We will be at first adjournment this week and then off for two weeks and come back to finish work on the budget and look at what bills the Governor will veto and see if action will be taken to override. Here are a few of the highlights from the last week:

House Budget - Over the last several months budget committees have been hard at work finding efficiencies and ensuring our state is in a healthy position. This past week, the House approved its version of the state’s budget. Our budget spends less than the Governor’s budget recommendations and leaves the state with roughly $1.5 billion in a rainy-day fund to help weather the tough times. Here are some key areas where the House differed from the governor’s recommendation: In the governor’s budget recommendation, $220 million would be transferred from the state general fund to the Build Kansas Matching Grant Fund providing a state match for federal infrastructure dollars. The House instead split that transfer into four yearly transfers of $55 million, developed means-testing for entities requesting grants, and added oversight from the legislature. The House added $2 million to the Alternatives to Abortion Program to enhance resources that promote childbirth. This allows struggling mothers to obtain all the information they need when decisions about childbirth are being made. The House added targeted funding to help those in need of home and community-based services, such as those in the intellectual and developmentally disabled community; the frail elderly; and our nursing homes. We hope that this increase will allow Kansans to get the care that so many rely on. The House removed the transfer of $50 million from the State General Fund to the Governor’s office which would have given her the oversight of the state’s match when agencies apply for federal grants.

Comprehensive Tax Package - The Kansas House passed a comprehensive tax package that will not raise taxes on any Kansan. The tax package will result in a simpler tax code that has a single rate, no matter your income. To give relief for low-income Kansans, we have increased the level at which taxes kick in by thousands of dollars, meaning that many people in our state will not pay anything in income tax. We also increased the standard deduction and tied it to inflation so Kansans can have some relief during hard economic times. It was important that we spread the tax relief across as many people as possible, and this package accomplishes that. Many homeowners in our state have been hit hard by rising property tax bills. Our new package will increase the residential property tax exemption from $40,000 to $80,000, giving around $80 million in property tax relief directly to Kansans. The grocery sales tax rate decline has already begun but is not set to phase out for another couple years. The plan passed this week will move the total elimination date to July 1st of this year for the state portion of sales tax on groceries. This will save the average Kansas household $310. I did vote in favor of the plan, although there were some things that could have been better but in order to move forward it was the best that could come out of our side.

Promise Scholarship Expansion - House Republicans passed a bill last week that expands scholarships offered under the Kansas Promise Scholarship Act to those studying transportation, elementary education, and secondary education. The scholarships offered by this program assist Kansans attending college in-state who will remain and work in Kansas for two years following graduation. HB 2132&nbsp;provides educational opportunity for students who wish to join our workforce in needed areas for our state.

Establishing the Office of the Child Advocate - Children across our state deserve to be protected and be heard. The House voted this week to establish the independent agency, The Office of the Child Advocate. This advocate hears and investigates complaints from within the Kansas child welfare system. The Child Advocate helps children and families receive coordination within the system and helps resolve issues that occur. An oversight board of 11 members ensures that the Office of the Child Advocate is carrying out their duties and remaining privileged and confidential. We want to provide as many resources as we can that help children who are dealing with the child welfare system.

Fighting the Manufacture and Sale of Fentanyl - The threat posed by fentanyl increases every day. As this drug quickly becomes a leading cause of death among young people, we are taking action to mitigate the damage that has been seen across the country. House Republicans passed legislation again reaffirming our commitment to a safe and secure Kansas by increasing penalties for those who manufacture fentanyl. Fentanyl manufacturers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law with level 1 felonies that carry presumptive prison times.

These are just some the things that were discussed and passed last week. You can read about all the bills that passed or the status of the remainder that could be taken up next year by going online to kslegislature.org. If you would like to contact me: Email is: ken.rahjes@house.ks.gov, phone during the session (785) 296-7463 or you can always try my cell number at (785) 302-8416.

