Prayers for Fallen Fairway Police Officer
Robba and I were heartbroken to hear of the passing of Officer Jonah Oswald. On Monday, Officer Oswald died from injuries after a police shootout in Mission. He was 29 years old and was a 4-year veteran of the Fairway Police Department. Officer Oswald didn’t have to take the call, but he chose to go help his fellow officers and stop criminals. He was a great police officer and a better man. We are praying for his family and the Fairway Police Department.
The PACT Act, One Year In
The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act was signed into law by the President one year ago. This landmark legislation transformed how the VA provides health care and benefits to toxic-exposed veterans and conducts research on the effects of toxic exposure.
I’m pleased that thousands of Kansas veterans who were exposed to harmful toxins during their military service have applied for and been awarded disability benefits following the passage of this law. Since the PACT Act was signed into law, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has received more than 843,000 PACT Act-related claims, more than 113,000 veterans who served in locations covered by the PACT Act have enrolled in VA health care, and more than 4.1 million veterans have been screened for toxic exposure-related health conditions since November 2022. Additionally, as of this week, nearly 4,000 Kansans have been granted a toxic exposure presumption since passage of the PACT Act.
While I recognize implementing the PACT Act is a monumental task, I have concerns that VA has not adequately tracked how many veterans are enrolling in the VA health care system due to the PACT Act, and believe that the VA can do a better job at informing veterans about the opportunity to enroll. VA is still unable to track how many of those enrolled using one of the new eligibility criteria provided under the PACT Act or if they enrolled under a previously existing eligibility criteria. I also remain concerned about the backlog of benefits claims and the time needed to hire and train employees to correctly process claims so that veterans and survivors are not waiting for benefits for months on end or receive inaccurate decisions that leave them waiting years in the appeals process.
Last week, the VA made the decision to extend the deadline to apply for backdated PACT Act benefits until midnight on August 14, after veterans reported technical difficulties applying for benefits through the VA’s website. I will continue to work with my colleagues on the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and our partners at VA, to make certain the PACT Act is implemented the way Congress intended and that all generations of toxic-exposed veterans receive the care and benefits they have earned.
Enhanced eligibility for VA health care ends on September 30, 2023, for post-9/11 combat veterans who separated from the military more than 10 years ago.
Hosting Community Event for President Richard Linton
This past Tuesday, I was saddened to receive the news that K-State University President Richard Linton was diagnosed with throat and tongue cancer. Manhattan community leaders, students and friends gathered together on the lawn of Anderson Hall to pray for President Linton. There were many community faith leaders who shared words of encouragement for President Linton and his family as he begins treatments in Kansas City at the KU Cancer Center. President Linton will continue to serve as K-State’s President remotely, while his senior vice president and chief of staff will represent President Linton on campus. I wish President Linton well, and Robba and I are praying for a full and speedy recovery.
Read more here from WIBW.
Ribbon Cutting for Colby Community College Agriculture Education Center
On Friday, I joined Colby Community College President Seth Carter, Lon Frahm, and Kansas Senator Rick Billinger for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the college’s new Lon R. Frahm Agricultural Education Center. After seeing an enrollment increase in their ag-related majors, President Carter and the college’s leadership identified a need for a new facility with larger classrooms, offices, and meeting spaces. The Agricultural Education Center will allow Colby Community College to strengthen its agriculture programs by offering students an enhanced experience while also serving more students. The new center will be vital to developing the workforce for Kansas’ agriculture industry and Colby Community College’s agriculture program expansion means more opportunity to foster talent and stimulate the economy right here at home.
In April, I announced new investments for Colby Community College to acquire updated equipment for the Agricultural Education Center. Like the donors and the state who also invested in the project, I see the immense value the new center will bring to the community and to Kansas. Thank you to Lon Frahm for the significant and visible impact he has made in the establishment of the Education Center and the betterment of the Colby community. I also want to thank President Carter for his leadership and for fostering the partnership between industry and education, and advancing the next generation of our state’s agriculture workforce.
Pratt County Listening Tour Stop
While in Pratt, I had the opportunity to continue my listening tour with a public town hall on Main Street. More than 50 attendees stopped by to share their concerns regarding the appropriations process, border security, and the fentanyl epidemic. But the conversation was dominated by concerns about the U.S. Department of Fish & Wildlife Service’s (FWS) request to secure water for the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge that was made to the Kansas Department of Water resources earlier this year. This request impedes voluntary efforts to satisfy both the refuge and local producers, and could lead to an impairment for local farmers who use groundwater within the Groundwater Management District #5 in Kansas. The matter is of critical economic importance to residents within Pratt, Stafford and Edwards Counties and FWS’s decision to move forward with a request for water creates significant challenges and uncertainty for farmers and ranchers. I continue to have discussions with FWS Director Martha Williams and ask that she commits to working toward an amicable solution with local producers. I would like to thank George Nusz and N’Cahoots Coffee & Shoppe for hosting the town hall.
Logan County Listening Tour Stop
It was great to visit with Logan County area residents during my town hall on Friday. Kansas State Representative Rep. Jim Minnix joined me and answered many questions alongside county officials and local leaders. I enjoyed hearing from Kansans on a wide range of issues including agriculture, the Ogallala Aquifer, the upcoming farm bill, transportation, banking, EMS, education and growth opportunities in western Kansas.
