About This Newsletter
Most legislators put out a newsletter, and typically much of the content is reporting on bills recently passed or under current consideration. A good deal of this information is taken from weekly summaries assembled by the staff of House leadership. My newsletter is somewhat different. Those of you who live in the 118th District deserve to know what I think about those important issues, so for that reason I write my own newsletter and spend less time reporting on bills passed and more time giving you my perspective. The downside of this is that the publication schedule for this newsletter is completely random, and is dependent on when I find time to put a one together. It has been much too long since the last newsletter was released, and I hope to do a better job of keeping you informed. No promises though…
House Appropriations Committee Passes out Budget Bill
On Thursday, March 18 the House Appropriations Committee recommended a fiscal year 2011 budget for consideration by the full House. As a member of that committee, I voted with the majority, although with reservations. Here is a loose paraphrase of my remarks to the committee:
Statement to the House Appropriations Committee
This budget is a flawed document. It does things and has impacts that none of us like.
In particular I have grave concerns that the short-term solution to financing K-12 education, as spelled out in the yet-to-be seen House Bill 2739, may in fact not be a solution for low enrollment rural schools. I fear that when the details are made known we will find that some rural Kansas children are being thrown off the school bus. I expect we will find that the overall tax mix in the state of Kansas has been weighted even more heavily towards property tax at a time when property tax is already carrying a 1/3 greater burden than either sales or income tax. And I see this plan as veering off the path of educational equity, and leaving low enrollment rural school districts without the resources to keep pace with the educational advancements of their urban counterparts.
That said, however, the fiscal situation of the state of Kansas is so dire that finding the best possible solution demands the input of all 165 legislators. It demands the input of both houses. Producing a House budget is a vital and necessary part of that process. The budget we pass out today is not the final product; it is merely a starting point, and an ugly one at that. I have serious reservations about parts of this budget but I believe the entire body of the House deserves an opportunity to debate its merits. In the upcoming debates on the budget bill and the accompanying House Bill 2739, I expect to be an active participant in working to craft an improvement that makes sense and is truly best for all Kansans. But for today, with great reluctance, I vote yes.
Constituent Survey Results
My constituent survey is now closed, and it was a huge success. 245 residents of the 118th District shared their views with me, as well as several hundred other Kansans who live outside of the district. I tabulated the responses from 118th District residents separately, and there were some interesting results. Here are a few of the highlights:
- 83% of respondents believe there should be no further cuts to K-12 education
- A majority of respondents say that selective cuts should be made to all other areas of the state budget
- If tax increases become necessary, 118th District respondents are most in favor of increased tobacco taxes, and would accept small increases in corporate income tax, sales tax, and liquor tax
- 73% of 118th District residents would approve of a 1% sales tax increase, and 85% believe the cigarette tax should be raised to $1.34
- 72% believe abortion laws should be more strictly enforced
- 56% choose life imprisonment without penalty of parole or life imprisonment for 30 or 50 years over use of the death penalty
- 62% of respondents support a statewide ban on smoking in public places
- 74% think a photo I.D. should be required to vote in Kansas
I would caution that this was not a scientific survey, because it does not represent a random cross-section of the voters. Rather, it captures the views of the “motivated few”, who may or may not see the world as the rest of the district does. Regardless, I still consider the results valuable for giving me some sense of the beliefs of folks in my district. Thanks to all who participated.
Statewide Smoking Ban Passed
On Thursday, February 25 the Kansas House concurred with a Senate measure to ban smoking in public places statewide. The measure had become a perennial issue in the legislature, pitting personal and local freedoms vs. public health concerns. I have deliberated over this issue a great deal since becoming a legislator, and I recognize the merits of both points of view. Personal liberties and individual rights are very important concepts. However in this case there is substantial evidence that secondhand smoke compromises public health and produces increased cost to society through higher health insurance premiums and greater governmental expense for social services. So in this instance government can properly place limits on individual liberties for the good of society. In the end it was the messages of dozens of proponents throughout the 118th District that encouraged me to vote yes on this measure. After a spirited debate the bill advanced to the Governor’s desk on a 68-54 vote and Governor Parkinson signed it into law this past Monday. The bill we passed was not a perfect bill, and I expect that a trailer bill will be necessary to clean up some of the problems that remain.
Postcard Mailings
Many 118th District voters recently received slick oversized postcards from Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and the Kansas Chamber. These ‘political mailings’ encouraged you to contact me and tell me to not vote for any tax increases this year. I appreciate the communication this has generated, and I thank you for sharing your thoughts with me, on both sides of the issue.
AFP’s primary agenda item is control of taxes and government spending, and I understand and completely agree with them that any government tax removes money from the private economy. Some level of taxation is necessary to provide essential governmental services, but any proposed tax increase must weigh carefully the negative effects on the economy caused by removing funds from the private sector.
The Kansas Chamber has a broader pro-business agenda, and they have published an eight-page 2010 Legislative Agenda. I’ve read the document. I support every agenda item it contains with the exception of a couple relating to the state’s system of taxation. So my philosophy is not markedly different from theirs, but my experience on the House Appropriations Committee has led me to conclude that now is not the time to be locked in to a rigid doctrinaire point of view.
The state of Kansas is in the midst of a truly extraordinary fiscal crisis. Budgets have been reduced across the board in all sectors of state government. The effects are being felt in the classroom, the courtroom, and the doctor’s waiting room. Our less fortunate neighbors are locked on a waiting list for physical and developmental disabilities assistance with little prospect of being served any time soon. College tuition is increasing as the state cuts funding to colleges and universities. Local property taxes are on the rise as the state reduces its assistance to counties, cities, and school districts. I have grave concerns that another round of budget cuts could cause irreparable harm to rural education and health care in the 118th District. As I ponder solutions to this most difficult problem, I am determined that all options must be on the table. I am in daily discussion with my colleagues in the House, and my objective is that the budget solution we develop must be the one that best serves all Kansans.
Interesting Websites
Western Kansas Jobs Unemployment rates throughout the high plains are among the lowest in the nation. In fact there are a number of job opportunities throughout Western Kansas, and this site lists many of the jobs available.
Kansas Unclaimed Property A service of the office of Kansas State Treasurer McKinney. Check to see if there are any assets listed in your name.
Cowboy Logic: “Speak your mind, but ride a fast horse”
Quote of the Week: “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work” - Thomas Edison
And finally a definition, found on a scrap of paper in my father’s handwriting, stuck in a book of quotations that he used during the time he was a state representative in the 1970’s:
Compromise: The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece.
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