Thanks for reading. It is my honor to serve you.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680492110122.jpeg" alt="Rep. Ken Rahjes R-Agra, 110th Dist. (Photo by James Bell/Hays Post)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Ken Rahjes R-Agra, 110th Dist. (Photo by James Bell/Hays Post)</figcaption>
 </figure>April 5, 2023Hello from Topeka. We will be at first adjournment this week and then off for two weeks and come back to finish work on the budget and look at what bills the Governor will veto and see if action will be taken to override. Here are a few of the highlights from the last week:House Budget - Over the last several months budget committees have been hard at work finding efficiencies and ensuring our state is in a healthy position. This past week, the House approved its version of the state’s budget. Our budget spends less than the Governor’s budget recommendations and leaves the state with roughly $1.5 billion in a rainy-day fund to help weather the tough times. Here are some key areas where the House differed from the governor’s recommendation: In the governor’s budget recommendation, $220 million would be transferred from the state general fund to the Build Kansas Matching Grant Fund providing a state match for federal infrastructure dollars. The House instead split that transfer into four yearly transfers of $55 million, developed means-testing for entities requesting grants, and added oversight from the legislature. The House added $2 million to the Alternatives to Abortion Program to enhance resources that promote childbirth. This allows struggling mothers to obtain all the information they need when decisions about childbirth are being made. The House added targeted funding to help those in need of home and community-based services, such as those in the intellectual and developmentally disabled community; the frail elderly; and our nursing homes. We hope that this increase will allow Kansans to get the care that so many rely on. The House removed the transfer of $50 million from the State General Fund to the Governor’s office which would have given her the oversight of the state’s match when agencies apply for federal grants.Comprehensive Tax Package - The Kansas House passed a comprehensive tax package that will not raise taxes on any Kansan. The tax package will result in a simpler tax code that has a single rate, no matter your income. To give relief for low-income Kansans, we have increased the level at which taxes kick in by thousands of dollars, meaning that many people in our state will not pay anything in income tax. We also increased the standard deduction and tied it to inflation so Kansans can have some relief during hard economic times. It was important that we spread the tax relief across as many people as possible, and this package accomplishes that. Many homeowners in our state have been hit hard by rising property tax bills. Our new package will increase the residential property tax exemption from $40,000 to $80,000, giving around $80 million in property tax relief directly to Kansans. The grocery sales tax rate decline has already begun but is not set to phase out for another couple years. The plan passed this week will move the total elimination date to July 1st of this year for the state portion of sales tax on groceries. This will save the average Kansas household $310. I did vote in favor of the plan, although there were some things that could have been better but in order to move forward it was the best that could come out of our side.Promise Scholarship Expansion - House Republicans passed a bill last week that expands scholarships offered under the Kansas Promise Scholarship Act to those studying transportation, elementary education, and secondary education. The scholarships offered by this program assist Kansans attending college in-state who will remain and work in Kansas for two years following graduation. HB 2132&nbsp;provides educational opportunity for students who wish to join our workforce in needed areas for our state.Establishing the Office of the Child Advocate - Children across our state deserve to be protected and be heard. The House voted this week to establish the independent agency, The Office of the Child Advocate. This advocate hears and investigates complaints from within the Kansas child welfare system. The Child Advocate helps children and families receive coordination within the system and helps resolve issues that occur. An oversight board of 11 members ensures that the Office of the Child Advocate is carrying out their duties and remaining privileged and confidential. We want to provide as many resources as we can that help children who are dealing with the child welfare system.Fighting the Manufacture and Sale of Fentanyl - The threat posed by fentanyl increases every day. As this drug quickly becomes a leading cause of death among young people, we are taking action to mitigate the damage that has been seen across the country. House Republicans passed legislation again reaffirming our commitment to a safe and secure Kansas by increasing penalties for those who manufacture fentanyl. Fentanyl manufacturers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law with level 1 felonies that carry presumptive prison times.These are just some the things that were discussed and passed last week. You can read about all the bills that passed or the status of the remainder that could be taken up next year by going online to kslegislature.org. If you would like to contact me: Email is: ken.rahjes@house.ks.gov, phone during the session (785) 296-7463 or you can always try my cell number at (785) 302-8416.Thanks for reading. It is my honor to serve you.

RAHJES REPORT: April 5, 2023

2023 SENATE SCENE WEEK TWELVE&nbsp;

SENATE HIGHLIGHTS - WEEKLY OVERVIEW&nbsp;

