on the losing side, voting for this bill which dealt with a novel approach to lowering health care costs by starting a pilot program using health savings accounts, health opportunity accounts or both. In addition, KPHA was directed to develop programs emphasizing wellness, individual accountability for a healthy life style and wise consumption of health care. The bill failed 59-64. The opponents were willing to wait for the Federal Government to act.

SB46, an act concerning port authority and sale of real personal property passed 119-2. I voted aye.

Sub for sub HB2029: As can be seen by its designation, this bill is controversial. It was reassigned to committee and hotly debated. It deals with annexation. My position on both eminent domain and unilateral annexation are well known. I believe your home and property ought to be sacrosanct and taken only in very narrowly definer circumstance when the common good for the entire community is clearly evident, and then you should be compensated properly. I have voted for, and co-sponsored legislation reinforcing my conviction in the past. I also recognize that Edgerton and Spring Hill have never abused their authority and Gardner has demonstrated what ought to be done when it asked the citizens to vote on the annexation of the land used by the Intermodal. Olathe, on the other hand is presently mired in a controversy trying to annex properties on West Santa Fe. This bill would require a vote by the property owners to agree. Entreaties by representatives from the rural West telling me this bill was critically important, affecting water and fire districts and electric cooperatives and the Olathe situation lead me to support the bill. It passed 75-47.

We also passed SB5, naming a highway, 118-0. HB2343 removes the requirement of a High School diploma to get licensed as a nurse. It recognizes home schoolers. Admission to nursing school is not affected (SAT, ACT requirements remain; the student must pass the curriculum and State Boards.) The vote was unanimous.

WHAT”S COMING UP

HB2351: The death penalty will be debated in the Senate starting Monday, depending on Senate action it should come to the House within a week and we’ll hear testimony in my committee - Fed and State– or Judiciary. You’ll find more on this issue below.

Two more late term abortion bills will come to the house floor. HB2011 by Rep. Siegfreid deals with reporting of clear diagnosis showing need for the procedure, and HB2166 which prohibits the barbaric “partial birth” extraction of a viable baby. I cosponsor the latter, and will vote for both.

SB25, the Kansas clean air, act passed by the Senate and will also come up this week or next. Depending on what the committee decides and the final version of the bill, I expect to support it. My view is that smoking should be prohibited in all public buildings but bars and restaurants should be free to set their own policy. Consumers can then vote with their wallet. I would never take my family to a restaurant where smoking is pervasive, but I do take them to Bob and Dee’s in Gardner where smoking is allowed in one completely separate room with its own ventilation system. The owner tells me he stands to lose substantial revenue should he be forced to a no smoking policy. I don’t frequent bars and I’m told by the owners of bars in the district that people come in to have a drink and a cigarette. One actually stated he would go out of business if folks couldn’t smoke in his establishment. The question is also how far the government should go in regulating a lawful activity.

SB238 the cock fighting act, was the subject of a gut and go procedure which stripped out the entire content of the bill and inserted another bill in its place. It does not appear likely that cock fighting will be back this session. HB22099 Sales tax exemptions for Goodwill Industries, Easter Seals and others will come to the floor. I’ll support. HB2160 deals with automobile insurance. If you drive without insurance and have an accident you cannot collect non economic damages. I’ll support. SB84: School districts, personal literacy. I approve.

HB2332 is another story and very controversial. To avoid building more prison space, this bill would significantly reduce sentences of convicted criminals, including for offenses such as failure to register for violent sexual felons and those who aid them, makers and distributors of methamphetamine, kidnapping, battery, criminal threats, and many others. This is unacceptable to me and unless major changes are amended into this bill, I will fight it vigorously. I’m appalled that crimes against persons should even be considered for lesser sentences in spite of the cost. Society must be protected.

STIMULUS NEWS

The Kansas Legislative Research Dept released the following latest information on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009(ARRA). The “stimulus package” provides a one time financial assistance for several grant-in-aid programs. All of these programs already exist and the rules governing them are known. Kansas’ share of ARRA funds comes to $1.7 billion, $450 million to the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (82% for education, 18% general purposes), $400 million for Medicaid, $350 million for Highways and Bridges, $115 million for special education, $93 million for Title I education (early education and low income children).

Except for the 18% mentioned above, all funds are earmarked for the programs specified and cannot be legally diverted to others, and that money must be used for public safety and renovation and repair for higher ed facilities. It is certainly very helpful to have these funds and beneficial in the short term but we must also think about the intermediate and longer term. We will be able to fund education, for example at the same level as last year, but if we do not make major cost savings adjustments, the inevitable crisis is only postponed for a year or two.

Having the Federal government pick up a greater percentage of Medicaid matching funds will save us substantial amounts of money, but it requires us to cover children of families at 250% of income above the poverty level (now 200%), which for a family of 5 is $ 64,475. This will also increase the state’s cost in the future and encourage those who purchase private coverage to drop these policies in favor of “free” insurance from the government.

Another program with a short term benefit and potential long term problem is the State Unemployment fund. The federal monies require a longer time unemployment insurance is paid and an additional $25 weekly payment. These benefits are funded by the Feds entirely. The question is whether when these funds run out, will we go back to the previous schedule and payments or require employers to pay for their continuance with higher taxes. You have two guesses!

Finally, we ought to ask where this largess is coming from who will be paying the bill for these unprecedented measures. It is the American taxpayer, of course. Several constituents seem to think that the stimulus will solve our fiscal problems permanently and that is illusionary.

KEEP THOSE CARDS AND LETTERS COMING (PART 2)

During the session I receive around 200 messages a day and the number is rising. I do appreciate everyone who takes the time to contact me. My loyal and hard working aide Terri Lois Gregory and I have a goal to answer all constituents within 48 hours. This does not mean we’ll necessarily have the answer to your question but gives you an acknowledgement we got your mail and will follow up. You can help us by observing a few simple rules to facilitate communications:

1) Always identify yourself by giving your home address and phone number. Anonymous communications are discarded. Frequently we’ll call you for more information.

2) Keep it brief. PLEASE. Two paragraphs stating what you favor suffice. Tell me how you want me to vote, I don’t need to know why. If I’m intrigued by your request I’ll call you.

3) Try not to “educate” me. A recent form letter I received from 84 different persons contained the statement “our children are our future and deserve the best possible education.” DUH? I have 7 grand children and don’t know that? Another letter admonished me “not to turn my back on the children.” Frankly I found it offensive that any one might think me capable of such a thing. As chairman of the Children’s Issues Committee I have a record of working and speaking out for the interests of kids, and I have introduced and co-sponsored numerous bills on their behalf, most recently HB2227.

4) Write your own message if possible-see # 2 above.

5) Observe the Golden Rule, remain civil. I can take rudeness but I don’t like it. We should be able to disagree without impugning each others character. I enjoy a spirited debate with those who make well reasoned, cogent arguments and have spent hours in discussion with such folks. Usually we both learn something from these encounters, not the least of which is that our opinions are worthy of respect.

COMMITTEE WORK

The Federal and State Affairs Committee, on which I am Vice-Chair, is waiting on the Senate to send us their bill on the death penalty rescission. Debate begins today. As stated previously, I am conflicted and have not yet decided on how to vote in committee or should it get there, on the House floor. I have received 27 messages so far on the issue - 16 in favor of keeping it and 11 against. I’ll be talking to law enforcement officials, a few judges and I’ll evaluate the testimony by the conferees and your input to come to a conclusion.

As a member of the Social Services Budget Committee I have been frustrated by the lack of transparency in the huge bureaucracies we’ve permitted to grow in Topeka, several now have budgets over $1 billion, They come to committee with stacks of statistics and a paucity of useful data. The legislature must take oversight more seriously and I’m working with leadership to do just that. Infuriating is that an attitude prevails, “We must spend it or lose it,” and that jobs are remaining on the books for years because in better times they’re afraid the legislature might not restore them. While the private sector lost 3,900 jobs last fiscal year, the government added 4,000.We need to take the meat cleaver to some of these agencies.

DMV NEWS…

…is no news. The entire Johnson County delegation was scheduled to meet with Carmen Aldritt, head of the Department of Motor Vehicles to discuss what needs to be done to improve service at the Olathe and Shawnee driver’s license offices. We had to cancel twice because of final action and Committee Of the Whole matters on the floor. It is rescheduled for next week and I’ll not let up. Will keep you informed.

VISITORS…

…Are always welcome, but do try to call for an appointment. My secretary is Florence Deeters (785-296- 7615.) Walk in is fine but will be hit and miss. We can arrange tours.

Last week the following constituents visited: Jason Rogers, DO (Gardner), Bill Renfro (Spring Hill), Ruth and Larry Goodwin (Gardner), Debbie Lowery (Spring Hill), And these pages: Cameron Vande Velde (Spring Hill), Dana Goodwin (Spring Hill), Briteanee Willard (Spring Hill), Justin Chesnut (Spring Hill), and Dustin (Gardner).

THE LAST WORD

The business of the liberal is to go on making mistakes while the business of the conservative is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected.

C K Chesterton

This Newsletter is a service of S. Mike Kiegerl. Content of this newsletter is © 2009 S. Mike Kiegerl

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Tags: house, kansas legislature, Mike Kiegerl

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