LEGISLATIVE INSIGHT, Number 6, 2010

By: Shirley Palmer, 4th District State Representative

Turn-Around
We spent most of this week on the House floor in an effort to push through bills before the halfway point of the session, referred to as TURNAROUND. At this point, House bills that were adopted by the chamber will go to the Senate and Senate bills will come to the House. These bills will now go through the committee process on the other side of the rotunda. With the exception of a few exempt committees, neither chamber will be able to introduce new legislation. However, it is possible that some proposals that did not pass out of committee before turnaround could be amended on to other pieces of germane legislation later in the session. Exceptions to turn around deadlines are made for legislation which has been touched by the Appropriations, Ways and Means, Tax or Federal and State Affairs committees.

Personal
185 4-H members and chaperones across Kansas came to the Capitol this week to participate in Kansas 4-H Citizenship in Action. This event is organized to encourage youth 13-18 to learn how the state legislative process works and how their voice and participation in decision making can make a difference in communities. 4-H members debated topics of Texting While Driving, 1% Sales Tax Increase and the State-Wide Smoking Ban.
The Kansas Pork Association hosted their annual legislative social and dinner Monday evening. Kansas Pork facts include: Kansas is the number ten state in hog and pig inventory producing about 2.6 percent of the nation’s total. There are 1,500 hog farms in Kansas. Of these operations, 310 produce over 95% of the state’s pork. Kansas pork operations consume the equivalent of over eight million bushels of soybean through soybean products and Kansas pork operations consume over 30 million bushels of grain, primarily in the form of Kansas-grown milo and corn.
The University of Kansas Hospital sponsored a state-wide “CHANGE OF HEART FOR KANSAS” launch awareness campaign to inspire and improve women’s heart health Tuesday evening in Topeka. Heart disease will affect one out of three women. As a comparison, breast cancer will affect one out of eight. This campaign focuses on raising awareness of the problem, encouraging a heart health assessment to determine risk and inspiring advocacy that evokes change. First Lady of Kansas Stacy Parkinson was a keynote speaker.

Budget Update
The rescission bill passed the House and was reconciled with the Senate version. The final product cuts $92 million from the current budget. The House voted to concur with the conference committee report and it will now head to the Governor for his signature or veto. It is likely that the FY 2010 budget will still be approximately $40 million short by July. If revenues continue to come in lower than expected, we will need to revisit the FY 2010 budget for a sixth time. If that becomes necessary, we will probably wait until the most updated revenue estimates become available in April to take any further action.

Public School Enrollment Up
Enrollment in public schools in Kansas increased by 6,100 students this year – a rate of growth more than twice what it has been in recent years. Dale Dennis, Deputy Education Commissioner, says state education officials were shocked by the rate of growth this year. Dennis and other education officials attribute the increase to the struggling economy. They say some families, due to loss of employment in other states, have moved back to Kansas and even moved in with extended family in order to save money. Also, some Kansans are having to pull their children out of private schools that they can no longer afford because of lost jobs or other economic stress. Principals at private schools say their enrollments are generally stable, although they are getting more requests for financial help.

Higher Education
This week student leaders from Regent Universities met with legislators to lobby for higher education funding as part of Higher Education Day. After cutting more than $100 million from higher education last year, tuition is rising, classes are larger, there are fewer courses to choose from, and the availability of campus jobs has decreased. Our higher education system has certainly shouldered its fair share of the state’s budget burden. At a time when enrollments continue to increase statewide, over 750 employees and positions have been laid off, held vacant, or eliminated, and over 450 academic programs and classes have been eliminated, producing increased class sizes and making it less likely students will be able to graduate on time. Some institutions are now considering enrollment caps. Higher Education is an engine for economic growth. Investing in higher education is important to lay the foundation for our future economic recovery.

Jana Mackey Bill
On Thursday, House Bill 2517 passed the House, which will help the justice system better track domestic violence cases. The bill was introduced in response to the 2008 murder of Lawrence resident Jana Mackey. Currently, many crimes related to an abusive relationship (such as harassment, damage to property or disorderly conduct) aren’t classified as domestic violence. House Bill 2517 would allow judges to determine whether crimes are linked to domestic violence and then tag them accordingly onto legal documents connected to any criminal act involving an intimate or domestic relationship. A tag will allow for better tracking of repeat offenders. This is especially important with domestic violence cases, as most offenders repeat their crimes (including Jana’s murderer). Additionally, the bill allows judges to require treatment for the offender, such as therapy. Ultimately, this legislation will help sanction domestic violence before it escalates. Mackey, originally from Hays, was a 25-year-old KU law student when she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2008. Tragically, she had previously worked as a lobbyist in the State Capitol on behalf of women who were victims of domestic violence. Jana’s parents have carried on her passion for fighting domestic violence through the creation of “Jana’s Campaign to Stop Domestic Violence.” The campaign’s goal is to promote new and effective legislation to protect victims of domestic violence.

Bills Passed
Below is a list of some bills that have passed the House. Remember, bills must also pass the Senate and be signed by the Governor to actually become law.
HB 2160 requires a mortgage holder to release insurance claim money within 30 days after receiving a written request. There have been problems in delayed payments after storm damages have been repaired.
HB 2364 allows another business day for filing of a court case if the clerk of district court is not accessible due to the office being closed for some reason.
HB 2412 would allow the Kansas Parole Board to grant release to offenders that are terminally ill and not likely to survive the current 30 day waiting period. The person must be too ill to be a danger to the community and have a family or person who will be responsible for him or her.
HB 2418 authorizes KDHE to regulate underground carbon dioxide storage.
HB 2440 requires victim and/or victim’s family and defendant’s family to be notified when the defendant has a change in status. Hopefully victim will feel a bit safer.
HB 2468 increases the registration time from 10 years to life for offenders convicted of attempt, conspiracy and solicitation of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, aggravated criminal sodomy, promoting prostitution if the prostitute is less than 14 and for sexual exploitation of a child.
HB 2482 allows an active duty member of the armed forces or a dependent who is stationed outside the U.S. to renew a driver’s license without examination. It also requires the License Division to mail only a notice of expiration and not the information booklet to persons whose license will be expiring. This will save about $110,000 a year in postage.
HB 2484 closes loopholes on DUI convictions for holders of commercial driver’s licenses.
HB 2486 allows school districts to keep school buses until they are 25 years old. Current law is 20 years. This will save replacement costs if older buses are still in good condition.
HB 2588 changes the cap on prepaid funeral contracts from $5,000 to $7,000. This makes contracts closer to current costs.
HB 2448 permits trained pharmacists to administer flu vaccine to those who are 6 years old or older. Current law allows them to administer vaccines to persons 18 or older.

Keep in Touch
I am honored to serve as your 4th District State Representative. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity. Please feel free to contact me with your comments or questions. My office telephone is 785-296-7646 and my state e-mail is shirley.palmer@house.ks.gov.