The Kansas Senate completed a whirlwind three days of floor action debating more than 70 bills ending after 8 p.m. on Wednesday.&nbsp; Monday will start a four-day week to complete the regular part of the 2023 legislative session and head us towards first adjournment on Thursday.&nbsp; There are more than 40 bills in conference committees and next week’s work will primarily consist of voting on these conference committee reports.&nbsp; In this process, the committee chair, vice-chair and ranking member will gather from the House and Senate committees and hammer out the differences in bills. Conference committees will have until Thursday, April 6, to meet.&nbsp; A conference committee is a small, bipartisan, and bicameral committee that works to smooth out the differences between the House and Senate’s version of a similar bill.&nbsp; Once the conference committee reaches a compromise, the negotiated bill is sent to both the House and Senate for a final vote before advancing to the governor’s desk.&nbsp; After the conclusion of the regular session next week, the legislature is scheduled to take a two-week break before returning for the veto session in late April.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb291/" target="_blank">SB 291</a> would create the Kansas Public Investments and Contracts Protection Act and would amend law governing the Kansas Public Employees Retirement Fund investment standards to prohibit state agencies and other political subdivisions from giving preferential treatment to or discriminating against companies based on environmental, social, or governance (ESG).&nbsp; SB 291 passed 29-11. I voted yes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb300/" target="_blank">SB 300</a> would reduce tax rates for the financial institutions privilege tax. SB 300 passed 34-6.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/scr1610/" target="_blank">SCR 1610</a> would if adopted by a two-thirds majority of each chamber of the Kansas Legislature and approved by voters - would amend the Kansas Constitution to generally limit, for property tax purposes, the valuation growth of any real property to 3 percent per year.&nbsp; Exclusions include new construction or improvements that have been made and property transferred, changed, or conveyed to another person.&nbsp; Because it was a constitutional amendment, SCR 1610 needed 27 votes to pass.&nbsp; The vote was 26-14.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb265/" target="_blank">SB 265</a> would amend the crime of violating a protective order to establish penalties for repeat violations of such orders and would create law in the Kansas Code of Criminal Procedure requiring a defendant convicted of an offense causing death or incapacitation of a victim pay restitution in the form of child support to any minor child of such victim.&nbsp; SB 265 passed 40-0. I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2010/" target="_blank">Senate Sub. for HB 2010</a> would amend the definition of criminal discharge of a firearm by amending the definition of criminal discharge of a firearm to include the reckless and unauthorized discharge of any firearm at a motor vehicle in which there is a human being, regardless of whether the offender knows or has reason to know that a human being is present.&nbsp; Senate Sub HB 2010 passed 38-2. I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2127/" target="_blank">Senate Sub. for HB 2127</a> would allow the criminal prosecution for childhood sexual abuse to be commenced at any time and extend the time to file a civil action for recovery of damages resulting from childhood sexual abuse, and provide exceptions in the Kansas Tort Claims Act (KTCA) for claims arising from such abuse. Senate Sub. for HB 2127 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2292/" target="_blank">HB 2292</a> would create the Kansas Apprenticeship Act, which would establish a tax credit and grant incentive programs for apprenticeships.&nbsp; HB 2292 passed 30-7.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2053/" target="_blank">Senate Sub. for HB 2053</a> would amend election law to provide for a presidential preference primary to be held on March 19, 2024, and would establish voter registration and voting procedures for such election.&nbsp; Senate Sub. for HB 2053 passed 28-12.&nbsp; I voted no.&nbsp;&nbsp; The anticipated cost to this presidential primary is estimated at $5 million which I believe these funds can be used in a more efficient way for Kansas citizens.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2263/" target="_blank">HB 2263</a>&nbsp; The bill would add pharmacy technicians, at least 18 years of age and under the direct supervision and control of a pharmacist, to the list of those authorized to administer vaccinations after successfully completing a course of study and training in vaccination storage, protocols, injection technique, emergency procedures, recordkeeping, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The bill would create the Kansas Child Mutilation Prevention Act. The bill also would define childhood gender reassignment service as performing, or causing to be performed, certain acts listed in the bill upon a child under 18 years of age for the purpose of attempting to affirm the child’s perception of the child’s sex or gender if that perception is inconsistent with the child’s sex.&nbsp; HB 2263 passed 26-10.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb252/" target="_blank">SB 252</a> would limit government competition against the private sector by creating property and sales tax exemptions for certain businesses located in cities where a facility owned or operated by a governmental entity competes against the business.&nbsp; SB 252 passed 24-16. I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2138/" target="_blank">Senate Sub. for HB 2138</a> would require each school district board of education to adopt a policy requiring that separate overnight accommodations be provided for students of each biological sex during school district sponsored travel that requires overnight stays, and would address retaliation against a student who reports such violation. The bill would also provide for administrative review by the State Board of Education of resolutions adopted by local school boards to permanently close a school building.&nbsp; Senate Sub. for HB 2138 passed 2911.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2070/" target="_blank">Senate Sub. for HB 2070</a>&nbsp; establishes the office of the child advocate as an independent state agency.&nbsp; The Child Advocate would be established as the independent head of the Office of Child Advocate. The Child Advocate would be appointed by the Governor and subject to confirmation by the Senate.&nbsp; Senate Sub. for HB 2070 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2390/" target="_blank">Senate Sub. for HB 2390</a> would restrict the authority of the secretary of health and environment and local health officers to issue orders and quarantines.&nbsp; Senate Sub for HB 2390 passed 24-16.&nbsp; I voted no.&nbsp; This bill (SB#6) voted on earlier in session stills removes the collaboration between the Secretary of Agriculture and KDHE to monitor Avian influenza (bird flu) and hoof and mouth disease easily transmitted to humans (hand, foot, and mouth).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb314/" target="_blank">SB 314</a> would prohibit the Secretary of Health and Environment from requiring a COVID-19 vaccine for any child cared for in a childcare facility, any student enrolling or enrolled in a school for the first time in Kansas.&nbsp; SB 314 passed 24-16.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb315/" target="_blank">SB 315</a> would create an exemption provision to vaccine requirements for individuals at child care centers and schools for sincerely held religious beliefs, as defined by the bill, and no further inquiry of the sincerity of the belief would be allowed. SB 315 passed 22-18.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2264/" target="_blank">HB 2264</a> would establish the No Patient Left Alone Act.&nbsp; During COVID, Americans were subject to emotionally traumatizing situations where they couldn’t visit a loved one in a hospital, leaving them to suffer alone. This bill would establish who may visit a patient in a patient care facility and would require patient care facilities to provide for in-person visitation.&nbsp; HB 2264 passed 31-9.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb112/" target="_blank">SB 112</a> would permit a registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) to practice as an independent advanced registered nurse to the full extent of the scope of the licensee’s education and qualifications except for the performance of surgery for the purpose of implantation of medication reservoirs for drug delivery devices.&nbsp; SB 112 passed 33-6.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2304/" target="_blank">HB 2304</a> would create law related to firearm safety education programs conducted in public school districts. The bill would allow local school boards to provide firearm safety education programs. The State Board of Education would be directed to establish curriculum guidelines for a standardized firearm safety education program, which would be required to include accident prevention.&nbsp; HB 2304 passed 31-8.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2236/" target="_blank">HB 2236</a> would state that a parent has a right to direct the education, upbringing, and moral or religious training of their children. The bill would also direct local boards of education to adopt policies and procedures to guarantee the free exercise of these rights and establish a means by which a parent could remove their child from a lesson or class based upon objections to the course material.&nbsp; HB 2236 passed 23-17.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb297/" target="_blank">SB 297</a> would amend the definition of abortion and would adopt the definition of abortion uniformly for statutes pertaining to insurance coverage for elective abortions, abortion facility licensure, abortion of a pain-capable unborn child, the Kansas Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act, and general abortion statutes addressing viability, restrictions and prohibitions, and information to be provided. The bill would clarify certain medical procedures and the prescription, dispensing, administration, sale, or use of any method of contraception would not to be considered an abortion.&nbsp; SB 297 passed 29-11.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2024/" target="_blank">HB 2024</a> would amend the Newborn Infant Protection Act within the Revised Kansas Code for Care of Children to provide an alternate means to legally surrender an infant pursuant to the Act.&nbsp; The bill would authorize a parent or other person who chooses to surrender physical custody of an infant to a newborn safety device, installed at a police station, sheriff’s office, law enforcement center, fire station, city or county health department, hospital, ambulatory surgical center, or recuperation center. HB 2024 passed 35-5.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2313/" target="_blank">HB 2313</a> would enact the Born-alive Infants Protection Act. To provide legal protections for infants who are born alive regardless of the intent of the delivery.&nbsp; The bill would require, in the event an abortion or attempted abortion results in a child being born alive, any health care provider present at the time the child is born alive to exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence, to preserve the life and health of the child as a reasonably diligent and conscientious health care provider would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age; and ensure that the child who is born alive is immediately transported to a hospital. HB 2313 passed 31-9.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2325/" target="_blank">HB 2325</a> would amend the Health Care Provider Insurance Availability Act to add certain maternity centers to the definition of “health care provider” and to add facilities where elective abortions are performed to the list of entities that are not health care providers as defined in the bill, which would make such facilities ineligible to purchase professional liability insurance from the Health Care Stabilization Fund.&nbsp; HB 2325 passed 33-6.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb271/" target="_blank">SB 271</a> would add law regarding the maximum length of a train, distances between railroad crossings and rail cars stored on sidings, and enforcement of those provisions.