“Which came first; man walking on the moon or wheels on luggage’?
“Life becomes harder for us when we live for others, but it also becomes richer and happier” Albert Schweitzer
This past week we debated the House version of the Tax and Budget Bills and just as you might expect there are many different solutions to any given problem. Conveying those solutions and having them adopted is the challenge.
What appears to the uninformed to be wasted time and long periods of inactivity is actually the time when most decisions and compromises are made. At the end of the day it takes 63 house votes, 21 senate votes and a governor signature for the budget to be approved.
This time of year is when the special interest lobbyists have their work cut out for them too. Keeping the legislators informed on all the various issues is a full time task. The lobbyists are a necessary part of the legislative process and are the primary source that we go to for factual information.
And yes all of you are represented by a lobbyists if you belong to the NRA, KNEA, AARP, Automobile dealer or owner, ride a bicycle, attend church, work at an airplane plant, refinery, manufacturing facility, purchase insurance, go to a barber or beauty shop, live in a nursing home and well, you get the idea. I believe a lobbyist represents everyone.
I have spent some time on the phone and computer email with Norm Wilks from USD 490 on school budget issues and with Frontier Refinery leaders Josh Goodmanson and Jim Stump discussing Ethanol blending requirements. I would invite anyone with a special interest in pending legislation to make his or her wishes known by contacting me.
House Substitute for SB 262 amends the statutes that deal with Emergency Medical Services, (EMS). The bill changes the title of EMS attendant: ”Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate” is changed to “Advanced Emergency Medical Technician”, “First Responder” is changed to “Emergency Medical responder”, and “Mobile Intensive Care Technician” is changed to “Paramedic”.
The bill establishes a scope of practice for the professions by rules and regulations established by the Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services. The professions will have to complete a course of instruction approved by the Board and specifically be authorized to perform activities by medical protocol.
Under the bill, all attendant fees for certificates are to be deposited in the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund. Prior law required the deposits of fees in the State General Fund.
House Substitute for SB 449 amends the law by requiring that all repairs, maintenance, or inspection of medical gas piping systems be completed by a person that is licensed under the “Plumber’s and Plumbing in Cities and Counties Statutes” and is certified under the appropriate professional qualifications standard or standards of ASSE Series 6000.
The installers are required to obtain a proper permit from the county or city for which the medical gas is being installed. In addition, all inspections are to be done by a third party agency certified under the same standards, all documents of the inspection and certificates of the installer are to be provided to the county or city prior to any occupancy of the building or unit in which the medical gas piping has been installed.
Finally, the bill provides that this section of law would not apply in counties or cities in which building codes require an inspector certified by a nationally recognized code organization to inspect medical gas piping systems prior to issuance of an occupancy permit.
I carried this bill on the house floor and had the privilege of attending the official bill signing by the governor. In attendance was Representative Connie O’Brien, (R Tonganoxie) who brought the legislation forward and Austin Stone from Tonganoxie the young man who was severely injured while undergoing a dental procedure in Lawrence.
The issue behind the legislation is that the medical gas piping was not properly installed and identified as required by code. The dentist believed he was administering oxygen when in fact he was giving the patient an overdose of nitrous oxide” laughing gas”. The resulting brain damage has caused permanent disability to this individual. This legislation is intended to save lives and prevent future occurrences.
As we work to adjournment I continue to receive support and opposition to raising taxes and trimming expenses. Unfortunately so many of our citizens are dependent on the entitlement programs it is an extremely emotional and gut wrenching event to get through the many line items of this budget.
In a $14.4 Billion budget you would expect there to be many places to cut or add funding. The fact of the matter is there could be a balance of cuts, enhancements, adjustments and transfers.
Interestingly, on Friday April 30th, the Revenue Consensus estimate came in about $60 million down from what we expected to receive. The Department of Revenue on Monday, May 3rd, discovered there were 9,500 pieces of mail that when opened added close to $17 million to our bank deposit.
Today (Tuesday May, 4th) another 10,000 pieces will be opened. Don’t you love it when an unexpected check arrives? Well actually these were tax returns that just had not been processed! Mmmm?
On July 20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon,
In 1972 Bernard Sadow owner of the U.S. Luggage Company received a patent for wheels on a suitcase. America actually had a man on the moon before we realized how handy it would be to roll luggage through the airport.
I consider it an honor and privilege to be your Representative in Topeka. The best way to contact me after the 2010 Legislative Session concludes will be by email to john.grange@house.ks.gov, johng@carlisleinc.net, or 1115 Rim Rock Road, El Dorado, 67042.
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