Meeting With Gatlin Medical Arts Pharmacy
My first stop in Pratt on Thursday was a visit with Gatlin Medical Arts Pharmacy. Terry and Michelle have owned and operated the pharmacy since 2017. Community pharmacists are facing difficulties with pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) which often leaves the pharmacy at an operating loss for certain prescriptions. There is currently legislation pending that I have cosponsored, the PBM Transparency Act, that would increase transparency and hold PBM’s accountable for unfair practices.
Touring Barclay College
Following the town hall in Pratt, I headed westward on Highway 54 to Haviland for a campus tour of Barclay College. I was greeted by College President Dr. Royce Frazier and Mark Miller, Vice President of Institutional Advancement. The focus of my visit was to learn about the college’s new accreditation for a four-year nursing program which will accept their first BSN students on campus this month. Dr. Frazier and Mr. Miller have been able to repurpose classrooms to accommodate the nursing program for the upcoming semester—but the college is in the middle of a capital campaign to construct a new wellness center that would house the BSN program in the future, in addition to a new arena, track, gym and food court.
We also visited the new Barclay College Theatre, which broke ground in 2017. The facilities were state-of-the-art, and provide professional quality theatre productions in a faith-centered environment for students and the surrounding communities. I appreciated the tour of the theatre and discussion with Casey Roberts, who has been on Barclay’s faculty since 2011.
Meeting with Grow Hays
On Thursday, I met with Grow Hays Executive Director Doug Williams and his staff to congratulate them on the 5th anniversary of BreifSpace and to learn more about projects they are working on in Ellis County. BriefSpace is a coworking space owned and operated by Grow Hays. When BreifSpace opened its doors in 2018, it became the first coworking space in central and western Kansas. It was great to see all the improvements they have made to the coworking space over the last five years. During my visit I also received updates on the MicroFactory, a 30,000 sq. ft. incubator for small and startup manufacturing companies. Upon completion, it will house four to six industrial startups at a time, which allows manufactures to begin operations at a significantly lower cost versus in their own standalone location. Completion of this project is slated for February 2024.
I also received an update on The Grove project, a senior housing and community center development that will also house a daycare facility. Doug and his team also shared an update on the Heart of American residential development. This housing project, which got underway in 2020, will contain 66 new homes through a multiphase development. To date, all homes that have been built or are in construction have sold. I appreciate the efforts of Doug and his team. They continue to be at the forefront of growth and development and are working hard to make sure that Ellis County is a great place to work, live and raise a family. Special thanks to Doug, as well as David Clingan and James Robben for the opportunity to stop by Grow Hays for a visit.
Visiting Iuka
After visiting with a handful of folks in Iuka, just north of Pratt, I stopped to pay my respects to those who served and those who work so hard to honor them. The memorial is located on former Pratt Army Air Field and contains dozens of memorials and displays various military weaponry and aircraft. One of the memorials honors Lieutenant Colonel Earl Hancock “Pete” Ellis who was born in Iuka, Kansas, and served in World War I.
Touring Scoular Goodland Crush Facility
On Friday, I toured the new Scoular soybean and canola crush plant in Goodland. With an estimated demand of 12 million bushels per year, the facility will serve as an avenue for expansion of Canola production in Kansas. The crush facility will provide new marketing and agronomic opportunities to Kansas farmers. In addition, the Scoular plant created 40 new jobs in the Goodland community, boosting the local economy. Thank you to Jeff Bhend for organizing the tour.
Kiowa County Economic Development Discussion
I concluded Thursday with a visit to Greensburg and Kiowa County’s Economic Development team. Greensburg holds a special place in my heart, as I was the community’s Congressman when tragedy struck on May 4, 2007. An EF-5 tornado, nearly two-miles wide, leveled much of the town—resulting in 11 fatalities and injuring several dozen residents. The days that followed are an example of why I am so proud to represent this state, as goodwill and aid from strangers near and far poured in. Greensburg has rebuilt in the 16 years since but continues to face challenges. Affordable housing and childcare remain of top concern for the community. I was pleased to hear an update from Kiowa County Economic Development director, Julie Lyon, that Greensburg was recently awarded a grant from the State of Kansas to develop a new child care facility.
Additional input from the economic development board members revolved around US Highway 54. The Wichita Eagle recently reported on a scientific survey which identified Highway 54 as the most dangerous in our state and 35th most dangerous in the nation. I recently secured federal funding, granted to the state, to develop and expand more passing lanes in Kiowa, Pratt and Meade counties. While more passing lanes will help reduce traffic back-ups and casualties in the near term, I remain committed to seeing further lane expansion on this route through south central Kansas which carries heavy truck traffic.
Lastly, I appreciated hearing from several leaders at the Iroquois Center for Human Development on the subject of mental health. The Iroquois Center is a non-profit organization that provides mental health services to Clark, Comanche, Edwards and Kiowa Counties. My gratitude goes out to Julie Lyon for assembling her board members and local officials from Greensburg, Haviland and Mullinville.
