“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every year find you a better man”.
Benjamin Franklin
The first full week of this session finds us discussing all the possibilities of balancing the budget. Talk is centering on additional across the board cuts, consolidation of services, reduction of services, raising sales tax, eliminating some tax exemptions and the list goes on.
To match this; every constitutent lobbyist group came by to express their concern as to the impact of cuts on their program. This includes, senior, childcare industry, schools, medical providers, health home care, nursing homes and the judicial system, regent schools, and etc.
We are concerned about our children and their quality of their education, our seniors and their living conditions, our corrections and the impact on all law enforcement. The possibilities are numerous and I hesitate to make a prediction as to what the final proposed solution will be. One thing I am quite sure of is that everyone will be asked to share some more pain.
By the sheer volume of mail I have received I can state that many of you have offered what you think is the best direction we should go. One thing for sure, when we get it figured out I hope we have enough sense to not let ourselves get into this type of predicament again. When you hear some far-fetched rumor, ask those that are talking, “how do you know”?
I do think we need to approach the reduction of our debt and the creation of a rainy day fund. We have a constitutional requirement to present a balanced budget with a 7% balance and the governor and legislature has never proposed one that has the required ending balance in the past 5 years. We have a hard time not giving everything everybody wants. We have made commitments and when the payout came, the money was not there.
We did not get into this alone and we all will need to work to get us out of and keep us out of the hole we have created. I am always open to hear your solutions and I want to thank those that have written or called me recently. I do appreciate your proposals; I take them seriously and share them with my colleagues.
The Vietnam War era medallion program, is now taking applications. This is a recognition program we introduced last year with HB 2171. Every veteran who served honorably on active duty in the US military during the period February 28th, 1961 through May 7th 1975 is entitled to receive a Vietnam War era medallion, medal and a certificate of appreciation. Like so many things affected by the budget cuts, the production of the medallions has been delayed but the applications are being processed.
Contact: Wayne Bollig, Director of Veterans Services
700 SW Jackson Avenue, suite 701
Topeka, Kansas 66603,
785-296-1462
wbollig@kcva.org
Recently some legislators introduced the Health Care Freedom Amendment that gives Kansas Citizens the right to choose whether or not to join any health care system, allowing them to manage their own health care options. The legislation also allows citizens to pay directly for medical care without penalties or fines, which is not allowed in some single-payer countries.
The introduction does not automatically mean it will become law; it is another piece of legislation that we will most likely debate this session.
I am becoming engaged with the rules and regulation changes that are proposed by our own KDHE. The issue I speak of would limit how homeowners, remodel carpenters and contractors conduct the business of home remodeling when there is a possibility of the presence of lead-based paint.
I held a meeting with KDHE officials and we had a good exchange on the impact of the 190 some pages of rules. Much more on this issue later. I have my contractor and inspector friends working on the consequences and costs of implementation of these new rules. I suspect you will not appreciate the findings.
You may submit requests for your 12 year-old to serve as a page by calling my office. If you are interested in spending some time as my shadow for a day feel free to call me and I will give you a briefing on what to expect.
Next week the Butler County Commissioners will be in Topeka to meet with the Butler County Legislative Delegation and discuss issues of common interest. I will report on that meeting later.
I consider it an honor and privilege to be your Representative in Topeka and I want to know what you think.
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