&nbsp; SB 271 passed 27-13. I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb55/" target="_blank">Sub SB 55</a> would modify the property tax exemption for Strother Field airport to replace the condition to qualify for the exemption from being property owned by the airport.&nbsp; Sub SB 55 passed 27-11.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2096/" target="_blank">HB 2096</a> would amend provisions pertaining to premium taxes paid by municipal group-funded liability pools and group-funded workers’ compensation pools to change the basis upon which the premium taxes for these pools are calculated.&nbsp; HB 2096 passed 39-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2097/" target="_blank">HB 2097</a> would remove the requirement of a documented written demand from an insurance company for unpaid premiums by an agent or broker.&nbsp; HB 2097 passed 39-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2098/" target="_blank">HB 2098</a> would add “and any other legal entity under the jurisdiction of the commissioner” to the definition of “person” in a statute pertaining to enforcement of insurance laws. HB 2098 passed 39-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2100/" target="_blank">HB 2100</a> would amend the effective date specified in the Insurance Code for the risk-based capital (RBC) instructions promulgated by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for property and casualty companies and for life insurance companies.&nbsp; HB 2100 passed 39-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2214/" target="_blank">HB 2214</a> would amend the definition of “correctional institution” in the Department of Corrections (KDOC) definitions statute. The amended definition would change the name of the Larned Correctional Mental Health to the Larned State Correctional Facility.&nbsp;&nbsp; HB 2214 passed 39-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2285/" target="_blank">HB 2285</a> would clarify the definition of “insurance company” and make other technical corrections and reconciling changes in the Insurance Code.&nbsp; HB 2285 passed 39-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2298/" target="_blank">HB 2298</a> would designate as the Donald Burton Gamblin Jr Memorial Highway the portion of I-435 in Johnson County from its junction with Shawnee Mission Parkway north to its junction with Holliday Drive.&nbsp; HB 2298 passed 39-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb147/" target="_blank">SB 147</a> would increase the Kansas tax credits for adoption expenses and child and dependent care expenses.&nbsp; SB 147 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2019/" target="_blank">HB 2019</a> would establish conditions in the Kansas Transportation Network Company Services Act for when a driver for a transportation network company (TNC) is an independent contractor.&nbsp; HB 2019 passed 29-11.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2039/" target="_blank">HB 2039</a> would require the Secretary of Wildlife and Parks to issue a free permanent hunting and fishing license to any person residing in the state upon providing proof to the Secretary that such person is a disabled veteran.&nbsp; HB 2039 passed 39-1.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2059/" target="_blank">HB 2059</a> would amend various provisions of the Kansas Liquor Control Act (KLCA) and Club and Drinking Establishment Act concerning samples and common consumption areas and the KLCA provisions concerning prohibited acts to allow alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverages to be the prize of a charitable raffle.&nbsp; HB 2059 passed 35-5.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2080/" target="_blank">HB 2080</a> would enact law supplemental to the Virtual School Act to allow students enrolled full-time in a Kansas virtual school to take statewide assessments, required by state law, in a virtual setting.&nbsp; HB 2080 passed 34-5.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2082/" target="_blank">HB 2082</a> would authorize counties to create a Code Inspection and Enforcement Fund, a Municipalities Fight Addiction Fund, and expand the existing County Equipment Reserve Fund to include purchases of technology and technology services.&nbsp; HB 2082 passed 38-2.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2121/" target="_blank">Sub. for HB 2121</a> would amend law governing statutory speedy trial in the Kansas Code of Criminal Procedure. The bill would suspend statutory speedy trial rights for defendants in all criminal cases until March 1, 2024. [Note: Current law suspends statutory speedy trial rights until May 1, 2023.]&nbsp; Sub for HB 2121 passed 32-8.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2125/" target="_blank">HB 2125</a> would amend law related to tattooing, cosmetic tattooing, and body piercing and exempt adult care homes and long-term care units of a medical care facilities from statutes governing barbering and cosmetology. The bill would authorize the Kansas State Board of Cosmetology to create and issue charitable event permits and demonstration permits.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; HB 2125 passed 38-1.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2173/" target="_blank">HB 2173</a> would prohibit any state agency or local unit of government from prohibiting or restricting the use of any refrigerant approved for use under federal Safe Alternatives Policy (42 U.S. Code Section 7671k).&nbsp; HB 2173 passed 31-9. I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2196/" target="_blank">HB 2196</a> would expand the defined membership of the Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) to include any member of the Kansas Police and Firemen’s Retirement System who is eligible to participate and elects to participate in DROP. Under current law, a DROP participant can only include a trooper, examiner, or officer of the Kansas Highway Patrol or an agent of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).&nbsp; HB 2196 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2226/" target="_blank">HB 2226</a> would amend the Kansas Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act regarding excavation notification and white lining [i.e., the marking of a site for excavation].