It was an intense time in the 2022 regular session of the Kansas Legislature, ending on April Fool’s Day.  It turned out the joke was on legislators who had worked diligently just to be shut down.  Friday around 1:30 am, the House Majority Leader made a motion to adjourn until April 25^th at 11 am. – leaving several items to be addressed in Veto Session, including removing state sales tax on food, K-12 funding, and other issues.  The Senate President and Senate Majority Leader worked diligently to complete our work in regular session and not leave work to be finished in Veto Session.  I applaud their efforts.

You may have heard the quote, “Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.”  Well, that is what I did the last couple of weeks to get tax relief for Kansans.  I worked diligently to find solutions and to pass legislation to help Kansans this year and for years to come.  As chairman of the Senate Tax Committee, I was able to develop and work to pass tax cuts – including property tax relief for homeowners and cutting state sales tax on food.  It was great to work with the chairman of the House Tax Committee and other conferees to produce Conference Committee Reports (CCRs) 2239, 2597, and 2106.

To give you some background on conference committees, tax bills that passed either chamber could be worked in a Tax Conference Committee.  It was difficult this year because the House did not debate one tax bill on the House floor, even though the House Tax Committee debated and worked bills.  Conference committees are about negotiating to find common ground with the other chamber on bills that have passed both chambers in different forms.  It’s difficult to negotiate when the House hasn’t voted on these items.  However, the House was willing to accept many Senate positions as we negotiated tax relief policy for Kansans.

The first product of the Tax Conference Committee was CCR 2239.  It passed the Senate unanimously, the House 103 to 10.  Here is a sampling of items that will become law:

• a property tax freeze via an income tax rebate for low-income seniors and veterans 50% or more disabled
• up to $250 tax credit each year for teachers who purchased school supplies with their own money
• over $40 million in property tax relief – presently there is a $20,000 exemption on the valuation of the 20 mil of property taxes for K-12, this legislation would increase the exemption to $40,000 and increase it each year based on valuation and inflation increases – it hasn’t been increased since 1997
• removing state sales tax on delivery and postage costs
• exempting sales tax on fencing materials for agriculture
• allowing county commissioners an option to abate property taxes on property destroyed by a natural disaster
• creating a tax credit program for donors to technical and community colleges, capped at $5 million a year
• making the sales tax exemption on vehicle manufacturer rebates permanent
• doubling the personal income tax exemption for 100% disabled veterans from $2250 to $4500
• provides an option for Kansas taxpayers on State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction who are limited by the federal $10,000 cap

The House would not accept this good tax policy unless a provision to create a taxing authority in Shawnee County for the Zoo, Gage Park, and Discovery Center was included.  The Senate accepted the offer since it would be voted on by the people of Shawnee County.  We didn’t want to lose all the good Senate tax positions and good tax policy for Kansans.

The other two tax CCRs, 2106 and 2597, are still in play and will hopefully be passed in Veto Session.  CCR 2106 would remove state sales tax on groceries within three years. Starting January 1, it would decrease from 6.5% to 4%, in 2024 it would drop to 2%, and in 2025 it would go to 0%.  Groceries means that prepared foods would not be included.  Beginning January 1^st would provide time for vendors to implement the sales tax reduction.  You may think it is simple to implement, but an example is rotisserie chicken at the grocery store is cooked and ready to eat, so you would think it is prepared food and not exempt.  However, according to the Department of Revenue, it would be exempt unless utensils to eat the chicken were provided.  It would have been simpler to remove state sales tax from all edible items, but many legislators would not support that effort.

Another tax bill negotiated but delayed until Veto Session was CCR 2597.  It had several tax cuts to help Kansans.  There are too many to name, but a few items included are:

• gradually removing all state income tax on Social Security
• decreasing income tax on retirement accounts
• increasing standard deductions using the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) formula for inflation
• removing state sales tax on commercial electric and other utilities, matching the residential exemption
• up to $5,000 property tax relief for businesses shut down by the Governor during COVID-19

I will be working with others to get this legislation passed during Veto Session.

