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May 4, 2004
ssharp@ink.org
Friends:
Welcome to the second edition of the Sharp Record veto session play-by-play. We have had a lot of down time yesterday and today, waiting for conference committees to meet and work on compromises on a variety of bills. We passed a couple of little bills today, renaming the Dept. of Human Resources the Dept. of Labor and worked some more on an annexation bill everyone except Topeka appears to despise.
We’re getting all of the smaller stuff done and out the door so we can deal with the issues that are truly important, like education. Unfortunately, I am just kidding! The pressing issue we dealt with today was the marriage amendment. Your tax dollars hard at work. Read on…
Personal Activities
"Inside Kansas Politics" this week will focus on veto session wrap-up. Tune in at 10:00 am to 1510 AM for the inside scoop. Or, you can surf to www.1510.com and listen in LIVE. We want your calls! Call us at 913-491-8255 (TALK).
- Saturday, May 8th, we hope to be back in the comfy studios in Overland Park, with no technical difficulties!
- Topic: Veto Session Wrap Up – where else can you get a
statewide view of the legislative wrap-up.
- Guests: Rep. Jeff Jack (R-Parsons), Rep. Don Hill (R-Emporia), and Rep. Josh Svaty (D-Ellsworth)
Education
Our pro-education coalition is still standing strong. We were hearing that if the Senate cannot pass the $155 million the House already passed, we should go home with nothing. We have now convinced all parties that going home is not an option, and as of now, a Motion to Adjourn will not pass the House.
- Motion to Adjourn: A motion to adjourn is always in order, and anyone can make it. The motion, like any other, must receive 63 votes to pass. However, if the Senate does not also pass the motion, we can only adjourn for two days.
Our coalition is working toward a solution, and meeting many times a day. Meanwhile, we are waiting for the Senate to bring something legitimate to the table. There are lines of communication open with a handful of reasonable Senators who are willing to stay and work hard for something for our schools.
Floor Activities
Marriage amendment: After many emails and phone calls from Wichita and less than a handful from my district, supporting the amendment to ban gay marriage, and many emails and phone calls from my district and all over Johnson County and northeast Kansas in opposition to the amendment, I voted no. The amendment failed by a vote of 79-45.
Here’s the “inside baseball”: A Constitutional amendment requires a 2/3 majority of each chamber. The Senate passed it for the first time with the needed 27 votes on Saturday. The bill needed 84 votes in the House. There were quite a few people that felt guilty for being a “yes” vote last time, because they made a political vote, not one based in fact or precedent, but in emotion or fear.
I have a variety of reasons for opposing this amendment: philosophical, legal, religious, and Biblical. All of which I have shared in previous editions of the Sharp Record, and I will refrain from over explaining. The underlying reason for all of these is the basic premise that we should not be Constitutionalizing discrimination. We’re talking about amending the Constitution.
By not passing this bill, we are not allowing these marriages, or by any stretch of the imagination requiring churches to perform them. In fact, we continue operating under current law, which states that marriage is between a man and a woman. This statute has been challenged and upheld in the Kansas Supreme Court.
Where's Waldo (Rep. Sharp)? April 30 – May 4, 2004
- "Inside Kansas Politics" was LIVE from the House
chamber on Saturday, May 1st. We apologize for the
technical difficulties and awkward pauses; we were trying to engineer
two call-in hosts with a couple of important call-in guests!
- If you listened in, you were truly privileged to the MOST “inside scoop” on Kansas politics.
- Governor Sebelius spent about 20 minutes with us, talking about education and the end-game on what we need for schools!
- As anticipated, we worked until late afternoon on Saturday.
Resources
Johnson County Statehouse Hotline! Call Topeka for free - 913-715-5000 and ask to speak with your Representative or Senator.
LIVE! House or Senate Chamber:
http://www.kslegislature.org/currenthappenings/index.html
Question of the Week!
Two weeks ago winner: Andrew Roberts won the question two weeks ago about Separation of Church and State. The answer? False. This premise is not in U.S. Code, but originated in a series of letters by Thomas Jefferson. It has since been set in court precedent.
Last Week's Question: In 1887, the Kansas House of Representatives appointed a new assistant doorkeeper, or Sergeant At Arms. This person was rather infamous. Who was it, and why was he infamous?
Answer and Winner: Boston Corbett is known for killing Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth. And guess what – I forgot to forward last week’s winner to my computer at the Capitol!! You’ll have this week’s winner with last.
NEW QUESTION: What discovery do Walt Disney and a Kansas astronomer have in common?
Stephanie Sharp
17th District, KS House
Serving Lenexa and Shawnee