&nbsp; HB 2226 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2234/" target="_blank">HB 2234</a> would increase the cost thresholds for state building projects at which a negotiating committee must be convened for the selection of architectural, engineering, or land surveying services to $1.5 million and provide for future increases to the thresholds.&nbsp; HB 2234 passed 36-4.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2240/" target="_blank">HB 2240</a> would amend the Revised Kansas Code for Care of Children to clarify and require the clerk of the district court to provide various parties with written notice when a child is placed in a qualified residential treatment program.&nbsp;&nbsp; HB 2240 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2269/" target="_blank">HB 2269</a> would amend the Kansas Cigarette and Tobacco Products Act to raise the minimum age to 21 to sell, purchase, and possess cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and tobacco products.&nbsp; HB 2269 passed 28-11.&nbsp; I voted no.&nbsp; Current federal law passed in 2019 is age 21. &nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2284/" target="_blank">HB 2284</a> would amend law requiring certain municipalities to pay for the premiums for the continuation of insurance coverage under COBRA for the surviving spouse and eligible dependent children of a firefighter who dies in the line of duty.&nbsp; HB 2284 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2288/" target="_blank">HB 2288</a> would establish the Counseling Compact to facilitate interstate practice of licensed professional counselors. The bill would also amend law to add a licensure fee relating to the privilege to practice under the Compact. HB 2288 passed 36-4.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2322/" target="_blank">HB 2322</a> would amend provisions within the Special Education for Exceptional Children Act to define the term “emotional disability,” revise the definition of “children with disabilities” to include dyslexia, and replace the term “emotional disturbance” with “emotional disability.”&nbsp; HB 2322 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2335/" target="_blank">HB 2335</a> would authorize the Rail Service Improvement Fund to be used for qualified track maintenance and would increase transfers from the State Highway Fund to the Rail Service Improvement Fund from $5.0 million to $10.0 million annually, starting July 1, 2023.&nbsp; HB 2335 passed 38-2.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2375/" target="_blank">HB 2375</a> would create a new type of temporary license for certain applicants who have graduated from a social work program, including an online social work program, that is in candidacy from a national accrediting body recognized by the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board.&nbsp; HB 2375 passed 39-1. I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb40/" target="_blank">SB 40</a> would allow taxpayers to subtract certain net operating losses in determining their Kansas adjusted gross income and would make changes to the Homestead Property Tax Refund Act.&nbsp; SB 40 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb287/" target="_blank">SB 287</a> would expand current provisions to permit the issuance of a silver alert for a missing person 18 years of age or older who has dementia, a developmental disability such as autism spectrum disorder, or a cognitive impairment.&nbsp; SB 287 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb301/" target="_blank">SB 301</a> would require elected and appointed officers of a governmental subdivision to file annual statements of substantial interest with the office where declarations of candidacy are required to be filed. Current law requires such officeholders to file statements only in a year in which their substantial interests change. Upon receipt of a statement of substantial interest, the receiving office would be required to submit a copy to the Secretary of State.&nbsp; SB 301 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb307/" target="_blank">SB 307</a> would amend the Kansas Fights Addiction Act (Act) to include for-profit private entities in the definition of “qualified applicant.” Under continuing law, the Act allows qualified applicants to apply for grants from the Kansas Fights Addiction Fund for projects and activities that prevent, reduce, treat, or mitigate the effects of substance abuse and addiction. These grant applications must be approved by the Kansas Fights Addiction Grant Review Board.&nbsp; SB 307 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2016/" target="_blank">Senate Sub. for HB 2016</a> would enact the Act Against Abusive Website Access Litigation to create a civil action for determining whether litigation that alleges any website access violation under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or similar law constitutes abusive litigation.&nbsp; Senate Sub for HB 2016 passed 35-5.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2027/" target="_blank">HB 2027</a> would amend the “slayer rule” to create a procedure to prevent the distribution of estate assets until the resolution of criminal proceedings involving a person who has interest in the estate and who has been arrested or charged with the felonious killing of the decedent.&nbsp; HB 2027 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2087/" target="_blank">HB 2087</a> would amend law regarding the selection of presidential electors, the day presidential electors meet and perform their required duties, and contests to the election of the presidential electors. HB 2087 passed 39-1.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2114/" target="_blank">HB 2114</a> would rename the Joint Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight to the J. Russell (Russ) Jennings Joint Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight. HB 2114 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2147/" target="_blank">HB 2147</a> would create law to require a public agency or towing or wrecking service lawfully selling an abandoned or towed motor vehicle to provide a certification to the purchaser that statutory recovery, storage, notification, and verification requirements associated with abandoned or towed vehicles have been satisfied, and that vehicle identification number inspection requirements have been met.&nbsp; HB 2147 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2160/" target="_blank">HB 2160</a> would amend secured load requirements for trucks, trailers, and semitrailers hauling cotton bales.