Governor Laura Kelly Urges Kansans to do Their Part, Continue to Conserve Energy

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly continues to urge Kansans to do their part and conserve energy to help ensure a continued supply of natural gas and electricity throughout the state.

“Kansans are known for pulling together and taking care of our neighbors,” Governor Kelly said. “Conserving energy during these frigid temperatures is necessary to ensure our neighbors have enough electricity to weather this cold spell. We all must come together and do our part to get us through this critical time.”

Governor Kelly issued a State of Disaster Emergency on Feb. 14, which authorizes the use of state resources and personnel to assist with response and recovery operations in affected counties that meet certain criteria. The declaration allows for such things as providing generators to hospitals or long-term care facilities that lose power, transportation of supplies such as personal protective equipment, etc.

“Temperatures are forecast to start warming up this week, but we are not out of the woods yet,” Governor Kelly said. “There are a few simple measures we all can take to help limit our usage.”

The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is a regional transmission organization which includes Kansas, Missouri and 12 other states. It monitors power flow through its footprint and coordinates regional response in emergency situations. At the direction of SPP, utilities are managing available resources using rolling blackouts to periodically reduce the load and conserve energy. These measures are taken preemptively so to prevent long-term power outages.

Here are some things each household can do to help in the conservation effort and slow down the increases in energy bills due to high usage:

• Keep your thermostat at 65-68 degrees Fahrenheit. Bundle up with sweaters and blankets instead of turning up the thermostat.
• Seal leaks around doors and windows. Apply weather stripping or caulk to seal gaps and cracks around windows and doors to stop air leaks and prevent energy loss. If that is not an option, you can also cover windows with towels, sheets or plastic to help keep the warm air in your house.
• Reduce the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or put it on the “warm” setting. Take shorter showers and only use hot water when necessary.
• Close blinds and curtains. This helps keep warm air inside, especially if the sun is not shining.
• Change or clean filters. A clean filter on your furnace can lower your energy consumption and efficiency of your equipment.
• Hold off on doing chores. Doing laundry and washing dishes can both use natural gas to heat the water and your dryer. If you can, wait until the extreme cold weather passes to complete these activities. If you cannot wait, use the cold setting where possible.
• Install foam gaskets on electrical switches and outlets. Electrical switches and outlets can account for up to 10 percent of your home’s energy loss.
• Unplug unused electronics and turn off lights when not in use.
• Don’t heat up your oven. Use the microwave, crock pot or toaster oven. A microwave takes 15 minutes to do the same job as one hour in an oven.

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Kansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee (KMMRC) announce the release of the first annual report for maternal mortality including severe maternal morbidity. The report is available on the KMMRC website. The goal of the report is to identify statewide trends in maternal mortality and provide recommendations to prevent maternal mortality and improve the health of Kansas mothers.

The KMMRC is tasked with reviewing all maternal deaths that occur in Kansas. Over the last two years, the KMMRC reviewed cases that occurred during 2016-2018. Approximately one in four maternal deaths that occurred during 2016-2018 were determined by the KMMRC to be pregnancy-related. Twelve (92.3%) of the 13 pregnancy-related deaths were determined to be preventable with seven deaths indicating a good chance of prevention and five deaths indicating some chance. Racial and ethnic minority women were disproportionately affected. The proportion of pregnancy-related deaths that occurred among non-Hispanic Black women, Hispanic women, non-Hispanic women of other races far exceeded their representation among the population of women giving birth in Kansas. Obesity contributed to more than half of the deaths. Substance use disorder contributed to nearly one in four.

The recommendations included in this report focus on five primary categories: women and their families, health care providers, hospitals/facilities, system of care, and community. Each set of recommendations addresses specific areas of concern based on the KMMRC’s findings and proposes actions which, once implemented, are expected to prevent and reduce maternal mortalities.