Fairness in Women’s Sports, CCR 160, is to ensure participation in women’s sports is for biological women.  The Fairness legislation passed both chambers last week and was sent to the Governor.  The CCR passed the House and Senate.  The Senate vote was 25 to 13.  The Senate would need 27 votes for a veto override.  I voted Yes and will vote Yes on a veto override.  Last year the Governor vetoed the legislation and there were not enough votes for an override.

Election Security was addressed in three CCRs, 2138, 2056, and 2252 which passed to the Governor’s desk.  CCR 2138 had several provisions like requiring watermarked paper for ballots starting in 2024, cleaning up voter rolls, language for election audits in even-numbered years of four counties – one with a population greater than 90,000; one with a population between 20,000 and 90,000; and two under 20,000.  It passed the Senate 28 to 8.  CCR 2056 would limit the county election offices use of drop boxes to one for every 30,000 voters.  Twenty-seven Senators voted Yes and 12 voted No.  CCR 2252 would block the Governor or Secretary of State from altering election law without approval by the legislature.  It passed 27 to 12.  I voted Yes on all three CCRs.

I’ve seen press releases that Mississippi passed a law to block Zuckerberg and other money from influencing elections.  Last year, I had several amendments to protect our elections that became law, including stopping Zuckerberg and other money being used in Kansas elections.  It took a veto-override of 2/3 legislators to become law, but election security prevailed.

There are many more pieces of legislation that have passed.  It can be found at www.KSLegislature.org.  I’ll include more items in a later update.

It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12^th District State Senator.

Caryn

April 1, 2022

It was an intense week in the Kansas Legislature, ending on April Fool’s Day.  It turned out the joke was on legislators who had worked diligently just to be shut down.  Friday around 1:30 am, the House Majority Leader made a motion to adjourn until April 25^th at 11 am. – leaving several items to be addressed in Veto Session, including removing state sales tax on food, K-12 funding, and other issues.  The Senate President worked diligently to complete our work in regular session and not leave it to do in Veto Session.  I applaud his efforts and did what I could to support taxpayers in producing some great tax relief for Kansans.

Tax bills that passed either chamber could be worked in the Tax Conference Committee.  It was difficult this year because the House did not debate one tax bill on the House floor.  Conference committees are about negotiating to find common ground with the other chamber on bills that have passed both chambers in different forms.  It’s difficult to negotiate when the House hasn’t voted on these items.  However, the House was willing to accept a majority of Senate positions and we negotiated some tax relief policy for Kansans.

There were three tax Conference Committee Reports (CCRs) negotiated.  The first, CCR 2239, had several provisions: a property tax freeze via an income tax rebate for low-income seniors and disabled veterans; up to $250 tax credit for teachers who purchased school supplies with their own money; over $40 million in property tax relief – presently there is a $20,000 exemption on the valuation of the 20 mil of property taxes for K-12, this legislation would increase the exemption to $40,000 and increase it each year based on inflation – it hasn’t been increased since 1997; removing state sales tax on delivery and postage costs; exempting sales tax on fencing materials for agriculture; allowing county commissioners an option to abate property taxes on property destroyed by a natural disaster; creating a tax credit program for donors to technical and community colleges, capped at $5 million a year; making the sales tax exemption on vehicle manufacturer rebates permanent; and many other tax provisions.  The House would not accept all of this good tax policy unless a provision to create a taxing authority in Shawnee County for the Zoo, Gage Park, and Discovery Center was included.  The Senate accepted the offer since it would be voted on by the people of Shawnee County.  We didn’t want to lose all of the good Senate tax positions and good tax policy for Kansans.  It passed the Senate unanimously and the House 103 to 10.  Hopefully, the Governor will not veto the CCR.  If she does, it appears we have the votes to override a veto.

The other two tax CCRs,  2106 and 2597, are still in play and will hopefully be passed in Veto Session.  CCR 2106 would remove state sales tax on groceries within three years. Starting January 1, it would decrease from 6.5% to 4%, in 2024 it would drop to 2%, and in 2025 it would go to 0%.  Groceries means that prepared foods would not be included.  Beginning January 1^st would provide time for vendors to implement the sales tax reduction.  You may think it is simple to implement, but an example is rotisserie chicken at the grocery store is cooked and ready to eat, so you would think it is prepared food and not exempt.  However, according to the Department of Revenue, it would be exempt unless utensils to eat the chicken were provided.  It would have been simpler to remove state sales tax from all edible items, but a majority of legislators would not support that effort.  Another tax bill negotiated but delayed until veto session was CCR 2597.  It had several tax cuts to help Kansans.  There are too many to name but a few items included are: gradually removing all state income tax on Social Security and decreasing it on other retirement accounts, increasing standard deductions, and removing state sales tax on commercial electric and other utilities, matching the residential exemption.