&nbsp; The bill would clarify the cotton bales could be transported by the cotton producer intrastate from the place of production or storage to a market on the truck, trailer, or semitrailer equipped with cradles, and stakes, sideboards, or side posts that are no less than 12 inches high. HB 2160 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2170/" target="_blank">Senate Sub. for HB 2170</a> would create the Donor Intent Protection Act, which would provide legal recourse to an individual charitable donor when the donor’s gift restrictions are not followed by the recipient charitable organization.&nbsp; Senate Sub. for HB 2170 passed 31-8.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2225/" target="_blank">HB 2225</a> would amend law authorizing a Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC)-regulated utility to recover costs associated with the transmission of electric power through a transmission delivery charge.&nbsp; HB 2225 passed 37-2. I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2279/" target="_blank">HB 2279</a> would add sections to the Kansas Groundwater Management District Act to require groundwater management districts to submit annual reports to the Legislature with conservation and stabilization action plans to the Chief Engineer, Division of Water Resources, Kansas Department of Agriculture.&nbsp; HB 2279 passed 35-5. I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2290/" target="_blank">HB 2290</a> would authorize the affiliation of Northwest Kansas Technical College and North Central Kansas Technical College with Fort Hays State University (FHSU).&nbsp; HB 2290 passed 39-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2302/" target="_blank">Senate Sub. for HB 2302</a> would establish funding for the State Water Plan and water infrastructure projects, create the Water Technical Assistance Fund (Assistance Fund) and the Water Projects Grant Fund (Grant Fund), authorize the Kansas Water Office (KWO) to provide grants and adopt rules and regulations to establish criteria for grants, update reporting requirements for the Kansas Water Authority.&nbsp; Senate Sub. for HB 2302 passed 39-1.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2326/" target="_blank">HB 2326</a> would extend the sunset date on the Scrap Metal Theft Reduction Act from July 1, 2023, to July 1, 2028, and would specify “regulated scrap metal” under the Act includes catalytic converters, as defined by the bill.&nbsp; HB 2326 passed 39-1.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2346/" target="_blank">HB 2346</a> would authorize “back the blue” and City of Topeka distinctive license plates; require each license plate furnished to have the county of registration either printed or shown by decal affixed to the license plate and permit any distinctive license plate to also be a personalized plate.&nbsp; HB 2346 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2350/" target="_blank">HB 2350</a> would create the crimes of human smuggling and aggravated human smuggling, provide for criminal penalties, and make these provisions supplemental to the Kansas Criminal Code. HB 2350 passed 38-1.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2395/" target="_blank">HB 2395</a> would remove sunset provisions for confidentiality of certain records and would make those records permanent exceptions to the Kansas Open Records Act. The bill would also remove the requirement for legislative review of those exceptions prior to July 1, 2023. HB 2395 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2002/" target="_blank">HB 2002</a> would amend law related to the revenue neutral rate hearing notice, require property valuation notices to include additional information, permit the use of fee simple appraisals performed by Kansas Certified Residential Real Property Appraisers in certain valuation appeals, permit payment under protest appeals by taxpayers having already appealed their property valuation pursuant to an equalization appeal, and codify agricultural land adverse influences for property valuation purposes.&nbsp; HB 2002 passed 34-6.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2021/" target="_blank">HB 2021</a> would amend law regarding the provision of services to children in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems by requiring the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), the Department for Children and Families (DCF), and the Judicial Branch to collaborate when providing services. HB 2021 passed 40-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2060/" target="_blank">Senate Sub. for HB 2060</a> would make technical changes to law relating to the Drivers’ Training School License Act to ensure community colleges and other institutions receive payments from the State Safety Fund.&nbsp; Senate Sub. For HB 2060 passed 35-5.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2172/" target="_blank">HB 2172</a> would enact the Uniform Trust Decanting Act and would amend law in the Kansas Uniform Trust Code, Kansas Probate Code, and Kansas Income Tax Act with respect to the statutory rule against perpetuities, to make the RAP inapplicable in certain circumstances.&nbsp; HB 2172 passed 36-4.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2216/" target="_blank">HB 2216</a> would remove, for a first-time offender, the mandatory term of imprisonment for driving with a driver’s license that was canceled, suspended, or revoked for failure to appear in response to a traffic citation or failure to pay fines or otherwise comply with a traffic citation. Convictions for the offense would be subject to a mandatory fine of at least $100. [Note: Current law provides a mandatory fine of at least $100 and a minimum of five days’ imprisonment.]&nbsp; HB 2216 passed 34-6.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2323/" target="_blank">HB 2323</a> would regulate the process of property transfer agreements in Johnson County between a fire district and city, on land annexed by the city.&nbsp; HB 2323 passed 38-2.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2336/" target="_blank">HB 2336</a> would amend law pertaining to the issuance of general obligation bonds by the board of directors of airport authorities enacted under the Surplus Property and Public Airport Authority Act.&nbsp; HB 2336 passed 3010.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

