WEEKLY CHAMBER COFFEE REMINDER
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WEEKLY CHAMBER COFFEE REMINDER
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The following is a synopsis of Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s first State of the State address on Jan. 14, 2019 provided by Senator Richard Hilderbrand in his weekly newsletter.
STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS
On Wednesday, Governor Laura Kelly delivered her first State of the State address. The governor laid out her agenda as she began her first term as governor. Some of her main agenda items include, more money to public education, increased funding to hire more social workers for DCF, and Medicaid expansion.
During her address, Kelly explained she would be proposing a one-year budget with a separate proposal for a two-year education plan.
GOVERNOR’S BUDGET PROPOSAL
Thursday morning, Governor Kelly presented her one-year budget proposal. The $18.4 billion spending plan would be the largest budget in Kansas history, with total spending rising $1.2 billion, or 7.2%.
Kelly’s proposal includes increased spending for areas such as K-12 education, DCF, and Medicaid expansion. Many lawmakers question the number Kelly presented for the cost of expanding Medicaid as many predict it to be well over the budget proposal’s estimate.
Below are some highlights from the governor’s budget proposal:
Kansas K-12 Education Finance
Governor Kelly recommended a $92 million inflation adjustment to state aid for K-12 public schools. This would be a phase in of $364 million over four years. With this increase, the state’s education funding would increase 5.5 percent during the next budget year, to nearly $4.4 billion.
Department for Children and Families
The budget proposed a 14 percent increase in spending on foster care programs. Governor Kelly’s agenda includes the hiring of 55 additional social workers. This would increase the department’s budget 8.7 percent, to $727 million.
Medicaid Expansion
Kelly’s budget included $14 million to initiate Medicaid expansion in Kansas. She explained that an expansion plan would be submitted to the Legislature by the end of the month.
State Employee Salary Increase
The budget provided $22 million for a 2.5 percent salary increase for state employees, excluding the judicial system and legislative branch. An additional $3 million was earmarked to increase wages for officers of the Kansas Department of Corrections.
Kansas Board of Regents
The budget proposal would complete restoration of a 4 percent, or $30 million, cut in 2017 from the Board of Regents. Most of the money was previously restored to universities, but Kelly offered the final $8.9 million to be recovered. This restoration does not include previous cuts from 2008.
Re-amortization of KPERS
Kelly’s budget was built around the re-amortization of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System which essentially refinances the remaining $8.9 billion debt over 30 years. This is meant to provide $160 million in “short-term savings” but will extend the system’s debt until the year 2049. Larry Campbell, Governor Kelly’s budget director, said the debt would become an additional cost of about $7 billion.
Thomas Sullivan born on June 8, 1929 in Glasgow, Scotland went to rest on January 11, 2019, to be with his loving wife, Anna.
Thomas served in the British Army.
He loved to play soccer and continued to play when he came to America.
He leaves behind his daughters, Annie and Maureen, his son-in-law Albert Martinez, and his grandsons Thomas and William and his wife, April, and Anthony Martinez. His great-grandchildren William and Mikayla.
Thomas will be laid to rest with Anna in Greenock, Scotland.
Kenneth Dean Oakleaf, age 81, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Wednesday, January 16, 2019, at Country Place Senior Living in Ft. Scott.
He was born September 2, 1937, in Red Oak, Iowa, the son of Reuben Oakleaf and Nadine Fort Oakleaf. After graduating high school, Kenneth joined the United States Air Force. He served with the 551st Airborne stationed at Otis Air Force base on Cape Cod. While in the Air Force, he worked in electronics maintenance which was used to patrol the entire east cost of the United States.
He married Carol Ann Horner on October 19, 1958, in Red Oak. They returned to Massachusetts and stayed there until Kenny was discharged from the Air Force in 1960 with the rank of Airman First Class.
Because of the skills he learned in the military, once he was discharged, he immediately began a career with A. T. & T. In 1967, because of his work, Ken and Carol moved from Iowa to Overland Park, Kansas. When he retired in 1989, he had been serving as a project manager for the installation of underground fiberoptic cable. In addition to working for A. T. & T., Ken also worked out of his home where he repaired televisions and other electronics.
Ken and Carol moved to Ft. Scott in 2015 to be near family. In earlier years, he enjoyed woodworking and fishing. He was a member of the Community Covenant Church of Lenexa, Kansas.