As chairman of the Senate Tax Committee, I was able to develop and work with others to pass tax cuts – including property tax relief for homeowners.  There is still work to do in lowering  income taxes and removing sales tax on food.

It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12^th District State Senator.

Caryn

DHE Announces Recipients of Waste Tire Product Grants
28 grants distributed to recipients across Kansas

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Bureau of Waste Management has announced the recipients of waste tire product grants. These annual waste tire grants are awarded to local municipalities and public and private schools K-12 across the state. The grants totaled $436,172.81 and were awarded to 28 organizations to fund projects that include the use of recycled tire products, including playground surfacing and picnic tables. The grants are funded by revenue collected through the tire excise tax, a $0.25/vehicle tire fee.

• Cherokee County K-State Research and Extension, Cherokee County
• City of Burden, Cowley County
• City of Dighton, Lane County
• City of Fort Scott, Bourbon County
• City of Garnett, Anderson County
• City of Geneseo, Rice County
• City of Grenola, Elk County
• City of Harveyville, Wabaunsee County
• City of Herington, Dickinson County
• City of Lebanon, Smith County
• City of Williamsburg, Franklin County
• Holy Trinity School, Miami County
• Kansas State School for the Deaf, Johnson County
• Manhattan Catholic Schools, Riley County
• Marshall Middle School, Sedgwick County
• Sacred Heart Elementary, Thomas County
• Sedgwick County
• Sedgwick County Extension Education Foundation, Inc., Sedgwick County
• USD 257 Iola, Allen County
• USD 274 Oakley Elementary, Logan County
• USD 289 Wellsville, Franklin County
• USD 308 Graber Elementary, Reno County
• USD 311 Pretty Prairie, Reno County
• USD 367 Sport & Fitness – Ozone, Miami County
• USD 430 Everest Middle School, Miami County
• USD 463 Udall Elementary, Cowley County
• USD 493 Park Elementary, Cherokee County
• West Elementary School, Sedgwick County

Please visit our website for information about their projects and dollar amounts awarded. https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/700/Waste-Reduction-Public-Education-Gra

You may have heard the quote, “Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.”  Well, that is what I did the last couple of weeks in an attempt to get tax relief for Kansans.

Tax Relief in Senate Substitute for House Bill (Sen Sub HB) 2239: Property tax freeze via an income tax rebate for low-income seniors and disabled veterans, known as the Golden Years, passed the Senate for at least the third year in a row.  Hopefully our friends in the House will help this legislation become law.  The bill had a few other provisions: it would increase the standard income tax deduction by 10%, providing real tax relief for all Kansans who pay income tax; it would provide an option for Kansas taxpayers on State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction who are limited by the federal $10,000 cap; it would allow taxpayers who got caught in the carry back carry forward conflict between federal and state statutes from 2018 to 2021 to subtract the loses and carry forward on their state income tax; it would allow exemptions for the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit and the Employer Retention Credit programs; it would create a tax credit program for donors to technical and community colleges, capped at $7 million a year; and it would create a museum voluntary checkoff program so that individuals may donate to museums of their choosing when they file income tax returns.  This tax bill passed 36 to 2.  I voted Yes.

Small Business Property Tax Relief: For some reason a bill that came out of the Judiciary Committee had property tax language making changes to property law that had passed last year.  The language would have had unintended consequences, so I worked with others to clean it up.  Tax bills should be run thru the tax committee and not thru other committees like Judiciary.  I also took the opportunity to amend the bill so that businesses that were shut down by the Governor in 2020 could apply for up to $7,500 to help pay for property taxes owed even though they could not conduct business.  It was language that had passed the Senate and had been negotiated with the House. However, politics got in the way and the language was lost on the last day of session last year.  This could be paid for with the hundreds of millions of dollars in federal SPARK money that are unspent and help businesses still feeling the pain of the 2020 Governor shutdown.  Sen Sub HB 2416 passed 26 to 11.  I voted Yes.

