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Equal Rights Amendment Update

Governor Joins Coalition Fighting for Recognition of Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution

 

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly has signed onto an amicus brief along with 18 states and the District of Columbia urging the National Archives and Records Administration to recognize the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

 

“After generations of fighting for equal treatment and nearly 50 years after Kansas first passed the Equal Rights Amendment, the required 38 states have ratified it, and the Amendment should take its rightful place in the Constitution,” Governor Kelly said. “Kansas will join the chorus of other states proclaiming that equal rights belong to all Americans, regardless of sex.”

 

The amendment, which was initially proposed in 1972, reads simply, “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” Kansas was one of the first seven states to approve the amendment, just days after it was proposed, at the urging of the late Governor Robert Docking.

 

The lawsuit asks the courts to direct the Archivist of the United States to add the Equal Rights Amendment to the US Constitution. He argues that time has expired and that the amendment is dead, even though the required three-quarters of states have passed it.

 

“In the year 2020, the fact that women and men are equal should not be controversial, but women still face discrimination, earn less than their male counterparts and are underrepresented in public life,” Governor Kelly said. That is why I’ve committed to addressing the gender parity on our state boards, it’s why I fight for women’s rights to their own healthcare decisions, and it’s why I am signing onto this lawsuit today.”

 

The lawsuit—Virginia v. Ferriero, Case No. 1:20-cv-242-RC—is pending in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Joining the amicus brief are Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

 

The brief can be found here.

Helping Families Purchase Food For Their Children

DCF Extends Deadline to Register for Pandemic EBT Program in Kansas

P-EBT offers one-time benefit for families with children who receive free or reduced-priced meals

 

The Kansas Department for Children and Families announced today that it is extending the deadline to register for the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Program (P-EBT) to July 31, 2020. The program helps families who were impacted by school closures due to COVID-19 to purchase food for their children.

 

“We know Kansas families continue to experience food insecurity because of the pandemic,” DCF Secretary Laura Howard said. “We want to ensure all families eligible for the program are able to receive this benefit to help with food costs during these uncertain times.”

 

P-EBT provides a one-time benefit of up to $291 on a Kansas Benefits Card to Kansas families whose children between the age of 5 to 18 received free or reduced-price meals at participating schools during the 2019-20 school year.

 

The initial deadline to register and provide additional information to receive P-EBT was June 30, but now registrations for P-EBT will be accepted until the end of July.

 

Every family eligible for free or reduced-price meals should have received a confidential link via email from the child’s school district. The link provides access to a parent portal to register for the program. School districts verify the family’s eligibility by sending the confidential link.

 

For eligible families who still need to register, be sure to check your email inbox for junk mail to look for the link. Contact you school’s nutrition services staff to ask for the link.

 

DCF will provide the link to families that have received SNAP, TANF or provided foster care during the last school year. Call 1-888-369-4777 to contact the local DCF office if you have received any of those benefits and have not received the link or have other questions.

 

For eligible families that have registered for P-EBT already but haven’t yet received the benefit, please allow for six to eight weeks for the benefit to process.

 

For more information, you can read P-EBT FAQs at http://www.dcf.ks.gov/COVID19/Documents/COVID- 19_P-EBT_FAQ.pdf.

 

Obituary of Ellen Chaplin

Ellen Roberta Chaplin, age 67, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away early Monday, June 29, 2020, at the home of her daughter in Ft. Scott.

She was born October 1, 1952, in Ft. Scott, the daughter of Robert Wiggans and Doris Spaur Wiggans.

Ellen graduated from the Ft. Scott High School with the Class of 1970.

She first married David Hathaway on May 29, 1969, and to this union, two daughters, Rachel and Rhonda where born.  David and Ellen later divorced, and Ellen married Raymond Chaplin on September 2, 1981.  At this time, three more children, Chris, Kim and Jeff were added to the family.  Raymond and Ellen later divorced.

