“We do not have a Trillion-Dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a Trillion-Dollar debt because we spend too much” Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the US.
“It is no contradiction---the most important single thing we can do to stimulate investment in today’s economy is to raise consumption by major reduction of individual income tax rates”.
President John F. Kennedy, Jan. 21, 1963, message to Congress.
HB 2130 amends state law to require every occupant of a passenger car to wear a safety belt. The bill also allows law enforcement officer to stop a vehicle for suspected violation of a safety belt requirement by anyone in the front seat and/or under the age of 18. The fine for violation is laughable at $5.00 for the period June 30th, 2010 until July 1st, 2011, and then the fine will double all the way to $10 thereafter.
SB 300 contains a provision that bans texting while driving. The offense carry’s a $60 fine. Law enforcement will be issuing warnings until January 1, 2011. In addition the bill prohibits displaying a license plate that is covered with any material that affects the plates visibility or reflectivity. The fine for this violation is $60.00. This bill passed 105-18.
Senate Substitute for HB 2115 as amended would have clarified current law regarding late-term abortion abortions and provided protection to our most vulnerable babies who would otherwise survive outside the womb. Governor Parkinson vetoed the bill, the House overrode his veto, but the Senate was one vote short of the override.
The basic bill and requirements were enacted years ago, but current interpretations of the law allowed for and encouraged what should be illegal late-term abortions. The bill would have required physicians performing late-term abortions to simply note the specific medical diagnosis and condition constituting irreversible impairment to the mother, or the medical diagnosis and condition which necessitated an abortion.
House Sub. for Sub. For SB 214 prohibits a city from annexing unilaterally, or by consent, a narrow corridor of land to gain access to noncontiguous land. The bill further requires the corridor of land to have a tangible value and purpose other than for enhancing future annexations. (Think Mulvane Casino)
Senate Sub. For HB 2219 implements a three-month moratorium on state and local employer contributions to the KPERS Group Insurance Reserve Fund, or Death and Disability Fund, for April, May and June 2010 and April, May, June 2011.
The fiscal note from KPERS indicates that the total savings for each 3-month moratorium for state and local governments will total approximately *$16.4 million. This fund evidently has enough cash to cover any benefits payable in the next couple of years. The intent was to stop the outflow of cash.
Full language of the above new laws as well as all legislation is available at http://www.kslegislature.org/klrd.
I recently attended a meeting sponsored by the “Office of National Drug Control Policy”, www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov. Prescription drugs are the second most abused category of drugs in the United States, following marijuana. When taken as directed for legitimate medical purposes, prescription drugs can be safe and effective. In fact, many people suffer needless pain from disease in the absence of appropriate, medically supervised access to analgesic medicines.
Because prescription drugs are legal, they are easily accessible, often from a home medicine cabinet. Further, some individuals who misuse prescription drugs, particularly teens, believe these substances are safer than illicit drugs because they are prescribed by a healthcare professional.
According to the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health, among people age 12 or older who reported using pain relievers non-medically during the past year, 56 percent got the drug they most recently used from a friend or relative for free. Another 18 percent reported getting the drug from one doctor. Only about 4 percent reported obtaining pain relievers from a drug dealer or other stranger, and less that 1 percent bought the drugs on the Internet.
Substance abuse offenders make up 20 percent of inmates in state prisons. Abuse and addiction, however play a much larger role. Some 80 percent of offenders abuse drugs and alcohol, and nearly half of jail and prison inmates are thought top be clinically addicted.
Action being taken nationwide includes screening felony defendants for substance abuse. In Kentucky some are diverted to community-based service; others with more serious problems and criminal records are referred to an intensive, secure substance abuse program run by the department of corrections.
About 200 felons can be held in secure treatment at a time for an estimated savings of $1.4 million for the first year. Treatment should be looked at as an alternative for general prison population and no treatment. Several states have opened specialty drug courts to help break the cycle of drugs and crime.
The summer season is upon us, I hope you all had a great Memorial Day. The El Dorado Lake was especially packed with campers and boaters. This was probably one of the nicest weather weekends for a Memorial Day Holiday in recent memory; that is if you do not count the terrific thunder storm that blew in on Sunday afternoon and dropped over an inch of rain in an hour. Hope you enjoyed your time with family and friends.
My Topeka office is closed until January 2011, you may reach me at home by mail, phone or email. 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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