Friends:

Look for me in the crowd of 9,000+ people at President Bush's Landon Lecture at K-State on Monday.  It's a pretty amazing feat to have a sitting president visit our state, especially since VP Cheney was just here a couple of weeks ago!

Also, I was selected to participate in the Kansas Republican Party's "Eisenhower Excellence in Public Service Series".  About 30 Kansas women were selected to participate in the statewide training program, and the first meeting is next Friday, at the commencement of Kansas Days, the annual statewide Republican-fest in Topeka.  I'll provide updates about the program as it progresses, and information about the application process for next year - so be thinking of a fabulous Kansas woman to nominate!

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

Announcements
Many of you have contacted me with your concerns about sexual predator laws in Kansas.  It looks like there may be a "kitchen sink" bill coming on that, and by that I mean, "all but the kitchen sink", because there are so many issues being considered.  There were hearings this week on SB 334 regarding length of sentence for offenders and multiple offenders, and post-release GPS monitoring.  A bill explanation is here, or paste this link to your browser:  http://www.kslegislature.org/fiscalnotes/2006/334.pdf.  Also forthcoming will be bills regarding where offenders can or cannot live (with regard to schools and day care facilities), and probably more restrictions about the offender registry.  I would guess that these bills will eventually be combined into one large bill.  Does anyone have concerns about these bills?

Education and Personal Activities
I had a couple of bills introduced this week (links will be provided when they become available).  Both, are relatively non-controversial, but both common sense!

§          Constituents Craig Jorgensen and George Gomez, both American Family Insurance agents, helped with this one.  When you are hit by an uninsured driver, and you have uninsured motorist insurance, your insurance company pays the damages for you.  Then, the uninsured's license is suspended because they were not carrying liability insurance, a state law.  In order to get the license reinstated, the uninsured must get insurance, pay a $100 fine, and show proof that they have made arrangements to reimburse the driver and insurance company for damages. 

o         Well, if the driver decided s/he doesn't want to pay anymore, after a month or so, they can just stop paying and there is no recourse for the driver or insurance company, and the State can't really do anything.

o         My bill would enable the Department of Revenue to re-suspend the driver's license upon notice that s/he has defaulted on the payment agreement (there is a bit of a grace period).

§          The other bill I authored enables businesses to file a report with the Governmental Ethics Commission if they have not been paid for services rendered to an elected official or candidate for office.  Currently, if a candidate does not note on their finance report that they are not paying their bills, no one knows!  If a business has an out-standing invoice, they must take the person to court, involving a lot of time and money for the business, and most will just "eat" the costs.  I don't think that's right.

Other legislation of note:

§     In addition, I have cosponsored legislation to reform campaign finance in Kansas, requiring 527 organizations (translation: soft-money groups, so-named for the part of the tax code where they are registered) to report where they get their money.  Kansas organizations are becoming frustrated because their patrons give to the Political Action Committees (PACs), but then organizations that are funded by out-of-staters dump millions into races, nullifying the efforts of Kansans who give to campaigns and PACs.

§          I have also cosponsored legislation enabling police departments to acquire DNA upon arrest, similar to fingerprinting, but much more accurate in cross-referencing arrests to outstanding warrants for other crimes.  When a person is cleared of charges, their DNA is destroyed, to protect their rights.

Floor Activity
None.  About the only thing we did all week is come in, do the prayer and Pledge, and adjourn.  Next week we will starting having bills trickle in from committees.

Commerce and Labor
More briefings and bill introductions.  I'm starting to keep track of how many times I've heard the same briefing...

Higher Education
HB 2575 - Hearing on concurrent enrollment (taking college courses while still in high school) changes that would allow technical colleges to participate in concurrent enrollment programs, and to allow 9th and 10th grade students identified as "gifted" to participate in college class concurrent enrollment.  We're investigating how this could specifically affect Johnson County Community College and the Shawnee Mission School District.

Governmental Organizations and Elections

Hearing on HB 2582 - Removal and prohibition of restrictive housing covenants.  Missouri did this last year, and it's unfortunate they beat us to it.  Some Home Owners' Association covenants dating back decades unfortunately included restrictions based on race and religion.  They are written so strictly as to require 100% participation by the HOA to change the bylaws, even though federal laws make the covenants enforceable.  These are a stain on our state.  So, this bill would require HOA Boards of Directors to remove these awful restrictions.  Next week, a floor amendment will add the "teeth" to the bill, requiring HOAs to re-file their covenants with the Register of Deeds within 6 months, or face penalties.

Where's Waldo?

(Besides session and committees 9 am - 5 pm)

Time Warner Cable news conference to bring awareness to parental controls already available in your cable box.  Click here for more information, or paste this into your browser: http://www.timewarnercable.com/kansascity/programming/parentalcontrols.html?menu=Programming

§          To be fair, Everest also has parental controls already available to you.  Click here for more information, or paste this into your browser: http://www.everestkc.net/index.php?module=QNA&QNA_Subject=Cable&QNA_Operation=view&Q_id=8

Methodist breakfast with Bishop Scott Jones

Kansas Realtors Association reception

Tonight, I'll see you at the Lenexa Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner

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.)