Ellen had been employed by Head Start, Key Work Clothes and Valu Merchandisers.  Her last place of employment was at Tri-Valley Developmental Services where she had worked in client services.

Ellen enjoyed crocheting and doing cross-stitch.  She loved her family dearly and enjoyed the many times spent with family and friends.

 

Survivors include her two daughters, Rachel Thompson and Rhonda Cole and husband, Ben, all of Ft. Scott; three step-children, Chris Chaplin and wife, Stephanie, Kim Wright and husband, Jay and Jeff Chaplin; ten grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.  Also surviving is a brother, Richard Wiggans and wife, Dorothy and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert Wiggans and Doris Pellett and a brother, Mark Wiggans.

 

Graveside services will be held at 10:30 A.M. Thursday, July 2nd at the Clarksburg Cemetery.

Friends and family may meet at the Cheney Witt Chapel prior to leaving for the cemetery at 10:00 A.M. on Thursday.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 P.M. Wednesday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Appropriate social distancing will be practiced.  Memorials are suggested to Care to Share and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Merchants: Reserve A Booth At the Fair

Sending the email below on behalf of
Chamber Member
Bourbon County Fair
Thank you for your Chamber partnership!
Businesses & Organizations
Are Invited to Reserve a Booth
In the Merchants Building
during the Bourbon County Fair!
Booths will be open
Monday-Friday, July 13th-17th
(prior e-blast had incorrect dates of June vs. July)
$25 for a 10×10 booth
Contact Allen Warren to reserve:
620-224-7761
Or, click here to email Allen.
Also ~ Rodeo tickets will go on sale
at the Chamber July 2nd!
(we will be closed on the 3rd & back open Monday the 6th)
See more information below!
Ticket Sales & Booth Space Reservation Information
Please help share & support.
JULY 10-18TH, 2020 IN FORT SCOTT

County Fair Time Nearing

Carla Nemecek is Southwind District Director and agent.

We are only a few weeks away from the start of the County Fair season – and I usually write an anticipatory column to incite excitement and attendance of the Fair.

In fact, my past columns have been along the lines of “County Fair season is just around the corner! The week that nearly every 4-H member has worked and waited for since the fair ended last year.  It is a time of year when youth from across the county get together to showcase their projects, but more importantly, it is a time for 4-H families to be together.”

The words ‘be together’ really strike me because they are the words that we are the most focused on in planning the 2020 Fairs during a pandemic.

We want to gather together to celebrate accomplishments and enjoy time with friends, but we just cannot.

Planning the 2020 County Fair has been hard. Our local Fair Board members, Extension Board members, and Extension staff have spent numerous hours on phone calls and zoom meetings (because Extension has not been allowed to meet face-to-face until after July 4) trying to navigate schedules and keep some resemblance of a County Fair that allows our 4-H members to showcase their projects while keeping everyone socially distant and safe.

Did I mention this has been hard? I think those who have cancelled their events or activities actually took the easy way out, because modifying the traditional County Fair has been more challenging than we could have possibly expected it to be. Then again, we didn’t expect any of this.

I did not expect we would face a global pandemic. I did not expect to have to modify the 4-H rabbit show because of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease that is fatal to rabbits. I did not expect to have to answer questions about Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) that has confirmed cases in Kansas and puts our horse show at risk. The Dog Show at the Kansas State Fair has already been cancelled, and we are anxiously awaiting information this week about the State Fair will look like in 2020. This has been hard.

Your Extension Agents want to have a normal County Fair every bit as much as you do. I don’t even know what normal is, or what it will look like by 2021. I am certain we will continue to plan the County Fairs as an event for our communities that helps us recognize the importance of 4-H and agriculture.

Please understand that a new fair schedule is not the schedule we will follow until the end of time and we all have made the best decisions possible with the information we had at the time the choices needed to be made.

Fair results will be published frequently online, and we expect to utilize our social media channels now more than ever.

