Friends:

Welcome back to the Sharp Record!  To those that subscribed after the 2003 session, welcome to the team!  The newsletter is more frequent during the legislative session, as I seek to be a resource to you in your home and business dealings with our state government.  I am excited about the new features this year, as you will see at the end of the update section.  Hold on...  Here we go!

Beyond the State of the State address Monday night, the rest of the week was spent readjusting to our return to Topeka, catching up with colleagues, prepping legislation, and clearing away all the paper that bombards our desks when the session starts!

During the governor’s speech, I was accompanied by my trusty laptop.  Here is an excerpt from my notes on the speech:

*Certainly a lot of tag lines, but no details.  The only details we know are $10 m for Smart Start and she’s refunding the transportation plan. 

Well, as it turns out, that was the governor’s intent.  Later that evening, when asked by NBC Action News 13, I basically said the same thing.  I have heard from many of you that saw the interview on the 10 o’clock news!

So, legislators are left to deliver what many would consider to be the bad news – a tax increase plan.  The “Education First” plan is ironically similar to last year’s Freshman Budget Plan that Governor Sebelius refused to support – including an income tax surcharge and sales tax increase.  One major difference: the “Ed1” plan includes a property tax increase.

My thoughts:  Although I am fundamentally opposed to income taxes, your overwhelming demands for tax increases for our schools gave me a lot of freedom to negotiate with my colleagues in Topeka during the 2003 session.  As you may know, an income tax surcharge is much better for Johnson County taxpayers than adding another income tax bracket.  This legislation is headed for the Tax Committees, where they will be put through the wringer and emerge substantially changed.  I will keep you updated on the latest news and gossip as this legislation proceeds through the legislature.

In the meantime, I am working on a bill to implement a statewide electronic disease reporting system that will help public health officials provide faster intervention to prevent the spread of diseases like West Nile virus.  This bill will be heard next Wednesday in the Health and Human Services Committee.  You can listen and watch the committee LIVE by clicking on the link in the resources section below.

I’ll keep this one short and ease you slowly back into regular session emails, lest I bore you!  Check out the opportunities, Where’s Waldo (Rep. Sharp), resources section, and the return of the Question of the Week below, and as always, please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of service to you!

Opportunities:

Republican Convention Self-Nomination.  If you are interested in attending the Republican National Convention in New York City as a Kansas delegate or alternate delegate, I have nomination forms to nominate yourself for consideration.  There are costs you must bear as a delegate, but I can tell you first hand, the convention is INCREDIBLE!  The more applicants, the better the pool, so please consider this opportunity.

Next week’s committee schedule:

Senate (page 5):  http://www.kslegislature.org/cgi-bin/getfile.cgi/agstat/2004/sa0116.pdf

House (page 3):  http://www.kslegislature.org/cgi-bin/getfile.cgi/agstat/2004/ha0116.pdf

LIVE!  Paperless House Health and Human Services Committee (1:30 – 3:00 pm daily):

http://www.kslegislature.org/committeeminutes/03-04/house/hhealth/h_hhs.shtml

• See and hear the committee in action, read agendas and testimony for the day

LIVE!  House or Senate Chamber:

http://www.kslegislature.org/currenthappenings/index.html

Where’s Waldo (Rep. Sharp)?  December 31, 2003 – January 16, 2004

(Besides session and committee meetings 9am – 5 pm)

• Paul LeVota’s morning talk show on Hot Talk 1510 (it was too last minute to get the word out to you!)
• Lenexa City and Chamber legislative agenda breakfast
• Johnson County Young Republicans (Interested?  Ask me about JCYRs!)
• Johnson County Aging and Health and Human Resources legislative agenda discussion
• Johnson County “Convener” reception
• Shawnee City legislative agenda breakfast
• Health Committee final training
• KS Agriculture Alliance luncheon for all legislators
• KS Assn of Realtors reception
• Country Cousins Co-op dinner
• KS Restaurant and Hospitality Assn Taste of Kansas luncheon
• MoKan 20/20 Vision student leadership forum

Question of the Week!

Welcome back to the Sharp Record veterans, and a big hello to the newbies – I welcome your feedback and ideas on how to improve the Sharp Record, my communication, or even state government!  The first email response wins a prize and all appropriate laud and glory – the envy of friends, etc.

Question: