February 17, 2006

Friends:

If you're watching what is going on at the federal level with campaign finance (it's kind of hard to miss it), and the Abramoff scandal, you'll be interested in what's going on in Kansas regarding campaign finance reform.  Former Lieutenant Governor of Kansas, Shelby Smith of Wichita, had a great op-ed in the Wichita Eagle last week.  It certainly brings light to this issue in our state, and you'll read the article and think "we don't already do this?"  Unfortunately, you'd likely be surprised at what isn't disclosed in Kansas.  The Wichita Eagle archived their Feb. 8, 2006 article already, but the Lawrence Journal-World has basically the same comments from Shelby here: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2004/aug/27/ethics_officials_want/

Education and Personal Activities
Floor Activity
Commerce and Labor
Higher Education
Governmental Organizations and Elections
Where's Waldo
Resources

Education and Personal Activities
Lots of talk, rumors about education plans being bantered about, but nothing hard-and-fast yet.  I understand there may be a plan introduced next week.

Floor Activity
Booster seats: You will remember we moved this vote to Monday, see below for the tally.  As a side note, since my last email, I have seen two commercials (State Farm and Progressive, if I remember right) supporting booster seats for kids under eight years old.  Plus, I saw a billboard on the MO side with the 8, 80, or 4'8" slogan on it! 

Bill:  http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2006/2611.pdf

Explanation:  http://www.kslegislature.org/fiscalnotes/2006/2611.pdf

Bill passed 90-29.  I voted YES.

M&E (HB 2619) on the House floor:  As you have probably heard, both from the Governor and the KS Chamber of Commerce, or your local Chamber of Commerce, the State is looking to make your new purchases of business machinery and equipment property tax exempt.  Unfortunately, as many of you have noted, this is a loss of revenue to our cities, counties, and school districts, which they will probably have to make up.  So, is it really a tax cut?  Well, the long story is, yes. 

§          The point of the bill is to stimulate companies to expand their businesses and add new employees with the money they're not spending on taxes.  Those new employees, products, and services produced by this expansion will add income and sales tax revenues and hopefully new property taxes to the localities because those new employees are buying houses in Kansas.  So, the revenue generated by the exemption will be enough to cover the anticipated losses to localities.

§          To ensure localities have some cushion and time to make up the revenue, the Tax Committee amended the exemption with a "slider".  The State will match 100% of whatever taxes would have gone to the localities for the first year, 80% the second year, 60% the third year, 40% the fourth year, and so on.

Bill:  http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2006/2619.pdf

Explanation: http://www.kslegislature.org/fiscalnotes/2006/2619.pdf

Bill passed 108-14.  I voted YES.

HB 2342 will allow ARNPs (nurse practitioners), if employed by an adult care home or licensed hospice to determine and pronounce a death, instead of a physician.  Many times, especially in rural areas, physicians are few and far between, and this will allow greater flexibility and less stress for families, homes, and hospices.

Bill:  http://www.kslegislature.org/fiscalnotes/2006/2611.pdf

Explanation:  http://www.kslegislature.org/fiscalnotes/2006/2342.pdf

Bill passed 96-22.  I voted YES.

HB 2722 would provide a state match for funds contributed to the Learning Quest education savings plan by poor Kansans.  Studies show that a huge majority of folks that are contributing to these plans have mid to high level salaries, and the folks who most need the financial help with a college education usually cannot afford to contribute to savings plan.

Bill:  http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2006/2722.pdf

Explanation:  http://www.kslegislature.org/fiscalnotes/2006/2722.pdf

Bill passed 84-33.  I voted YES.

Commerce and Labor
Big week - be sure to read on for information about worker's compensation bills worked in the committee this week. 

Jargon alert:  "Worked" - when a committee holds a hearing, we say we "hear" the bill.  When the committee brings up the bill for consideration to pass it out, we call it "working" or "marking up" the bill, because we make changes to the bill (amendments), and decide if the bill should pass out of the committee, or stay put.

HB 2658 - Have you ever tried to redeem a gift certificate and the retailer said it was expired, or had diminished the amount on the gift card by the amount of time you've had it?  Rep. David Huff introduced a bill to basically prevent businesses from expiring gift certificates, but the bill seems to have dozens of unintended consequences.  Before those of you with businesses that issue gift cards/certificates get too excited, we have referred the bill to a subcommittee to iron out all of the idiosyncrasies and make everyone happy!  Legislative Research's explanation is here. 