Early in session the Senate Tax Committee, that I chair, passed legislation to remove the state sales tax on food and allow local governments an option to remove local sales tax.  That bill was never debated on the Senate floor.  The House did not have one tax bill debated on the House floor this year.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the final days of session.  I will continue to work diligently for Kansas taxpayers.

Last week the Senate worked over 50 bills on the Senate floor in less than three days.  Senators would get a list of bills late in the evening and it would take most of the night to read them.  It was difficult to get amendments because of the number of bills and the burdensome level of work for the lawyers writing the amendments and others involved in the process.  Obviously, there were too many bills to cover in this update.  The activity can be found at www.KSLegislature.org under the Senate journals.

It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12^th District State Senator.

Caryn

TOPEKA – The Kansas Cold Weather Rule ends on Thursday, March 31. That means Kansans who are behind on electric and natural gas utility bills will be subject to disconnection of service unless they contact their utility company to make payment arrangements.

The Cold Weather Rule is in effect from November 1 through March 31 each year. It provides protection from disconnection to residential customers served by utilities regulated by the Kansas Corporation Commission’s (KCC). When that protection ends on Thursday, failure to make arrangements or failure to adhere to an already established payment plan could result in disconnection. Reconnection after March 31 may require past due balances be paid in full, depending on the utility’s policy. That is why it is important to call now – while regulated utilities are still required to offer the Cold Weather Rule 12-month payment plan.

The Cold Weather Rule 12-month payment plans require an initial payment of 1/12 of the overdue amount, 1/12 of the bill for current service, the full amount of any disconnection or reconnection fees, plus any applicable deposit owed to the utility. The balance is billed in equal payments over the next 11 months in addition to the regular monthly bill.

The KCC adopted the Cold Weather Rule in 1983 to protect customers during cold winter weather by providing a reasonable and organized method of paying past due and current bills. It is important to note that the KCC does not regulate co-ops or municipal utilities, although many of those utilities also offer a cold weather plan. For a complete list of utilities regulated by the KCC visit: http://kcc.ks.gov/about-us/jurisdiction

To find out more about utility assistance programs in your area, please contact your utility or the KCC Consumer Protection Office at 800-662-0027 or 785-271-3140. Utility assistance program information is also posted on the KCC’s website.

KDHE Announces Photo Voice Project for Healthy Kansans 2030

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Healthy Kansans 2030 (HK2030) project team are inviting photographers to submit photos to be considered for inclusion in a State Health Assessment Report being published later this spring.

“For many people, photographs are a vital way to convey important messages,” Jade Ramsdell, MBA, LSSGB, Performance Improvement Director at KDHE, said. “We are delighted to invite amateur and professional photographers across the state to help us explore and tell the story of the health of Kansas in a different and deeper way.”

The project is seeking photos to help visualize health in Kansas. Entries should answer one or both of the following questions

• What does healthy living look like in your Kansas community?
• What makes it easy or hard to stay healthy in your everyday environment?

Entries can be submitted until April 15. Winners will receive print credit in the report and will be notified of their selection by April 29. A panel of KDHE staff and the HK2030 project team will review and judge each entry.

Complete photo entry details, FAQs and supporting documents are available on the Healthy Kansans 2030 webpage, kdhe.ks.gov/201/. Questions about the project should be directed to [email protected].

Make a difference in your community and help the environment at the same time – join the Adopt-A-Highway program in Kansas.

Litter is unsightly and unsafe, and it has a negative impact on both residents and visitors to Kansas. But every section of highway right of way cleaned by participating groups adds up to many miles of nice-looking roadsides for everyone to enjoy. This helps to raise awareness on the negative effects of pollution and the positive aspects of a clean community.

Groups are asked to sign a two-year agreement with the program, and there is no cost to the group. The Kansas Department of Transportation, which sponsors the program, provides each group safety training, trash bags and orange vests. Groups have clean-ups three times a year at their convenience and are recognized for their efforts with signs marking their sections of highway.

Adopt-A-Highway groups are gearing up for the annual Clean Up Kansas Campaign, which takes place during the month of April. All Adopt-A-Highway groups are encouraged but not required to participate in the statewide event.

