“If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace” Thomas Paine, 1737-1809
Goodness! We have begun the 7th month of 2010, where has the time gone? I have always heard that as you get older the time will start passing more rapidly and that indeed seems to be the case. As I write this message there remain but 178 days until Christmas!
The fiscal year of 2010 has come to an end and the State of Kansas begins operating under the FY 2011 Budget. We are not off to a particularly good start being how we had to borrow $700 million to meet the last of our obligations under the past fiscal year.
On Monday the State Finance Council approved issuing a $700 million certificate of indebtedness by borrowing from the state idle funds; which will allow us to pay bills in July. The council is made up of the Governor and the legislative leaders and they actually meet throughout the year and are authorized to make such decisions in the absence of the full Senate and House.
The state had $181 million in the State General Fund (SGF) and had $278 million in bills to pay, which included $55 million for KPERS school payments that dated back to January, $131 million in special education payments, and a variety of other required payments.
As you all know cash flow is the king and unless we get in tax revenue the state has to borrow money to meet our obligations. The Finance Council also authorized Budget Director Goossen to distribute $7.2 million from the SGF to agencies with employees who are earning below-market wages.
The Governor believes the state may be able to cruise through the rest of the calendar year without any other major budget adjustments. The prophecy is based on projected cash flow and depends on not having a catastrophic decrease in revenue such as the one we experienced last fall.
I reported last week about the total number of bills (1,159) that were introduced during the 2009-2010 Session and that 165 (14.2%) made it into law. Those bills covered virtually every aspect of your lives as Kansans. To get that many bills “worked’ I cast 403 recorded votes.
On July 1st the state has new laws that take affect that include the prohibition on texting and driving, smoking ban in most public places and the mandatory use of seat belt law. The additional 1-cent sales tax has also gone into affect. This added tax was one that I did not support; the final vote was 64-61. As always the majority rules
I keep busy with helping constituents with various requests for assistance. Many of you have requested official House Certificates that commemorate a variety of achievements. These certificates recognize Eagle Scout status, longevity of marriage, birthdays, public service just to name a few. Please get your request into me as early as possible so I can make arrangements for printing. At least two weeks is preferred.
I can also be a source of state and US flags that have been flown over the respective capitols. I do need a little longer to get these but they make great gifts and are appreciated by the receipitants. With the flags you will receive a certificate of authenticity as to when it was flown. Take a look at your flags and if you need a new one, give me a call.
I have recently intervened on the behalf of constituents to facilitate meetings with various agencies to resolve issues. I normally am contacted with a complaint about the dealings with an agency employee, where the person making the request believes he/she was treated unfairly, rudely, or maybe even brushed off by the state employee.
We can normally get any issue response clarified and are provided with a reasonable explanation of the statutes or laws that led to the state response. Most recently I have been actively involved with the Departments of Labor, Transportation, Highway Patrol, Commerce, SRS, Banking Commissioner and the Turnpike Authority.
My first suggestion to those that are seeking help is to be very specific on what you want me to do. Always take concise notes on who you talked with at the agency, the date and time, note what was said and most of all ask the agency when you can expect their response to your request.
If you want me to intervene on your behalf expect to have to sign a waiver that will allow the agency to release private information to me. Also be prepared that if we go into the details of the complaint all information and facts will be brought forward.
I prefer face-to-face meetings when dealing with some issues and this is normally the last resort. Usually a phone call to the Director or Secretary will get to the “meat” of the matter quickly. Some delays can be expected but in the end we are all here to serve you.
Being able to resolve personal issues is the part of this job I enjoy the most. I do consider it an honor and privilege to be your Representative in Topeka, if I can be of assistance please get in touch with me.
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