I suppose you are asking yourself what happens next? Well let me help you understand what is happening and what is going to happen in Topeka in the next few weeks.
Currently the permanent staff is looking to find office space for the majority of the House of Representative members. Due to the remodeling of the Capitol building close to 90 of the 125 house members will be located in the Docking Building. This building is directly across the street to the west of the Capitol and actually has quite a bit of usable space for us to occupy.
This assignment of office space will be permanent for the entire two years of this session. The staff is interviewing for part time secretaries for the legislators and many of us will get the same person we had last year unless for one reason or another the employee has opted to not come back.
The Senators will most likely all be located in the Capitol as their office spaces underwent the remodel during the last two to three years. I will let you know more about office space assignments and phone numbers as soon as they become available.
The House and Senate Caucus’s will be meeting to elect their leadership. The House will meet on Dec 1st to select the Speaker, Speaker Pro-Tem, Majority Leader, Assistant Majority Leader, Caucus Chairman, and Majority Whip. This team will then meet to pick committee members, committee chairmen and assistant chairman, and the Democrats leadership will select their ranking minority member for each committee.
Each house member will be sent a questionnaire that asks on what committees he or she wishes to serve. We are all offered to rank our top three choices and every effort is made to accommodate those requests. The new members will be spending the first couple of days in December in training and orientation.
I have been asked to assist in this new member orientation; in which we tour the capitol, participate in mock committee meetings, mock floor debates and answer all the questions that come up. Our research, revisors, post audit, computer services, and all other support groups provide their briefings as well.
One very important request I have is to get an intern assigned to help with my activities. This is an opportunity for a young man or woman to work closely with a legislator to learn the workings of the legislative process. Usually this person is a college student at Washburn, KU or KSU and must commit to at least 16 hours a week. I will pay you mileage to help with the gas expense.
Most universities offer college credit and the student/intern is graded on performance, contribution, and is usually given several writing assignments throughout the session. I have always appreciated having an intern that was interested and inquisitive. I have my intern attend committee meetings and prepare an executive summary of the proceedings. There are so many meetings that are conducted simultaneously that without this back up, I could not possibly stay informed.
For more information you may call or contact Jenna Keesling, Chief of Staff, office of the Speaker Pro-Tem. Phone 785-291-3500, 785-291-3888 (FAX), or jennak@house.state.ks.us.
There is a time limit; the applications have to be in by Dec. 5th. The interns have a daylong training in early January that will be quite helpful. Please help me; I would really like to work with a son or daughter of a constitutent.
The budget numbers are starting to look worrisome. The governor has requested a hard look by the agencies for at least a 5% cut in the next year budget, this comes on the heals of a 2% current year budget cut. KDOT Secretary Deb Miller said this morning they will suspend letting $209 million in highway job contracts in December and January.
Three major projects are included in the suspension, including a $58 million K-61 project in Reno County, another project on K-61 in McPherson county, and an expansion of US-169 in Montgomery County. The reason is that KDOT is not sure they will have the money to pay for the projects.
About $57 million of generally smaller repair and maintenance type jobs will be bid in December (down from an expected $203 million) and in January, the planned $111 million worth of projects will be cut to $48 million.
Looks like the long awaited and much debated casinos may be slow in coming. Harrah’s announced their earnings have taken a hit and their CEO said they are watching their cash flow very carefully. The problem is a short-term cash flow issue but the overall viability of the company is fairly sound according to Ed VanPatton the attorney for the Kansas Lottery.
December 5th is the deadline for Harrah’s to sign the deal with the State of Kansas. If Harrah’s is going to pull out of the project, it has to be done before that deadline or they will lose their $25 million deposit. Right now it is still up in the air where the casino is to be built. The two main options are Mulvane exit on the turnpike or somewhere near Wellington in Sumner County.
I consider it an honor and privilege to be your Representative in Topeka and I want to know what you think. Contact me in person or call my home 316-321-2087 or write 1115 Rim Rock Road, El Dorado 67042. email johng@carlisleinc.net, grange@house.state.ks.us, previous editions of these updates are available at www.johngrange.net. Thanks, John.
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