To discover more about your County Fair, find us on Facebook at Southwind Extension District. Extension Agents have planned to conduct judging and showing activities that will keep our youth and their families safe.

Alternative virtual options will be available to those who do not feel like attending in person.

Mask wearing will likely be common, and possibly required.

In the meantime, I hope you will continue to be patient and kind with each other and look forward to a day that we can be together again. I look forward to the day I can publish an article that highlights a fun 4-H activity – that includes families working and learning together.


Carla Nemecek
Southwind Extension District
Director & Agent
[email protected]
620-365-2242
1 North Washington, Iola, KS 66749

Kansas Adjustments to 2021 Budget

Governor Kelly Announces FY 2021 Allotment Plan

 

Governor Laura Kelly announced today her final plan for adjustments to the FY 2021 budget, which begins on July 1, 2020.

 

“COVID-19 has created new economic challenges for our state,” said Governor Kelly. “However, the hard work that was done last year to restore fiscal stability prevented this unprecedented situation from being much worse. While we had to make hard choices, I’m pleased that this plan will preserve critical funding for Kansas schools, our infrastructure, and business recruitment tools. Kansas will undoubtedly feel the economic effects of COVID-19, but by preserving our core services, we will be better positioned for economic recovery and to continue growing when this virus is behind us.”

 

Kelly’s allotment plan totals a little more than $704 million and includes items that will require approval from the Legislature when they return in January. The largest portion of the plan proposes to delay the $132 million payment to the Pooled Money Investment Board for FY 2021 and requests an additional loan of $132 million, for a total of $264 million.

 

“I want to thank Larry Campbell and his team for their work identifying items that minimize the direct impact on Kansans, and I look forward to working with the 2021 Legislature to put together a bipartisan budget, said Governor Kelly.”

 

Allotment plans are provided for under K.S.A. 75-3722 when deemed necessary and beneficial to the state by the Director of the Budget.

 

The view the FY 2021 Governor’s State General Fund Allotment Plan, click here.

Food safety takes spotlight for outdoor picnics, grilling

Kathy McEwan, K-State Extension Agent. Submitted photo.

 

For many, the Fourth of July holiday may be a day off from work, but Karen Blakeslee says it’s not a day off from food safety.

 

“Handling food safely is important every day, not just at holidays,” said Blakeslee, a food safety specialist with K-State Research and Extension. “During the summer, it is more important to follow the four core principals of cook, chill, clean and separate.”

 

She notes that foodborne illness often peaks in the summer for a couple important reasons: Bacteria multiply faster in warmer temperatures, and preparing food outdoors makes safe food handling more difficult. “Temperature abused food can allow bacteria to grow and multiply every 20 minutes,” Blakeslee said.

 

For picnics and barbecues, Blakeslee provides some timely tips:

 

  • Cook food to the recommended internal temperature. If bacteria are present on food, they can be killed by cooking meat properly. There is no need to wash meat or poultry. Marinate meat in the refrigerator and discard unused marinade. For popular picnic foods, the suggested internal temperatures are 165 degrees Fahrenheit for poultry; 160 F for ground meat and hamburgers; and 145 F for beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks or chops.
  • Chill foods that won’t be in a refrigerator. Use several ice chests to store cold food below 40 F and keep it cold until meal time. Don’t leave picnic food out for more than two hours or one hour if outdoor temperatures are above 90 F. Once the meal is finished, put leftovers on ice or in the refrigerator promptly.
  • Clean produce, surfaces and hands regularly. Wash produce with plain water before prepping or cooking. Rub or scrub when possible to remove dirt. Clean surfaces often. When washing hands, any soap that produces bubbles — which break up bacteria and germs – will work. Rub between fingers, back of hands and up your arms, too. If you don’t have running water, moist disposable towelettes are a good choice.
  • Separate foods. Keep raw foods away from ready-to-eat foods. Use separate plates and utensils for raw meat and cooked meat. Or, wash plates and utensils before using them for cooked meat.