Any non-profit group that does not discriminate upon the basis of race, religion or gender can join. Members must be at least 11 years old and have adequate adult supervision. For more information, contact the KDOT office in your area (listed below).

To adopt a section of highway, KDOT phone numbers listed below

(Ask for the Adopt-A-Highway coordinator in the KDOT office located closest to you.)

Northeast Kansas

Topeka, (785) 296-2291

Kansas City Area –

Bonner Springs, (913) 942-3040

Olathe, (913) 942-3100

North Central Kansas

Salina, (785) 823-3754

Northwest Kansas

Norton, (785) 877-3315

Southeast Kansas

Chanute, (620) 902-6400

South Central Kansas

Hutchinson, (620) 860-7400

Wichita, (316) 744-1271

Southwest Kansas

Garden City, (620) 765-7074

MANHATTAN, Kansas — The Kansas Department of Agriculture has now identified two new counties which have confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) as the disease outbreak continues in Kansas and nationwide. Samples from birds exhibiting HPAI symptoms in a non-commercial backyard mixed-species flock (poultry) in Dickinson County and also in a non-commercial backyard mixed-species flock (non-poultry) in rural Sedgwick County were confirmed today by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.

KDA is working closely with USDA–APHIS on a joint incident response in both of the new locations. KDA officials quarantined the affected premises, and birds on both properties will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease.

Anyone involved with poultry production from the small backyard chicken owner to the large commercial producer should review their biosecurity activities to assure the health of their birds. Find guidance on biosecurity on the KDA Division of Animal Health webpage at agriculture.ks.gov/AvianInfluenza. Going forward, any additional confirmed cases will be shared directly with local communities and announced on the KDA Avian Influenza webpage, rather than through a statewide news release.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a highly contagious viral disease that can infect chickens, turkeys and other birds and can cause severe illness and/or sudden death in infected birds. Attentively monitor your birds for symptoms of HPAI which include: coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, and other signs of respiratory distress; lack of energy and appetite; decreased water consumption; decreased egg production and/or soft-shelled, misshapen eggs; incoordination; and diarrhea. Avian influenza can also cause sudden death in birds even if they aren’t showing other symptoms.

If these symptoms are observed in your birds, immediately contact your veterinarian. If you don’t have a regular veterinarian, contact KDA’s Division of Animal Health office toll-free at 833-765-2006.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections do not present an immediate public health concern. No human cases of these avian influenza viruses have been detected in the United States. Birds and eggs from the infected flock will not enter the food system.  As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F is recommended as a general food safety precaution.

As part of existing avian influenza response plans, federal and state partners are working jointly on additional surveillance and testing in areas around the affected flocks. The United States has the strongest AI surveillance program in the world, and USDA is working with its partners to actively look for the disease in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets and in migratory wild bird populations.

For more information about HPAI, including current status of the confirmed cases in other states as well as more information about biosecurity for your flock, go to KDA’s avian influenza webpage at agriculture.ks.gov/AvianInfluenza or call KDA at 833-765-2006.

Governor Declares Drought Emergency, Warnings and Watches for Kansas Counties

The Governor’s Drought Team examines conditions; and recommends updates to the Governor

Today, Governor Kelly approved updated drought declarations for Kansas counties with Executive Order #22-03. This drought declaration places all 105 Kansas counties either in watch, warning or emergency status.

“The majority of the state of Kansas has experienced drought or abnormally dry conditions for the past several months,” said Governor Kelly. “Unfortunately, these conditions are forecast to persist or get worse, so I strongly encourage Kansans to be mindful of drought conditions and work to minimize the threat of fires across the state.”

The drought declaration placed 19 counties into an emergency status, 61 counties in a warning status and 25 into a watch status. This action was recommended by Connie Owen, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team. Kansas has continued to experience drier than normal conditions all across the state. Most areas have a departure from normal precipitation of more than three inches over the last six months.

“We have watched drought conditions continue to get worse since this past fall or longer in some areas, causing concern with groundwater supplies, reservoirs, stream flow, crop production, elevated wildfire risk and more,” said Owen. “The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to monitor the situation and make recommendations to the Governor as necessary, as future outlooks call for drought conditions to persist as we enter spring.”

