• In the 1st District, represented by Congressman Tim Huelskamp, Republican numbers would shift from roughly 54% to 53%, while Democrat numbers would stay roughly the same at 21% and unaffiliated voters would stay at roughly 25%
• In the 2nd District, represented by Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins, Republican numbers would shift from roughly 42% to 40%, Democrats would shift from roughly 29% to 30% and unaffiliated voters would stay roughly the same at 29%
• In the 3rd District, represented by Congressman Kevin Yoder, Republicans would shift from roughly 40% to 41%, Democrats would decrease slightly to 29% and unaffiliated voters would stay at roughly 29%
• In the 4th District, represented by Congressman Mike Pompeo, Republicans would remain relatively the same at roughly 44%, Democrats would decrease from roughly 26% to 25%, and unaffiliated voters would stay at about 29%

It is important to remember that the Congressional map is not yet final.  Once the House passes its proposal for the Congressional districts, the House and Senate will meet in conference committee to iron out any differences and come up with a final proposal.  To see the Senate version of the Congressional map, please visit http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2011_12/measures/ds_maps/map_b_3577.pdf

The vote in the Senate was 23-17.  I VOTED YES.  I could not support a map that puts Shawnee County in a Western Kansas district and dilutes our Capital City's voice in Washington. Voters in Shawnee County tell me they don't want to be in a Congressional District that would go from Gage Boulevard, past the world's largest Ball of Twine in Cawker City and all the way to the Colorado border. I did what I always do - I voted with my constituents.  

SB 257   This bill would amend state law related to a school district's calculation of supplemental general state aid (local option budget) by allowing districts to choose the 2008-2009 special education state aid or the current year's special education state aid, whichever amount is greater, upon which to base its supplemental general state aid calculation. IT PASSED 40-0.  

SB 263 This bill will allow a credit committee, credit manager, or loan manager to have general supervision of all loans to credit union members. The bill will also require a two-thirds vote instead of a unanimous vote by the supervisory committee to suspend any officer of the credit union, any member of the credit committee, or member of the credit union board of directors. In addition, this bill clarifies language on the appeals and suspension process.  IT PASSED 40-0.    

Public Health and Welfare:

SB 327 changes three sections of the prescription monitoring program.  It gives the Board of Pharmacy the ability to accept grants and other donations, adds two categories of people who can obtain information and adds a penalty provision for individuals who knowingly obtain the information without authorization.  This is a critical and vital program.  The bill remains in committee.

HB 2490 will allow Washburn University and the School of Nursing to offer a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.  The bill passed the House 125-0 and passed out of the Senate committee.  It was placed on the Consent Calendar as it is considered non-controversial.

HB 2428 is a bill that corrects a technical oversight in 1998 when the University of Kansas Hospital Authority was established as a legal entity separate from the KU Medical Center.  When the KU Hospital Authority statutes were drafted, language that defined KUMC as a "health care provider" for matters of quality assurance and peer review were not picked up.  This bill passed the House 125-0 and passed out of the Senate committee.  It was also placed on the Consent Calendar.