 

“It is easy to get distracted with summer activities and forget about food,” said Blakeslee, who suggests keeping the meal simple.

 

“Plan ahead to reduce mishaps since cooking and eating outdoors is out of your normal routine. Keep food safe for everyone at your party to enjoy.”

 

For more outdoor food safety tips, contact Kathy in the Southwind Extension office at 620-365-2242 or [email protected].

Masks Must Be Worn In Public Places In Kansas

Governor Laura Kelly Announces Masks Must be Worn Statewide

 

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced that she will sign an Executive Order requiring that most Kansans in a public space must wear a mask, beginning 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 3. 

 

“This is a simple, proactive step we can take to keep Kansans at work, get our kids back to school, and keep ourselves and our neighbors healthy,” Governor Kelly said. “Wearing a mask is not only safe – but it is necessary to avoid another shut down.

 

“Remember – my mask protects you, and your mask protects me,” Governor Kelly said. “We’re all in this together.”

 

Under the order, most Kansans must wear masks in stores and shops, restaurants, and in any situation in which social distancing of 6 feet cannot be maintained, including outside. The EO will be released on Thursday, and will provide specific guidance regarding under what circumstances masks must be worn.

 

“I know Kansans will have many questions about this order – and we will answer them when it is released later this week,” Governor Kelly said. “But by announcing the requirement today, people in our state will have the appropriate time to acquire the masks.”

 

The Kansas Attorney General’s Office will work closely with officials in Governor Kelly’s administration to ensure that the order complies with Kansas law.

 

For more information on COVID-19 health guidance, please visit www.covid.ks.gov.

Bourbon County Commission Minutes of June 16

June 16, 2020 Tuesday 9:00 am

The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners and the County Clerk present.

Also present for the meeting (some were present for only a portion, others were present for all of the meeting) were Tammy Helm with the Fort Scott Tribune, Stephen Plaster, Anne Dare, Clint and Rachel Walker, Michael Hoyt, Mark McCoy and Jody Hoener.

Stephen Plaster requested road work to be done between 412-422 127th St Terrace in Hiattville; Lynne gave the request to Jim Harris. Lynne said the County is responsible for road work in unincorporated towns.

Jeff Fischer questioned signs posted east of Arrowhead Road stating that Bourbon County maintenance ends here; Jim Harris said Crawford County maintains the road to the South of this area. Jeff said he noticed near Hepler where some signs had been removed and others put up; Jim said the signs could have been stolen or this could be located in another County.

Jim Harris reported they are patching on 215th south of Indian Road. Jim recommended 2” of asphalt on the Lake road. Jeff complimented the patching work done on the Jefferson Highway; Jim said there may be some areas there that could be a good candidate for chip and seal. Jim said with the cost of oil it might be more feasible to do overlaying verses patching. Lynne said they need to be cautious with the Road & Bridge budget, he said $220,000 (to cover the cost of a reporting error in 2019) will come out of their budget before they start; Jim said his focus will be the Lake road and the Landfill road. Jim said they are replacing driveway culverts on the Lake road, he said the base of the road looks good, he said they will have to remove the broken asphalt, patch and put 2” on top of that. He said they are working on the west ditch on the Landfill road. Today they are priming the north lane of Native road (near KOA) with MC30 oil; Nick said KOA has been notified that they will be putting oil down on the road. Jim said that the sales tax revenue wasn’t down as much as he had expected it to be.

They are getting ready to blast at the Blake Quarry; Jim suggested that in the future someone should blast the layer of shale there since there was 35’ of good rock below the shale.

Jeff questioned where the windfarm was getting its aggregates at; Jim said he didn’t know, but said someone could ask them. Jeff said in the past KDOT was supposed to pay a percentage to Bourbon County for using County roads; Jim said he had asked about this, but hadn’t gotten an answer. Jim recommended that they have the County Counselor write a letter to KDOT concerning this.

