Dear Friends: Thank you to the fantastic pages this week! On Monday we were privileged to have Felishity Blubaugh (Washburn Rural Middle School), Blake Bruno (Jay Shideler), Payton Enzbrenner (Mission Valley Junior High), Lauren Falk (Mission Valley Junior High), Lindsay Haddock (Jay Shideler) and Rachel Haulpa (Mission Valley Junior High). They braved the weather and road conditions to come. Thank you to HARVEYVILLE MAYOR DUSTIN KUNTZ for accompanying the group from Mission Valley! Please see their pictures on the right! The Legislature completed the "Turnaround Week" on Friday. With the snow storm causing some issues last week, committees met Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Then we spent Wednesday afternoon/evening and all day Thursday in floor debate. Next week the Legislature will NOT be in session on Monday and Tuesday. We will return on Wednesday to start hearing and debating the bills passed by the House in our committees. Hopefully some of the issues will be wrapped up soon. Yet to be debated and discussed are the very critical issues of the budget and the tax plan. |
EDUCATION AND PERSONAL ACTIVITIES
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Here are some "Fast Facts" about Kansas and the Trucking Industry:
- In 2011, the trucking industry in Kansas provided 75,170 jobs, or one out of 15 in the state. Total trucking industry wages paid in Kansas in 2011 exceeded $3.3 billion, with an average annual trucking industry salary of $43,506.
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In 2012 there were over 7,630 trucking companies located in Kansas, most of them small, locally owned businesses. These companies are served by a wide range of supporting businesses, both large and small.
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Trucks transported 84% of total manufactured tonnage in the state. Over 49% of Kansas communities depend exclusively on trucks to move their goods.
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In 2009, the trucking industry in Kansas paid approximately $435 million in federal and state roadway taxes and fees. The industry paid 45% of all taxes and fees owed by Kansas motorists, despite trucking representing only 12% of vehicle miles traveled in the state.
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In 2012, a typical five-axle tractor-semitrailer combination paid $6,090 in state highway user fees and taxes in addition to the $7,771 in federal user fees and taxes. These taxes were over and above the typical taxes paid by businesses in Kansas.
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The Senate was busy on Wednesday and Thursday. We debated 33 bills. Please see some of the bill activity listed below.
SB 121 will combine Osawatomie State Hospital and Rainbow Mental Health Facility under one consolidated license. The bill was introduced at the request of the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (KDADS). IT PASSED THE SENATE 40-0. I VOTED YES.
SB 75 would prohibit a recycler from purchasing "plastic bulk merchandise containers" without first obtaining information about the seller's proof of ownership, the description of the containers and the date of the transaction. Representatives of the Kansas Beverage Association, the Kansas Food Dealers Association, and the Retail Grocers Association of Greater Kansas City testified in favor of the bill. Last year approximately 150,000 containers, valued at over $4 million, were stolen from members of the Beverage Association. There is an exemption for waste and refuse haulers in the bill. IT PASSED THE SENATE 40-0. I VOTED YES.
SB 136 is the bill I introduced regarding adding the term VETERAN on a drivers license or a non-driver identification card. I have covered this piece of legislation extensively in previous e-newsletters. It was an honor and privilege to work on this legislation. IT PASSED THE SENATE 40-0. I VOTED YES.
SB 167 will eliminate the statute of limitations on rape cases and aggravated criminal sodomy. When the victim is younger than 18, the bill would allow for prosecution of a sexually violent crime to commence within one year of the date the identity of the suspect is conclusively established by DNA testing, or within 10 years (increased from the current period of 5 years) of the date the victim turns 18 years of age, whichever is later. IT PASSED THE SENATE 40-0. I VOTED YES.
SB 149 will require recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and unemployment payments to undergo drug testing if there is reasonable suspicion they are using illegal substances. I believe this bill was advanced to the full Senate before it was fully vetted. For example, the bill debated on the Senate floor was written with the wording of "using a controlled substance" instead of unlawfully using a controlled substance. This mistake was caught in floor debate. In addition, the bill applies to applicants, which is unconstitutional. The bill could be applied to recipients, but not applicants. The bill also establishes that a drug-free third party would be able to receive and administer TANF funds for qualifying children. It allows for testing of that third party, and that does not appear to be constitutional. I am also concerned about the sharing of this information with regard to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). IT PASSED THE SENATE 31-8. I VOTED NO because of the above questions.
SB 82 would have changed the law regarding the state's renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS). It would also define terms of "excessive costs to retail electric customers" and "firm transmission service." All utilities in the state have met the current 10% requirement, which is not required to be met until calendar years 2016 and 2019. THE BILL DID NOT PASS THE SENATE. IT FAILED 17-23. I VOTED NO.
SB 64 will change the time prior to an election that a voter could change party affiliation from 14 to 21 days. IT PASSED THE SENATE 40-0. I VOTED YES.
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TRANSPORTATION SB 164 had hearing on 2-20-13. The committee met on Monday to propose a few amendments before passing the bill to the full Senate for their consideration. This bill will allow the Department of Revenue to contract out any services associated with vehicle functions. The functions that could be contracted would be certificates of title, driver's licenses, division issued identification cards and personal property taxation duties. For the services relating to application, processing, auditing, and distribution of vehicle registrations the department must first determine that a county treasurer has failed to maintain the minimum standards before a contractor could be appointed. THE BILL PASSED THE SENATE 40-0. I VOTED YES.
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FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND INSURANCE
This committee had completed the bills assigned and did not meet this week.
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EDUCATION
This committee met on Monday and Tuesday for 2 hours each day. Many bills were discussed and several were passed to the full Senate for debate.
SB 171 - This bill would change the current law regarding the Kansas Uniform Financial Accounting and Reporting Act. As originally proposed, the bill would require school districts to report the budget and total itemized expenditures for all extracurricular activities, including the revenues and expenditures for all activity funds. In addition it would require a report on the amount of time pupils were not given classroom instruction due to participation in extracurricular activities during the immediately preceding school year. The committee had trouble deciding what activities were extracurricular and what activities were classroom related. Since a committee of 11 could not come to agreement, I offered an amendment to remove this language from the bill. The amendment was passed and then the bill was passed on to the full Senate for consideration. THE BILL PASSED THE SENATE 40-0. I VOTED YES.
SB 176 would create the Coalition of Innovative Districts Act. The bill would allow any board of education to apply to the State Board of Education for a grant to operate as a public innovative district. The original bill would have allowed the school district to operate under this provision for a period of 5 years without any criteria for continuing. An amendment was offered that stated if a public innovative district failed to meet any of the renewal criteria for two or more consecutive school years then other procedures would have to be met. This bill limits the public innovative districts to ten. Many districts are already innovative. This bill would streamline the procedure. The bill was advanced to the full Senate for consideration.
SB 169 received a hearing. This bill would end social promotion for 3rd graders who are not able to read. The bill would mandate intensive services for the retained students. The bill states that a student would be retained in grade three "if such pupil scores at the lowest achievement standard on the most recent reading state assessment or an alternative standardized reading assessment." The exceptions to mandatory retention were specific: a pupil enrolled in a program of bilingual education who had less that 2 years of instruction in the school district; OR a student receiving special education services AND whose individualized education plan (IEP) states that the statewide assessment in not appropriate; OR a pupil who was previously retained in grade 3 for one or more years and who has received intervention services for 2 or more years. One of my many concerns about this bill was that it gave only ONE opportunity on ONE standardized test on ONE given day during the school year. An amendment was added in committee to add a second standardized testing opportunity. As one committee member stated, it is important to involve the parents, teacher and specialists in retention of any student. In the end, this bill did not advance out of committee. The vote was 5-6 to advance. I voted no. During the discussion of this bill, the committee was provided many valuable statistics. Here are a few for your consideration: - By age 3, a child's brain is already 80% developed; 90% by age 5
- Four year olds from low income families are often 18 months behind other 4 year olds developmentally
- An estimated 60% of low income families have no books in their homes for children
- Children living in poverty without access to high-quality early education programs are 50% more likely to be placed in special education; 25% more likely to drop out of school, 60% more likely to never attend college; 70% more likely to be arrested for a violent crime; and 40% more likely to be a teen parent
- Parents who live in poverty are often silent and children in these homes may hear only 200 words an hour compared to the average family speaking 400 words per hour
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- Met with Emily Hewitt - Constituent and Social Work Student at Washburn University
- Served Chili at the Child Care Aware Bare Bones Event at the Designer Showhouse with Chris Fisher of WIBW TV. Can't wait to see the finished home!
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Click here to see a copy of Senate District 20. |
Please let me know if there are events in the community that you would like me to list.
- Auburn Elementary - Kindergarten Roundup will be Friday, April 5, 2013. Call the school office at 785-339-4400 for more information.
- The Second Annual Auburn Lions Club Plant Sale will be on Saturday, May 11, 2013 in the Apple Market Parking Lot.
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Thank you for the opportunity to serve you! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
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Vicki Schmidt
Senator, 20th District
vicki@vickischmidt.com
785-296-7374
Paid for by Schmidt for Senate, Brad Koehn, CPA, Treasurer
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A Note from Vicki
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"Turn Around" Week ARRIVED!
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Lauren Falk, Sen. Vicki Schmidt, Gov. Brownback, Payton Enzbrenner and Rachel Haulpa
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Felishity Blubaugh, Sen. Vicki Schmidt, Gov. Brownback, Blake Bruno and Lindsay Haddock
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PAGES from House, Senate and MAYOR KUNTZ -Harveyville
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Garrett Falk, Emma Boyd, Mason Kuntz, Justin Donaldson, MAYOR DUSTIN KUNTZ, Louis Vopata, Rep. Ron Highland, Sarah Bond, Gov. Brownback, Sen. Vicki Schmidt, Lauren Falk, Payton Enzbrenner, Blake Bruno, Rachel Halupa, Felishity Blubaugh and Lindsay Haddock
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THE CAPITOL DOME
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