Survivors include his wife, Carol, of the home; and three children, Lori Lovelace and her husband, Leroy Walker, and Daniel L. Oakleaf and his wife, Coree Oakleaf, all of Ft. Scott and K. Douglas Oakleaf and his wife, Nina Harrison-Oakleaf, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; eight grandchildren, Aaron, Kendal, Kara, Cadee, Joseph, Harold, Douglas and Tori and four great-grandchildren, Karlee, Luna, Caleb and Neilha. Also surviving are a brother, David Oakleaf, of Red Oak, Iowa and two sisters, Barbara Hamernik, of Topeka, Kansas and Linda Oakleaf, also of Red Oak.
He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, Duane, Melvin and Darryl Oakleaf and a sister, Glennis Carlson.
Pastor Trevor Jacobs will conduct funeral services at 10:00 A.M. Thursday, January 24th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to KVCY Broadcasting or the Hammond United Methodist Church 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.
Shirley Louise Forgey, 87, of Fort Scott, passed away early Friday morning, January 18, 2019, at her home.
She was born October 20, 1931, in Springfield, Missouri the daughter of Virgil Floyd and Ruth Hallie (Buck) White. She married Varrell L. Forgey, December 30, 1950, in Benton, Arkansas, and he survives of the home.
Mrs. Forgey is a member of the First United Methodist Church of Fort Scott.
In addition to her husband, Varrell, she is survived by a daughter, Melinda Sedelmeyer and husband, Rob of Medina, Ohio, a son, Virgil Forgey of Payson, Arizona, a brother, Robert White of Iola, Kansas, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother Thomas White.
Rev. Steve Cole will officiate funeral services at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, January 23, 2019, at the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home.
The family will receive friends from 9:30 a.m. until service time, Wednesday at the funeral home.
Burial will follow in the Fort Scott National Cemetery.
The family suggests memorials to the First United Methodist Church, and they may be left in the care of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home, 15 W. Wall St., P.O. Box 309, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701.
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State senator Richard Hilderbrand 13th district
communications from the state capitol
January 18, 2019∙ Week One
HARD FACTS:
The Kansas Constitution, including the Ordinance, Preamble, and Bill of Rights, is available to print in a pocket-sized version from the State Library’s website https://kslib.info/constitution. Just click on the link and follow the instructions. A helpful diagram shows how to fold and where to cut to assemble your pocket-sized constitution. Tip: print double sided and check “flip on the long edge”. A long reach stapler is helpful, but not necessary. There is also a larger sized booklet version. Need help? https://kslib.info/Ask
FLOOR ACTION
Thursday the Senate voted to confirm 17 governor nominated appointments and 2 attorney general nominated appointments.
NEW APPOINTMENTS:
Bowser, Steven – Member, Pool Money Investment Board
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
Fertig, Sarah– Medicaid Inspector General
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
Hutton, Mark – Regent, State Board of Regents
Confirmed on a vote of 39-0
Schmidt, Allen – Regent, State Board of Regents
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
Samaniego, Richard– Crime Victims Compensation Board
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
Norris, Eric– State Librarian
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
Thomas, Donna Dr. – Member, University of Kansas Hospital Authority
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
Copeland, Michael – Member, University of Kansas Hospital Authority
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
REAPPOINTMENTS:
Dillon, David– Member, University of Kansas Hospital Authority
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
Feurborn, William– Regent, State Board of Regents
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
Graves, Gregory– Member, University of Kansas Hospital Authority
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
Lair, Casey– Member, Kansas State Banking Board
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
Macke, Carroll– Member, State Civil Service Board
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
Melugin, Raymond– Member, State Civil Service Board,
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
Neuman, Jack– Member, University of Kansas Hospital Authority
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
Schorn, Harold – Member, Kansas Human Rights Commission
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
Waller Ryan– Member, Employment Security Board of Review
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
Wright, Jerel– Administrator, Department of Credit Unions
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
Wynn, Deryl– Member, University of Kansas Hospital Authority
Confirmed on a vote of 40-0
GOVERNOR KELLY’S INAUGURATION
On Monday, January 14th, Laura Kelly was sworn in as the 48th Governor of the State of Kansas. Governor Kelly enters the Governor’s office after serving 14 years in the Kansas Senate, representing Topeka.
The following state officials were also sworn into office on Monday:
Lynn Rogers, Lieutenant Governor
Derek Schmidt, Attorney General
Scott Schwab, Secretary of State
Vicki Schmidt, Insurance Commissioner
Jake LaTurner, State Treasurer
NEW SENATORS
The Kansas Senate had four new faces Monday. Kevin Braun (R-Kansas City) replaces Steve Fitzgerald after he resigned from the Senate in September. Vic Miller (D-Topeka) took Laura Kelly’s seat in the Senate. Eric Rucker (R-Topeka) took Vicki Schmidt’s seat in the Senate as she is now Insurance Commissioner. Mary Ware (D-Wichita) was chosen to replace Lynn Rogers in the Senate.