Nick reported that the “no shooting” signs placed on Slick Rock road were gone, Nick told Jim to put more back up. Nick said the County could put up a fence with a locked gate on the County right-of-way there. Nick said he would talk to the County Counselor regarding writing a letter to the landowners there.

Jeff asked Jim if he had the biannual bridge report from Schwab Eaton; Jim said he didn’t have the report yet.

Kendell Mason provided the Commissioners with the estimated assessed valuation information as of July 1, 2020; the total estimated for the County is 110,452,005 compared to the final assessed valuation from November 1, 2019 of 107,698,260. This total will be used when calculating the County’s 2021 budget.

Economic Development Director Jody Hoener met with the Commissioners; she said she had met with Susan Bancroft with the City of Fort Scott and offered her assistance to them regarding the CDBG Grant, she said in different counties the cities and counties work together on the grant. She said the City suggested they include that their taxes are current in the point system used in awarding of the grant money to the various recipients’. Jody said the County and the City of Fort Scott were awarded $132,000 of CDBG grant funds each. Jody said there were over 100 applications for the CDBG Grant and 66 of them received a grant. The Commissioners appreciated Jody applying for the grant money. Jody said she would meet with the Commissioners on June 23rd so they could do a formal vote to approve the process. Jody said the application will be online for businesses to apply for a portion of the grant money, she said they couldn’t use the grant funds for something they had already received grant funds for. Lynne said the CDBG Grant would be administered through the SEKRPC.

Lora Holdridge met to present the Register of Deeds 2021 budget. She requested a total of $80,723. She was awarded $77,747 for her 2020 budget and said the difference in the amount she requested was for a raise for her office deputy.

The tax sale was briefly discussed; Jeff said it was agreed upon to delay having a tax sale due to COVID-19 and the uncertainty of the pandemic.

Susan Bancroft, the finance director with the City of Fort Scott met with the Commissioners regarding the airport expansion; she said the FAA had requested that the language be changed regarding the closure of Indian Road for the airport expansion, she said adopting the resolution she presented would not hold the County to anything, but rather would show that the City and the County were working together. Jeff said the condition of closing the road is that there is the existence of a hard surface road prior to the closure; Jeff said this wasn’t in the resolution presented, but wanted it in the resolution. Susan said that the FAA wanted the wording of the existence of a hard surface road removed from the original resolution. Lynne said there is s procedure that would have to be followed to consider closing the road; he said there is a “claim period” for people affected by the road closure. Nick made a motion to approve resolution 19-20, Lynne seconded and all approved. The resolution is as follows: A RESOLUTION REGARDING INDIAN ROAD IN THE VICINITY OF THE FORT SCOTT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT:
WHEREAS, the Fort Scott Municipal Airport is essential to the economic development of the county, providing the gateway to the nation’s air transportation system; and
WHEREAS, many local businesses rely on the airport to increase their productivity and provide deliveries of goods and personnel in a more timely manner; and
WHEREAS, a runway extension is planned that will increase aircraft capacity by allowing heavier loads on each aircraft and could increase aircraft traffic by 40 percent and fuel sales by 500 percent; and
WHEREAS, a longer runway will provide economic benefits to the region and reduce the potential tax burden on the citizens; and
WHEREAS, it will be necessary to close a portion of Indian Road when the time comes for the construction of the runway extension; and
WHEREAS, the road will not be vacated prior to the letting of the airport expansion construction contract.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the County Commission of Bourbon County, Kansas that the portion of Indian Road needed for the runway extension will be closed and the County will go through the procedures to close the road when the time comes for the work to actually be done on the runway and the runway construction project has received grant funds necessary for the design of this construction.
Michael Hoyt questioned the length of the expansion; Lynne said the preliminary plans show 1,000’ added to the current runway expansion. Lynne said they looked at three different plans for re-routing traffic and the one they have discussed goes north to south to Hackberry then west on Hackberry.