Through an interagency agreement between the Kansas Water Office, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and Kansas Division of Emergency Management, counties in emergency stage are eligible for emergency use of water from certain state fishing lakes. These counties also become eligible for water in some Federal reservoirs.

Individuals and communities need to contact the Kansas Water Office for a water supply request prior to any withdrawals from lakes. These requests will in turn be referred to the appropriate office to obtain necessary permits to withdraw requested water.

This Executive Order shall remain in effect for those counties so identified until rescinded by Executive Order or superseded by a subsequent Executive Order revising the drought stage status of the affected counties.

Effective immediately, Executive Order #22-03:

• Declares a Drought Emergency, Warning or Drought Watch for the counties as identified below;
• Authorizes and direct all agencies under the jurisdiction of the Governor to implement the appropriate watch, warning or emergency level-drought response actions assigned in the Operations Plan of the Governor’s Drought Response Team.

The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to watch the situation closely and work to minimize the effects drought has on Kansans.

For more detailed information about current conditions, see the Kansas Climate Summary and Drought Report on the Kansas Water Office website at kwo.ks.gov.

County Drought Stage Declarations:

Drought Emergency: Barber, Chautauqua, Clark, Comanche, Cowley, Finney, Grant, Gray, Hamilton, Harper, Haskell, Kearny, Meade, Montgomery, Morton, Seward, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner

Drought Warning: Barton, Butler, Cheyenne, Clay, Cloud, Decatur, Dickinson, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Ford, Geary, Gove, Graham, Greeley, Harvey, Hodgeman, Jewell, Kingman, Kiowa, Labette, Lane, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Mitchell, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Ness, Norton, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sedgwick, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stafford, Thomas, Trego, Wallace, Washington, Wichita, Wilson

Drought Watch: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Bourbon, Brown, Chase, Cherokee, Coffey, Crawford, Doniphan, Douglas, Franklin, Greenwood, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Linn, Lyon, Miami, Osage, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Woodson, Wyandotte

# # #

March 04, 2022

Senate Bill 282 started out as an Aviation Tax Credit bill.  It passed out of the Tax Committee last year and was amended on the Senate floor last week.  The bill would provide employers in aviation a tax credit beginning in tax year 2023 for tuition or certain program-specific course-fee reimbursements.  There were several amendments that went on the bill: a housing development tax credits for suitable housing in communities that are in need of increased housing; up to $250 tax credit for teachers purchasing classroom supplies out of their own pocket; an income tax credit for any property tax increases for low income seniors and disabled veterans – basically freezing property taxes for qualifying Kansans; and increasing the $20,000 property tax subtraction on the K-12 20 mil to $65,000.  The bill had some good and some not so good changes to the tax code, but overall it will help Kansas taxpayers so I voted Yes.  It passed on a vote of 33 to 4.

Increased access to health care by expanding access to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs).  Senate Substitute for House Bill (Sen Sub HB) 2279 removes the requirement that APRNs have to work with a physician and allows them to work independently.  APRNs would be required to maintain malpractice insurance, as do doctors.  The bill passed 30 to 7.  I voted Yes to provide more access to healthcare in our rural communities.

Currently, Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) cannot be removed in Kansas.  HB 2594 would allow the VIN plate for antique vehicles to be removed while restoring a vehicle.  The bill passed unanimously.

Kansas Employment Retirement System (KPERS) funding has been and is still an issue.  In order to pay some of the unfunded liability down, SB 523 would transfer $1 billion from the State General Fund to KPERS over a two year period. I voted Yes. We need to fix KPERS. The bill passed 28 to 12.

Foster care and adoption agencies issues have also plagued Kansas.  In an attempt to address some of the problems, the Senate passed HB 2075 that would allow adoption proceedings to take place in a county where Department of Children and Families (DCF) or subcontractor has an office.  This should help improve the adoption process and adoption of children in the foster care program.  The bill passed 34 to 6.  I voted Yes.

County election officers would be able to remove names from the registered voter list if a person has not voted in a four-calendar year period or does not respond to a confirmation notice sent by the county election officer.  I vote Yes to clean up voter rolls.  SB 439 passed the Senate 33 to 6.

It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12^th District State Senator.

Caryn