Follow Us 
Related News
Current Poll
| Palmer Gives Legislative Update |
 |
 |
 |
| News - Linn County News | |||
| Written by Shirley Palmer | |||
| Wednesday, 27 January 2010 09:00 | |||
The Kansas Legislature met for only four days last week so all state employees could celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 18. Even with a short week, many bills were introduced, and committees were hard at work. Often, standing-room only was available for committee meetings as interested people observed and/or testified.  Conservation I enjoyed attending the Bourbon County Conservation District annual meeting at Uniontown on Saturday night. Congratulations to all the winners. An individual representing Westar Energy from Wichita was a keynote speaker. She challenged all to being more efficient in conserving energy. Melanie Returns Lt. Col. Melanie Meir of Leavenworth has returned from a tour in Iraq and has been sworn in to continue serving in the Kansas House of Representatives. She had to resign last year when she received orders to return to duty in the Middle East. Don Navinski had been serving during her absence. The entire Legislature expressed relief and joy that Melanie has returned safely. Public Safety a Concern In a time of funding cuts and filling budget gaps, I am concerned with the effects of cuts in public safety. The Kansas Department of Corrections shared information on the specific impacts these cuts have had in local communities and within the Kansas corrections system as a whole. In an effort to counter funding cuts, the agency has prioritized cuts based on impact. First to go were surplus beds; three small facilities were closed. Then the department scaled back programs or facilities serving low-risk offenders (boot camps and remaining small facilities) and some inmate education and treatment programs. These cuts surely will affect recidivism rates, and fewer prisoners are likely to be rehabilitated into functional workers. (That will hit us later.) The Department of Corrections has tried to retain highly trained staff members to avoid spending at least five years to recruit replacements, train them and get them to the same skill level of current staffers. Some contractual services were cut instead of staff positions. Department officials indicate that the next round of cuts will require staff reductions, which is likely to contribute to early release of prisoners (there is no statutory authority for such early release) and dramatic reductions in probation and parole supervision. Such program cuts would have immediate and apparent effects on public safety in Kansas, as more offenders would be released early and enter communities with less supervision. Corrections Secretary Roger Werholtz has developed some of the most innovative and proven programs for reintegrating parolees back into society using risk-reduction strategies that assist them in becoming law-abiding and contributing citizens instead of returning to crime. These programs have been recognized nationally as ones that keep offenders from continuing a life of crime and re-entering our prison system. State government serves important functions in every Kansas community, and keeping you safe is one of them. Transportation The House Transportation Committee heard a presentation Wednesday on InsureNet, which provides paperless verification of motorists’ insurance status. Former University of Oklahoma football coach Barry Switzer, who implemented the program in Oklahoma, was present at our meeting. (I had my picture taken with him.) We also heard from Deb Miller, state transportation secretary, who spoke about the status of transportation in the state. Texting While Driving House Bill 2439, introduced this week, would ban drivers from text-messaging while operating a vehicle. It would outlaw typing on any “handheld wireless device” while driving, including wireless telephones, pagers and laptop computers. The bill would permit police and emergency medical technicians to do so, however, in case of an emergency, when reporting a safety hazard or crime. Drivers suspected of illegally texting would face a Class C misdemeanor charge. Those with two or more violations could lose his or her license for up to 90 days. Hearings will begin soon on this topic. Tax Credits for Historic Restoration Members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee have introduced a bill to restore the state’s historic preservation tax credits by eliminating a cap placed on them last year. The program would allow developers to receive tax credits worth up to 25 percent of the cost of a rehabilitation or preservation project that has been deemed a certified historic structure or that is completed at a site registered as a Kansas historic place. Projects that are already exempt from federal taxes can receive a credit of up to 27 percent of the project’s cost. The state used $10 million in credits in 2008. A downturn in the economy led the Legislature to place a $3.75 million cap on the program for fiscal years 2010 and 2011. To qualify for a restoration credit, a project must cost at least $5,000 and be submitted for a credit by June 30, 2011. To claim the credit, you must fill out a Schedule K-35, which can be found on the Kansas Department of Revenue’s Web site at www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/forms/k-35.pdf. You also may call the Department of Revenue at (785) 296-4937 to request a K-35 form. Math and Science Leaders Twenty-four students were presented to the House Education Committee this week to be recognized as the first students selected for the Kansas Academy of Math and Science at Fort Hays State University. One student was from Fort Scott High School. Opened in 2009, KAMS provides high school juniors and seniors who excel in math or science with an accelerated two-year program that meets the requirements for both high school graduation and associate degrees. Upon graduation, the students will have earned the college credits equivalent to an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science, in addition to a high school diploma. Agriculture The House Agriculture Committee was busy this week. Highlights included reports from Carol Jordan, of the Kansas Department of Commerce, who gave an updated report on ag products development; Greg Dennis, the general counsel for the Kansas Veterinary Medical Association, who gave a presentation on animal rights and welfare issues, and Kansas Agriculture Secretary Josh Svaty, who reported on the state of Kansas agriculture. By the way, he is one of the youngest in the history of the state to serve in this capacity; he’s 30. Keep in Touch It is a special honor to serve as your state representative. I value and need your input on the various issues facing state government. My office phone number in Topeka is (785) 296-7646 and my home phone is (620) 223-4105. You also can leave a message for me on the legislative hotline at 1-800-432-3924.
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email This
Hits: 467 Trackback(0)
Comments (0)
 Write comment
You must be logged in to post a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
|
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