Richard Hilderbrand (R-Galena) was also sworn in after winning his special election in November.
STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS
On Wednesday, Governor Laura Kelly delivered her first State of the State address. The governor laid out her agenda as she began her first term as governor. Some of her main agenda items include, more money to public education, increased funding to hire more social workers for DCF, and Medicaid expansion.
During her address, Kelly explained she would be proposing a one-year budget with a separate proposal for a two-year education plan.
GOVERNOR’S BUDGET PROPOSAL
Thursday morning, Governor Kelly presented her one-year budget proposal. The $18.4 billion spending plan would be the largest budget in Kansas history, with total spending rising $1.2 billion, or 7.2%.
Kelly’s proposal includes increased spending for areas such as K-12 education, DCF, and Medicaid expansion. Many lawmakers question the number Kelly presented for the cost of expanding Medicaid as many predict it to be well over the budget proposal’s estimate.
Below are some highlights from the governor’s budget proposal:
Kansas K-12 Education Finance
Governor Kelly recommended a $92 million inflation adjustment to state aid for K-12 public schools. This would be a phase in of $364 million over four years. With this increase, the state’s education funding would increase 5.5 percent during the next budget year, to nearly $4.4 billion.
Department for Children and Families
The budget proposed a 14 percent increase in spending on foster care programs. Governor Kelly’s agenda includes the hiring of 55 additional social workers. This would increase the department’s budget 8.7 percent, to $727 million.
Medicaid Expansion
Kelly’s budget included $14 million to initiate Medicaid expansion in Kansas. She explained that an expansion plan would be submitted to the Legislature by the end of the month.
State Employee Salary Increase
The budget provided $22 million for a 2.5 percent salary increase for state employees, excluding the judicial system and legislative branch. An additional $3 million was earmarked to increase wages for officers of the Kansas Department of Corrections.
Kansas Board of Regents
The budget proposal would complete restoration of a 4 percent, or $30 million, cut in 2017 from the Board of Regents. Most of the money was previously restored to universities, but Kelly offered the final $8.9 million to be recovered. This restoration does not include previous cuts from 2008.
Re-amortization of KPERS
Kelly’s budget was built around the re-amortization of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System which essentially refinances the remaining $8.9 billion debt over 30 years. This is meant to provide $160 million in “short-term savings” but will extend the system’s debt until the year 2049. Larry Campbell, Governor Kelly’s budget director, said the debt would become an additional cost of about $7 billion.
Senate Leadership including, President Wagle, Vice President Longbine, Majority Leader Denning, Assistant Majority Leader Petersen, and Majority Whip Bowers, issued the following statement in response:
“Governor Kelly’s budget is simply taking a different path that inevitably spends us right back into the red. She is willing to fund her irresponsible spending agenda at the expense of our Kansas retirees while placing an additional $7 billion burden on our future generations.”
Transfers of Kansas Department of Transportation
$238 million would continue to be drawn annually from KDOT to finance basic government.
NEXT WEEK
Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday –
2019 SESSION DATES AND DEADLINES
Please be aware of the following dates and deadlines for the 2019 legislative session. As always, each is subject to modification and leadership will keep you updated on any changes which might occur.
Monday, January 21 | Martin Luther King Day – No Session |
Monday, February 4 | Last day for members to request bill drafts |
Monday, February 11 | Last day for non-exempt committees to request bill drafts |
Wednesday, February 13 | Last day for bill introductions by members |
Friday, February 15 | Last day for non-exempt committee bill introduction |
Monday, February 25 | Last day for AM/PM committees to meet |
Tuesday, February 26 | On floor all day |
Wednesday, February 27 | On floor all day |
Thursday, February 28 | Turnaround Day, last day for non-exempt bills in house of origin |
March 1-5 | No session |
Friday, March 22 | Last day for non-exempt committee consideration |
March 25-26 | On floor all day |
Wednesday, March 27 | On floor all day; Last day to consider non-exempt bills not in originating chamber |
March 28-31 | No Session |
Friday, April 5 | Drop dead day; first adjournment |
Wednesday, May 1 | Veto Session begins |
Friday, May 17 | Day 90 |
Thank You for Engaging
Thank you for all your calls, emails, and letters regarding your thoughts and concerns about happenings in Kansas. Constituent correspondence helps inform my decision-making process and is taken into great consideration when I cast my vote in the Kansas Senate. I hope you’ll continue to engage with me on the issues that matter most to you, your family, and our community. If you are on Twitter or Facebook, I encourage you to follow along with the #ksleg hashtag for real-time updates on legislative happenings in Topeka.
Please know that I am fully committed to addressing the current issues in our state, and I am proud to be your voice in the Kansas Senate.
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