The key KMMRC recommendations for pregnancy-related deaths are:

• Screen, provide brief intervention, and referrals for:
  • Comorbidities and chronic illness
  • Intimate partner violence
  • Pregnancy intention
  • Mental health conditions (including postpartum anxiety and depression)
  • Substance use disorders
• Increased communication and collaboration between providers, including referrals
• Patient education and empowerment

The KMMRC and the Kansas Perinatal Quality Collaborative (KPQC) function together to improve maternal and perinatal health. Investing in the mother’s health leads to a healthier birth. The KMMRC focuses on reviewing pregnancy-associated deaths to identify gaps in health services and make actionable recommendations to prevent future deaths, improving maternal and perinatal health. The Kansas Perinatal Quality Collaborative (KPQC) utilizes the KMMRC’s recommendation to implement and support efforts intended to strengthen perinatal systems of care for mothers and infants, creating a culture of safety.

KDHE and the KPQC are planning to launch the Fourth Trimester Initiative, a stakeholder-driven public health quality improvement project to address maternal health needs in the state, especially during the postpartum period (up to 1 year after delivery). The initiative will focus on improving attendance at the postpartum visit as well as appropriate screening, referral, communications, and collaboration amongst a woman’s care team. More information about the KPQC and the Fourth Trimester Initiative can be found at https://kansaspqc.org.

“We appreciate those who have contributed to this report,” said Rachel Sisson, Director for KDHE’s Bureau of Family Health. “Members from the KMMRC contributed their time and expertise to reviewing deaths and information for this report, and we hope it will be useful to providers and communities as we all work together to combat maternal morbidity and mortality.”

February 13, 2021

RELIEF ACT – Slowing Government Growth

Senate Bill (SB) 22, also referred to as the RELIEF Act, would allow Kansas taxpayers to keep more of their hard earned money.  The bill addresses unintended tax increases that resulted from the 2017 federal tax cuts.  The two main items dealing with the federal tax cuts would allow Kansas taxpayers the option to itemize, whether they itemize on their federal return or not and would lower business taxes on offshore earnings brought to Kansas, encouraging businesses to invest in Kansas.  The bill also has provisions making it clear that you would not owe income tax on money that was paid to someone who stole your identity, or on paycheck protection money, and business meals would be 100% deductible.  It also would allow small businesses to expense some deductions, something corporations in Kansas can do.  During debate the bill was amended to remove all income tax on Social Security benefits, and on employment retirement programs (including self-employment), and to increase standard deductions by approximately 20%.  The bill passed on a vote of 24 to 15.  I voted Yes.  The Governor called the bill “irresponsible” and it appears would veto the bill.  It is responsible to decrease the burden of taxpayers, especially with the hardships they face.

SB 70 would exclude sales tax on manufacturers coupons and vehicle manufacturer rebates.  Currently, you pay sales tax on money you didn’t spend with these coupons.  The vehicle manufacturer rebates was sunset after three years and SB 70 would remove the sunset.  The bill passed the Senate 26 to 11.  I voted Yes.

Expanding Education Options

A unanimous vote sent Senate Bill (SB) 32 to the House for consideration.  The bill would expand the option so all high schools could pay a student’s tuition to take college courses.  It would also waive the cost for foster care students, allowing them to participate even in a school district that requires the student to pay for all or a portion of any college courses.

SB 61 was somewhat more controversial.  It passed the Senate on a vote of 23 to 14.  The bill expands the Tax Credit Scholarship Program to include any student (elementary thru high school) qualifying for free and reduced lunches in Kansas the option to participate. Current law only allows participation of students from the 100 lowest preforming elementary schools, which leaves many students out.  The Program allows for donations, capped at $10 million, to provide scholarships for students to attend non-traditional schools, like private schools.  Donors receive a tax credit for their donation.  No government funds are used for the scholarships.  One concern with the bill is the auditing, or lack of, on free and reduced lunches because the federal government requires less than 3% of participants be audited.  That is correct – less than.  It is obvious they do not want accuracy with the lunch program.  It is early in the legislative process and the good in the bill far outweighs the questions.  The legislation would provide an opportunity for students to attend education institutions that would not be an option and might better suit their needs.  I voted Yes on SB 61.

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

Caryn

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