Appraiser Clint Anderson met with the Commissioners; he said he had two bids for a new vehicle from Briggs Automotive; Briggs bid $24,349 for a 2020 Jeep Compass and $28,103 for a 2020 Toyota RAV 4. Clint said the Jeep didn’t handle well on the gravel and said it didn’t have enough power for what they needed it for. He said the RAV 4 had enough power and handled well. He said they didn’t have a RAV 4 in stock with what they needed on the vehicle, but are looking for one with what they need. Clint has $42,000 saved in his equipment reserve account; this will cover the cost of the vehicle without having to finance the vehicle. Clint said he could use the current truck they have for his in-town work and the current Jeep they have will be used for the environmental jobs. Jeff made a motion to authorize spending up to $30,000 for a 2020 RAV 4, Nick seconded and all approved.

Emergency Manager William Wallis presented his 2021 budgets; for his Emergency Management Performance Grant he requested $17,000 (this money is from a grant and is not from a levied amount), he uses this money for training exercises and also used it for the upgrades done to the building that houses his office. He said the County’s portion of Code Red will be paid out of this account in 2021. For his 2021 Emergency Preparedness budget he requested $57,739, his 2020 approved budget for this is $60,039.

William Wallis briefly discussed COVID-19; he said the County would be reimbursed for a lot of expenses related to the pandemic. He said Bill Martin had applied for a $100,000 grant for the reimbursement of the PPE needed due to COVID-19. Will said people shouldn’t let their guard down with COVID-19, he said he was concerned that there would be another outbreak that will be worse than the first outbreak.

Jeff made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships, Nick seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Mark McCoy). No action was taken.

Lynne made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships, Nick seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Mark McCoy). No action was taken.

Nick made a motion for the County to donate $500 to the Elks for their fireworks display, Jeff seconded and all approved.

Lynne read the overtime hours to be paid out on June 19, 2020; the Sheriff’s office had 78 hours, the Jail had 105 hours, Road & Bridge had 4 hours, the Treasurer’s office had 9.75 hours, the Attorney’s office had 17 hours and the General department had 6.25 hours.

Lynne made a motion to keep the Commissioners budget the same in 2021 as was awarded in 2020, Jeff seconded and all approved. Lynne said this Commission didn’t charge mileage and is cautious when it comes to spending money.

Michael Hoyt questioned who was getting the better deal regarding the Interlocal agreement between the City and the County; the City is supplying the staff for the EMS and the County is supplying aggregate to the city. Lynne said the agreement is dollar for dollar. Currently the County receives reimbursement for EMS services and the County writes checks to the City for EMS services. Jeff said Linn County contracts out their ambulance service without any reimbursement; Bourbon County chose to model Allen County regarding the ambulance service. Clint Walker said the 911 call center in Allen County was funded by grant money.

Lynne made a motion to go into a 7 minute executive session for confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships, Nick seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Mark McCoy). No action was taken.

The meeting adjourned at 11:42.

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS
(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman
(ss) Jeff Fischer, Commissioner
(ss) Nick Ruhl, Commissioner
ATTEST:
Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk
June 23, 2020, Approved Date

Bourbon County Commission Agenda For June 30

Agenda

Bourbon County Commission Room

1st Floor, County Courthouse

210 S. National Avenue

Fort Scott, KS 66701

Tuesdays starting at 9:00

Date: June 30, 2020

1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________

2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________

3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________

County Clerk-Kendell Mason

MEETING WILL BE HELD IN THE COMMISSION ROOM. ANYONE ATTENDING THE MEETING WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY. MUST MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING.

9:00 – 9:05 Fireworks Stand Review

9:05 – 9:30 JT Heckman

9:30 – 9:45 Cops Grant

9:45 – 10:00 East Porch Steps

10:00 – 10:15 Jody Hoener, CDBG-CV Grants

10:15 – 10:30 Judge Ward, Rhonda Cole, 2021 Budget Review

10:30 – 10:45 Justin Meeks, Executive Session, Consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship