“Always negotiate from a position of strength; do not bother anyone, but if bothered, don’t be bullied”.
“World View” by WW11 Air Force General Curtis LeMay.
I have been having quite a week receiving several calls and correspondence from citizens some of which are my constituents and some that are not. It really does not matter to me, as an elected State Representative and public official I am here to intervene on behalf of all the residents of Kansas.
Recently in the paper or on TV you may have heard about the state court system requiring a furlough of their office employees for one day a month for 4 months until the budget cut issues can be resolved. As it turns out this is not a new program and it has its very own statute assigned to it.
K.S.A. 44-757, “Shared Work Program” This is not a unique or special program created for the Court. This long-standing program was created in 1988 and is used by many employers. It is available to qualifying employers who desire to avoid a layoff by reducing hours of employment. The requirements are pretty specific and the employer must make application annually with KDOL showing they meet the requirements of the program. That is what the court did in this situation.
The Shared Work Program has proven to be very popular with employers during this recession. It is a very effective way for employers to reduce operating costs while providing some benefit to their furloughed employees. It also saves unemployment insurance costs – the worker is receiving only one or two days of unemployment benefits instead of total weekly benefits as the case would be if they were laid off permanently from work.
In 2007, around 40 employers had an approved shared work program in Kansas. In 2009, we had 509 employers with an approved shared work application. And so far in 2010, we have had 132 applications approved.
Regarding the requirements for triggering the shared work program, they are set out in the statute. If other state agencies furlough employees, they could potentially participate in a Shared Work program, as well.
There are requirements for participation, including a minimum 20% reduction, but no more than a 40% reduction, in hours for each employee in the plan; the plan must affect at least 10% of the employees in the affected work unit; the employer must be current in their unemployment tax payments; and the employee must be able to establish entitlement to UI benefits based on insured earnings in the base period.
Remember the employer pays the unemployment benefits into the UI fund; they are not matching funds that the employee contributes. As you all know the state fund was wiped out recently and we had to borrow federal funds to keep making the payments for those that had not exhausted their benefits.
In this case the state is the employer, so technically these are tax dollars that are being used. The furlough period is short. In the case of private employers, they pay from the UI fund pool. Sounds like a good deal, I wonder why the employee doesn’t volunteer to work but do so at a reduced salary for that furlough period?
The Kansas Wildlife Commission has asked the KDWP to review the possibility of a Pre-Rut Firearm deer season. This of course has the bow hunters concerned that it will interfere with their ability to take a trophy buck with their arrows. During any firearm season the hunters have to be wearing blaze orange and this does not enhance your ability to blend in with the vegetation.
I discovered the discussion topic came from the Commission and not the KDWP. This is not an attempt to shut out our Bow-hunter friends or encourage longer rifle season. Another valid concern is the loss of access to private lands because the landowner can lease his property to hunters for a significant amount of money. Letting others hunt for free does not make economic sense.
What is a valid argument is how much does it cost to provide leased hunting ground when the animal(s) they are hunting are a public resource managed by the State of Kansas or our friends at the federal level? Kansas does manage our deer, turkey, upland game birds and waterfowl by issuing licenses and hunting permits. The income from these fees partially pays for the management costs.
Those sportsmen pay for the resource by paying their license fee, the landowner benefits by receiving payment for the use of his property to harvest that resource and the local economies benefit from the expenditures of the out of area sportsmen. The “outfitter” is not regulated by KDWP because with regulation should come some benefit.
Since the attorney General is in charge of “consumer protection”, there was no identifiable benefit for state regulation. State regulation of “outfitters” had taken place during the period of 1994-2003.
During May 14th-15th, El Dorado and Butler County will host the 14th Annual Kansas Wildscape Governors Golf and Fishing Classic. The Golfers play at the Prairie Trails Golf Club on Friday the 14th, and will be treated to a Golf Clinic presented by PGA Pro Wood Austin from Derby Kansas.
The Anglers will get an early morning start on Saturday for a morning of fishing on the El Dorado Reservoir. Guides, boats and gear are provided, the entry fee for the fishing is $200.00 per participant and there are a some spaces available. Numerous cash and merchandise prizes will be awarded for each event; there is a Friday night social with a silent and live auction.
If you would like to sponsor an Airman from McConnell AFB contact Kansas Wildscape at 1-866-655.4377, complete details can be seen at www.kansaswildscape.org.
I will be back in Topeka for the next couple of weeks helping to put the finishing touches on the 2011 budget. Wish us all luck!
I consider it an honor and privilege to be your Representative in Topeka and I do want to know what you think. Contact me in person or by email; john.grange@house.ks.gov, johng@carlisleinc.net, or 1115 Rim Rock Road, El Dorado, Kansas 67042.
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