JANUARY 2008 NEWSLETTER and SESSION PREVIEW

District 53 Constituents and Friends:

The 2008 legislative session is rolling.  This year I serve on the House Education, Federal and State Affairs, and Government Efficiency & Technology committees.  I also serve on the Technical Education Commission and the special committee on the new State Salary Plan.

My office has been moved to the seventh floor of the Docking State Office Building.  My office phone is 785-296-7668.  You can email me either at mah@house.state.ks.us or at Lmah@cox.net. 

ISSUES FOR 2008  

Health care, energy, the economy, and immigration will be hot topics this year.  I encourage you to attend committee meetings when bills of interest to you are being debated.  You can find a schedule of committee meetings at:   http://www.kslegislature.org/legsrv-committees/index.do.                   

The budget is going to be extremely tight and it’s important to hold the line on spending this year as we expect the economy to be stagnant.  The Governor recommended a 4.6% increase in spending from the State General Fund.  Republican leaders wanted to stay under 5%.  So we may be pretty close on spending goals here.  Keep in mind that about 2/3 of the state budget is actually spent by local units of government (ie, cities, counties, and schools). 

One bright spot is the activity in the bioscience field.  Investments and jobs are growing across the state.  The aircrafts companies in Wichita also plan to hire several thousand machinists.  Our biggest problem is actually a shortage of workers.  Right now we have over 52,000 jobs unfilled across the state.  Pretty clear to me we need to get educated for different jobs and keep our kids in Kansas! 

FOLLOW UP ON 2007 LEGISLATION

My bill creating the Technical Education Authority became law and is making waves in the education community.  This year the Authority is working to be sure our community colleges and technical schools are working with industry to provide the training Kansans need to get good jobs.  They are also setting statewide standards so employers know what they are getting with Kansas graduates.

KPERS COLA/STATE PAY

The Governor included funding for a 3% COLA for KPERS retirees that phases in over the next three years.  This is not as much as we wanted, but this is the first time the Governor has put her weight behind our efforts and that is encouraging.

We plan to start implementing a new state pay plan this year along with a new employee evaluation plan.  This will move us from a “one-size-fits-all” pay matrix to five different schedules for different kinds of jobs.  There is a box on the right side of this web page that explains the proposed plan.  The Governor included money for a 2.5% average raise this year for state employees.

MY 2008 LEGISLATION

Thanks to all who wrote with ideas for new legislation.  Nearly all of my bills are ones you requested.  I appreciate your ideas and support.  Here’s what I’m personally sponsoring this year:

Bills carried over from 2007:

• Tax credit for college/post-secondary tuition - HB2226
• Increasing penalties for theft – HB 2166
• Eliminate sales tax on certain medical equipment – HB 2538
• Move Forbes firefighters from KPERS to KP&F – HB 2238
• Allow state troopers to run for public office – HB 2365
• Campaign reform – HB 2218

New bills for 2008:

• Unilateral annexation – requiring a vote of those being annexed
• Immigration Accountability Act – requiring employers to verify that potential employees are authorized to work in the US with penalties for failure to do so; increasing penalties for those who misclassify workers
• Township transfers – fixing a glitch in the law that creates a roadblock for townships needing to buy large pieces of equipment
• Boating noise – making the current law more “boater friendly”
• National guard museum – providing a lottery game to support expansion of the National Guard Museum at Forbes

Other ideas and issues:

There are a number of issues I am getting involved in, but I have either not found a base of support to get a bill passed or am working to resolve the issue without legislation:

• Child support – we need to have better enforcement.  In Shawnee County alone we have over 10,000 parents owed more than $1000 each in back support payments.
• Victims’ advocate – I’m working with Chief Miller to get better support for victims of violence both at the scene and following.
• Foster care – It’s clear to me this system is broken.  Hoping to work with foster parents and SRS/KDHE officials to address problems.
• Mental illness – I believe we made a huge mistake closing the state mental hospitals.  We are now housing many who need help in our jails or on the street and that is not working. 

Myth vs. Reality:

Most legislators are lucky to get even one bill passed per session.  Last year I got five bills passed by working across the aisle.  It’s even harder in an election year, but I’m hoping to make inroads on your ideas!

MILITARY BILL OF RIGHTS 

Kansas has a Military Bill of Rights that describes the services and benefits provided by the state for our active and retired military.  You can find the MBOR on the web at:  http://www.kcva.org/rights.shtml.   The legislature passed a number of bills in the last few years to enhance benefits, so check it out if you are in the military or are a family member.

NEW TRANSPORTATION PLAN

We are nearing completion of the 10-year state transportation plan.  KDOT has an updated long-range transportation plan you can find at www.kansaslrtp.com.  Good transportation infrastructure is more than highways.  The new plan addresses airports, mass transit, railroads, local roads, and other issues critical to our infrastructure.  Take a look and feel free to offer comments to KDOT.

LOOKING FORWARD

I’m working hard on your behalf this session.  I will continue to send frequent email newsletters during the session to let you know how I’m voting on key issues.  If you are not on my distribution list, just write to me at mah@house.state.ks.us and I’d be glad to include you.

It is an honor to serve!

Regards,

State Representative – District 53

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Larry, Ann, and Cary at home with their dogs, Cindy and Angel.

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