Bill text:  http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2006/2658.pdf

Explanation:  http://www.kslegislature.org/fiscalnotes/2006/2658.pdf

Hearing on HB 2839 - would allow landlords, upon eviction proceedings with the court, and under Sheriff's supervision at time of the landlord taking possession of the property, if the evicted tenant has not moved all of their possessions out of the property, the landlord can move the possessions to the curb, or store them at the tenant's expense.  The curb thing will be an issue with cities, I am certain, but we will be discussing ordinances regarding such, and making more amendments to the bill when we work it next week.

Bill text:  http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2006/2839.pdf

Explanation:  http://www.kslegislature.org/fiscalnotes/2006/2839.pdf

Hearing on HB 2807 - This bill would regulate home inspectors, which currently have no oversight, required training, or regulation.  If you're a home inspector, please do not worry - your lobbyist has been working with the KS Realtors Association, who proposed the bill, to develop a compromise that your association will support.

Bill text:  http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2006/2839.pdf

Explanation: Not available yet.

Worker's Compensation Action:

Hearing on HB 2671 - This bill would allow employers to pay one deductible per "occurrence" of an incident, instead of per case.  So if two employees are hurt in the same incident, you pay one deductible for the occurrence instead of two deductibles for just one incident.  Mark up will probably be next week.

Bill text:  http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2006/2671.pdf

Explanation:  http://www.kslegislature.org/fiscalnotes/2006/2671.pdf

Worked HB 2696 - Increasing salaries for administrative law judges.  No one opposed this one, this will enable us to recruit and hire qualified administrative law judges.  Bill passed out of committee.

Bill text: http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2006/2696.pdf

Explanation:  http://www.kslegislature.org/fiscalnotes/2006/2696.pdf

Worked HB 2753 - Bill would allow businesses to close worker's compensation claims that have not had evidence filed or a hearing in five years.  The bill passed out of the committee with an amendment that excluded claims with continuing medical or continuing hearings.  All sides (labor, business, workers, employers) agreed to the amendment – a major feat when it comes to work comp legislation!

Bill text: http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2006/2753.pdf

Explanation:  http://www.kslegislature.org/fiscalnotes/2006/2753.pdf

Higher Education
SB 139 - We held a mark up of the KS Academy of Math and Science bill.  This is the bill that passed the Senate last year 36-3 and failed in the House.  My constituents, Don Norwood and Jerry Magliano developed the KAMS program over the course of a couple of years and have worked diligently to see this come to fruition in Kansas.  The bill will be considered before the House after next week's "turnaround" break. 

Bill:  http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2006/139.pdf

Explanation: http://www.kslegislature.org/fiscalnotes/2006/139.pdf

Governmental Organizations and Elections

Nothing of particular interest to our area - a couple of bills to allow Tribune and Greeley County in western KS to consolidate some services, one to allow folks to opt out of a rural water district, and that's about it…

Where's Waldo?

(Besides session and committees 9 am - 5 pm)

§          Pages, pages, and more pages!  Thanks to Emporia State University Registrar (and my former boss at Southwestern College) Jill Megredy and Shawnee City Councilwoman Dawn Kuhn for bringing their kids and friends to page for me!  Alex Kuhn, Alex Henrich, Sarah Megredy, Jessica Hilbish, Amanda Belford, were great to have at the Capitol this week.

§          Community America Credit Union constituent meeting with Dennis Pierce, Mike Patrick, and Sean Yokley

§          KS Library Association lunch with constituent Ellen Miller

§          Saw Steve Jeffers, Director of Shawnee Mission Medical Center's Institute for Spirituality in Health, he testified in support of a resolution to encourage the expanded use of advanced directives and living wills in Kansas.

Resources

Johnson County Statehouse Hotline - Call Topeka for free!  Dial 913.715.5000 and ask for your Representative or Senator.  If you don't know, simply give them your address and they'll head you in the right direction!

Next Week's hearings:  See any bills that interest you?
House
Senate

LIVE!!  House or Senate Chamber
LIVE!! Paperless House Health and Human Services Committee (1:30-3:30 pm MTWR)

Please do not hesitate to contact me about these or any other issues of interest to you.  I appreciate the opportunity to represent you in Topeka.

Rep. Stephanie Sharp
17th District, Kansas House
Serving Lenexa and Shawnee
www.stephaniesharp.com
Home:  913-894-1201
Topeka phone: 785-296-7654 (Note: this is a change from last year.)