“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their mind, cannot change anything”. George Bernhard Shaw
The first 3 weeks of the 2010 session have been a blur. A mix of committee meetings, Bill introductions, constituent meetings, reviewing emails, reading position papers and informational briefings has been very exhausting.
My committee assignments are much as they were last year; Vice-chairman of the Commerce and Labor Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Legislative Post Audit, a member of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee, and a member of the Judiciary Committee.
This mix of committee assignments has a tremendous impact on my time. It takes a while for us to get acclimated to the workload and get into the legislator mindset, now is the time when we put the home life on a back burner and go do the work of the people.
This past week the Butler County Commissioners and County Administrator came up for a supper meeting. This is the best opportunity for the legislative delegation to meet with our elected commissioners to discuss issues. The County presents us their agenda items and we discuss the impact of proposed legislation in a very informal and free-flow atmosphere.
Later this year the cities in the County will be afforded the same opportunity to meet with us for another series of discussions on those topics that directly affect the cities. In between we still conduct committee business and attend to constituent issues. If there is something you need help with please give me a call.
The hard high-profile topics of budget adjustments and revenue projections grab the headlines, while lesser issues about redistricting, contractor payment, wage adjustments, possible furlough days, and the like get little publicity. You will hear many options and rumors that will be proposed to help with solving our financial woes.
Do not be too quick to believe what you hear, always ask for source verification, sometimes our coffee shop and water cooler friends do not get the facts quite right.
I have introduced legislation to provide a challenge to KDHE as they try to inflict what some would describe as adverse rules and regulation on the consumer.
In a nutshell our friends at the agency have decided it is high time to get all contractors, business owners and technicians licensed and certified in the ways of dealing with lead based paint in residential structures constructed prior to 1978. Under the guise of public safety they wish to require testing of work places, certification of workers, sealing of work areas and completion of remodel testing for airborne lead contaminants.
The rules are to supplement those already in place by the EPA. Some consider the impact of these rules to be too much government regulation. I have asked the state to provide me a side-by-side comparison of the EPA and KDHE rules and as of this writing I have not seen anything.
The expected cost to a remodel project, to each homeowner is somewhere around $350 to $3,000 for compliance. I have not received the fiscal note from KDHE yet so those costs are still in question and could be lower or higher. More on this as the legislation moves forward.
Intern Perspective:
I have been keeping myself very busy here at the capital and have thoroughly enjoyed my first two weeks as an intern for Rep. Grange. I have been given the chance to sit in on the Commerce and Labor Committee, which has been very interesting as I have been able to witness the ongoing issues concerning taxation for unemployment insurance. This is honestly something I knew little about previously, so it has been a very worthwhile experience. I also completed a summary of the surveys collected by Rep. Grange recently, and really enjoyed reading all your comments on current and pressing issues in the legislature!
Last Tuesday I was privileged to attend my first house session and there is really no more eloquent way to say it…it was awesome! As a political science major, which has spent the majority of her collegiate career studying how our government works, it was thrilling to actually see it firsthand. I am very excited to be on the floor more as this session continues to progress!
Rep. Grange invited me to attend a dinner with the Butler County Commissioners and County Administration, which was very enjoyable. It is always nice to see familiar faces and to meet new people, especially those from home (or close by). I also enjoyed hearing an update from our local government.
Every Thursday, I have been attending a seminar through the University of Kansas, which has been a great way to get to know some of the other KU interns and to discuss everything we have been able to observe in a group setting. Dr. Burdett Loomis, a political science professor from KU, is leading the seminar. I’ve had him in other courses before and he is great. He always provides an interesting take on what is going on in the legislature.
Overall, my first few weeks in Topeka have been terrific, despite the ridiculously cold walk from the parking lot every morning! (I will definitely be looking forward to spring!) The session only proves to develop into an exciting one, as the state faces a great deal of difficult social and economic obstacles as our Nation continues to find itself in a recession. It couldn’t be a better time to be at the capital and observing the government at work. I am very appreciative to Rep. Grange for giving me this opportunity!
I have asked Sara to provide her perspective of the legislative process by being a regular contributor to my legislative update. I believe you will enjoy hearing about her experiences in the capitol.
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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