Today we start discussing the Omnibus Budget Bill that is one of the final actions we need to complete before final adjournment later this week. We are working the final budget items together that are normally put off until now. We will be authorizing purchase of vehicles, economic development projects, individual agency funding requests and the like. I will provide a wrap up later next month to give you the details.
We also voted 98-26 in favor to override the Governors veto on HB2585, the concealed carry bill that would have drastically restricted rights to carry a legal firearm, by those individuals, trained, licensed and with a documented background check. I received many requests to support this override by a wide margin over those who said we should sustain. The Senate needs to do the same.
The State Highway Patrol really gets around! The troopers on our state roads drove the equivalent of 4,869 cross-country trips in their patrol cars. The statistics are as follows:
14,607,851 miles driven on patrol;
467,456 hours spent patrolling;
97,038 speeding citations issued;
37,154 vehicle inspections conducted;
2,872 arrests made for impaired driving;
2,234 injury accidents investigated;
289 stolen vehicles were recovered.
Last week I participated in a discussion group that was to be composed of the Board members and Superintendents from EHS, Circle, and Remington-Whitewater. There were not as many in attendance as I had hoped, however the 2 hours was time well spent. The topics of mutual interest include school funding, tax policy, special education, mill levy, local option budget.
I participated in a conference in Washington, D.C. Where I served on a joint committee with Senators and Representatives from Kansas and other states. We were given briefings from the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation, State Department. We visited the offices of many Congressmen where we discussed topics of mutual interest.
Topics covered included; rail transportation for passengers as well as freight, Veterans benefits, school funding, no child left behind, Motor Carrier Safety, HAZMAT, emergency preparedness, and the most contentious, REAL ID.
REAL ID is the unfunded federal mandate that says in the year 2010 each state has to meet the federal requirements for a standardized identification card. Basically your state issued drivers license will not be recognized as identification if you want to board a commercial flight, enter a nuclear facility, or a federal building. A valid US passport is currently sufficient.
This baby is filled with bad policy. The cost of implementation is over $11 Billion nation wide, our state is estimated at $50 million a year.
The reason this needs done? Identify terrorists? Start a national data base? Identify all citizens?
Some background is that 25% of all citizens possess a US passport, and 70% of all Americans do not fly. That leaves those interested in going to a nuclear facility or government building. A representative from Maryland said they are planning on a separate i.d. in addition to their drivers license for those that need the additional documentation,. 8 states have passed legislation making it unlawful for the state to participate in the program. 7 others are considering similar legislation, and a couple are working on compliance. Kansas is undecided.
With the requirements for background checks for each citizen over the age of 14 comes the real paper trail. Each individual would be required to be passed through: social security number check, Dept of Justice and FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, and some other methods of applicant verification process.
I asked why this was even necessary and with so much opposition why it was not better staffed and why not stop it. The individual States were not included in setting up the requirements or even asked if they had a better solution. The answer was we are the Federal Government and we know what is best. I would suggest we write our Senators and Congressmen to get this mess stopped.
The Butler County History Museum and I are participating in donating several copies of the April issue of the National Geographic to all of our county 5th grade classrooms. This magazine issue has some really great photos of the flinthills and our hope is the photos will inspire our youth to ask for a trip within this local treasure.
The weather is starting to improve and school will soon be out; as your travel plans are made consider going to places in our own state and local areas to enjoy the beautiful land we are free to roam.
I consider it an honor and privilege to be your representative in our state capitol. If I can be of help to you please give me a call, write a letter, or e-mail. Home; 316-321-2087, Capitol 785-296-7655, 1115 Rim Rock Road, El Dorado, 67042. grange@house.state.ks.us; johng@carlisleinc.net, www.johngrange.net. Thanks again, Rep. John Grange
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