Week 9 Legislative Update: March 11, 2011

Good Afternoon Everyone:

I hope you are all outside enjoying this beautiful weather.  The pace around the capitol has really picked up.  Bills are supposed to be out of committee by March 18, to be considered on the floor.  Next week will be our last week of regular committee meetings, then we will be on the Senate floor debating bills and having conference committee meetings, if possible. 

BREAKING NEWS – Gov. Sam Brownback said this morning he will make $56.5 million in budget cuts by the end of business today to secure a break-even ending balance on June 30. Senate and House Budget Conference Committee members have been meeting for several weeks trying reach a compromise on the Recission Bill, which would make changes to our current year’s budget.  The House members accepted the Senate’s position yesterday, but then stated that they would not support the bill when it came to the House floor for a vote.  The Senate rejected the offer.

Remember this weekend is Daylight Savings Time.  Set your clocks back an hour at 2 am on Sunday.

Kelly

Legislative Update

Week 9

Senator Kelly Kultala

March 11, 2011

IN THIS ISSUE:

·                  Slow Start to the Week

·                  District Happenings

·                  Unemployment Information Released

·                  Voter ID Bills Have Hearings in the Senate

·                  Synthetic Marijuana, Bath Salts

·                  Breach of Privacy Statute

·                  Highway Advisory Commission Abolished

·                  Oversize Truck Loads

·                  Important State Phone Numbers

SLOW START TO THE WEEK

We were off to a slow start this week.  Without any floor votes taking place until Wednesday, Senators spent most of their time in committees.  With only three weeks left in the regular session, please feel free to contact me with any concerns you have about legislation or committee meetings. 

All House and Senate sessions are open to the public.  And live broadcasts of Senate and House proceedings can be found at www.kslegislature.org.  To hear legislative proceedings, just click on the “Listen in Live” link.  

 

I am honored to serve as your Senator.  My office is located in room 124-E.  Please feel free to visit or to contact me at 785-296-7357, if you should have any questions.

DISTRICT HAPPENINGS

·                  According to statistics released by the US Census Bureau last week, Leavenworth County’s population increased by 11 percent since 2000.  More than 7,000 new residents moved into the county in the past decade. Leavenworth County remains the sixth largest Kansas county.  Population of the cities in the Senate 5^th District are; Bonner Springs at 7,314 or 8.1% increase; Kansas City at 145,786 or 0.7% decrease; Lansing at 11,265 or 22.5% increase; and Leavenworth at 35,251 or 0.5% decrease.

·                  Congratulations to Christina Payne-Montague, a Leavenworth High School senior, for being named the 2011 Youth of the Year for Fort Leavenworth.

·                  Meeting to hear proposals regarding Happy Foods Grocery Store scheduled for Sunday, March 13 at 7 pm at the store at 55^th & Leavenworth Rd. in Kansas City, KS.

·                  Leavenworth Road Association (LRA) is taking application from their residents for the Christmas in October Group. If you or someone you know needs some home repair or yard work done let LRA know at 913-788-3988. There are eligibility requirements. 

·                  Veteran’s Resource Fair scheduled for Saturday, March 19 at the American Legion, 3029 NW U.S. Hwy 24, Topeka, KS from 10 am – 1 pm.  The Resource Fair is free, open to the public and open to any organization that is currently offering assistance to Veterans.

UNEMPLOYMENT INFORMATION RELEASED

The Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) released a report on Thursday, indicating a small bump in unemployment over last month. The state’s January 2011 unemployment rate was 7.4 percent.  That’s up from 6.4 percent in December 2010, but down more than a point from this time last year.

As good news, 5 of Kansas’s 11 major industries saw job growth in January.  These include business services, education, health services, mining, hospitality and government sectors.

It’s reassuring to see the unemployment rate continues to decrease over last year.  As we move out of this recession, it’s important that legislators look for ways to grow jobs and continue to protect those workers who have been laid off. 

   

VOTER ID BILLS HAVE HEARINGS IN SENATE COMMITTEE

The Senate Ethics and Elections Committee had three days of hearings regarding HB 2067 and SB 222, both concerning Voter ID requirements.  HB 2067 was sponsored by the Secretary of State and the bill includes voter identification requirements, proof of citizenship requirements when registering to vote for the first time, enhanced penalties for election crimes raising the penalty from a misdemeanor to a nonperson felony and adding prosecutorial powers to the Secretary of State’s Office.  The Committee will consider these bills for action next Wednesday. 

SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA, BATH SALTS

The bill working its way through the Senate would add new substances to the state’s list of illegal drugs.  Bath salts and K3, a type of synthetic marijuana, will be included in a new section of cannibinoids.  Using, producing or distributing these substances will be considered a level 3 drug felony for first-time offenders.  

If you recall, last year the Kansas Legislature banned a synthetic type of marijuana called K2.  Since its outlaw, producers of K2 have slightly altered ingredients to produce a similar product with the same hallucinogenic effect. 

Also at issue is the continued sale of bath salts containing cathinones. These salts, when smoked, have effects similar to methamphetamines. The bill would render such bath salts a controlled substance.

Law enforcement testified in support of both measures, stating that there has been a recent surge in cathinone-use across the state.  Stopping the use of bath salts and K2 will help keep dangerous chemicals off the streets. 

BREACH OF PRIVACY STATUTE

The state’s breach of privacy statutes will be up for debate in the Senate next week.  House Bill 2151 was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee and sent to the full Senate for debate on Monday.

The bill makes it unlawful for a person to secretly video tape, photograph, or film a person with the intent of blackmail.  Additionally, the bill makes blackmail a severity level 4 personal felony.  

KANSAS HIGHWAY COMMISSION ABOLISHED

The 35-year-old State Highway Commission has been abolished by the Kansas Legislature.  The motion was introduced on behalf of the Kansas Department of Transportation, which has overseen the commission since 1975.

In recent years the commission has remained intact as an advisory committee, determining where new highways should be constructed. During committee, commission members testified that the group’s functions were no longer necessary, as the state’s T-LINK Task Force also oversees highway preservation and expansion.

I appreciate the hard work and dedication of Commission members during the last three decades.  Following their advice, the Senate easily approved a bill abolishing the commission.  

 

OVERSIZE TRUCK LOADS

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) recently announced a new system for handling oversize truck loads.

The Kansas Truck Routing and Intelligent Permitting System (K-TRIPS) will help route overweight loads using a web-based software routing system.  More than 70,000 oversize permits are granted annually in Kansas, with demand increasing each year.  Currently, each permit is made on paper.

The new system will be in operation in about two years.  An increase in permit fees passed by the 2009 Legislature will cover all costs. 

It’s important that we have an accurate and time-sensitive program in place.  Heavy truck routing preserves our highways, helps keep Kansas roads safe and congestion free.