<a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb208/" target="_blank">H Sub for SB 208</a> would amend provisions in the Campaign Finance Act on topics including procedures of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission (Commission) H Sub for SB 208 passed 27-12. Having already passed the House, it is now headed directly to the governor, who is expected to sign it.&nbsp; I voted yes.&nbsp;

Full texts of the bills and supplemental notes as well as the Final Action vote on these measures can be found at <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/" target="_blank">www.kslegislature.org</a>&nbsp;

Thank you for the honor of serving you!&nbsp;

Senator Elaine Bowers Kansas State Capitol Building Room 223-E 300 SW 10th St. Topeka, KS 66612 <a href="mailto:elaine.bowers@senate.ks.gov" target="_blank">elaine.bowers@senate.ks.gov</a> 785-296-7389 <a href="https://elainebowers.com/" target="_blank">https://elainebowers.com/</a> <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/">www.kslegislature.org</a>

Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, is senator of the 36th District in Kansas, which includes:

* Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, Ottawa, Republic, Rooks, Russell, Smith and Washington Counties * Marshall County: Cities: Blue Rapids, Marysville, Oketo and Waterville; Townships: Blue Rapids, Blue Rapids City, Cottage Hill, Elm Creek, Herkimer, Logan, Marysville, Oketo, Walnut and Waterville * Phillips County: Cities: Agra, Glade, Kirwin and Phillipsburg; Townships: Arcade, Bow Creek, Crystal Deer Creek, Freedom, Glenwood, Greenwood, Kirwin, Phillipsburg, Plum, Rushville, Solomon(part), Sumner, Valley and Walnut

BOWERS: 2023 Senate Scene Week 12

​Nothing like visiting an old cemetery to connect past&nbsp;with&nbsp;present.&nbsp;On a&nbsp;windy,&nbsp;cold March 19, 2023, sunlight highlighted&nbsp;sere&nbsp;prairie grasses&nbsp;that&nbsp;blanketed&nbsp;Fort Wallace’s&nbsp;hallowed ground&nbsp;as&nbsp;three&nbsp;western&nbsp;history&nbsp;buffs&nbsp;wandered between gravestones.&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;wind&nbsp;sharpened freezing temps to&nbsp;remind them&nbsp;that&nbsp;life&nbsp;there&nbsp;is harsh&nbsp;as it certainly was for those posted at the edge of the world from 1865 to 1882.

​Following the Civil War, Manifest Destiny and the Homestead Act lured&nbsp;the&nbsp;curious and bold&nbsp;to go&nbsp;West. Sioux, Cheyenne, and other native people resented&nbsp;this&nbsp;encroachment on prime hunting grounds.&nbsp;Ingredients for cultural collision burbled and stewed—finally boiling&nbsp;over&nbsp;through&nbsp;the&nbsp;1860s-70s.&nbsp;

​Former Civil War General, William Tecumseh Sherman, later commander of the Military Division of Missouri authorized&nbsp;construction&nbsp;of&nbsp;garrisoned&nbsp;forts&nbsp;to protect those traveling the&nbsp;Smoky Hill Trail. Fort Wallace&nbsp;(1865 -1882)&nbsp;was the western-most outpost.&nbsp;During&nbsp;these conflicts,&nbsp;many&nbsp;soldiers, scouts, and others died.&nbsp;Survivors&nbsp;laid their remains&nbsp;to rest in the post cemetery.

​Following&nbsp;the fort’s&nbsp;decommissioning,&nbsp;authorities ordered&nbsp;military burials removed to Fort Leavenworth in 1886.&nbsp;To preserve history, site caretakers&nbsp;designed and posted&nbsp;markers&nbsp;to&nbsp;document names, ages, nationalities, and causes of death of soldiers and their loved ones who died while posted at&nbsp;Ft. Wallace.&nbsp;As a result, their stories live on.

Interrupting the horizontal plane, a&nbsp;tall&nbsp;cenotaph&nbsp;carved&nbsp;from&nbsp;native limestone, now under a protective covering,&nbsp;records&nbsp;names of 7th&nbsp;cavalrymen&nbsp;who died&nbsp;in&nbsp;battle.&nbsp;To the north lie&nbsp;weathered planks&nbsp;detailing&nbsp;names, ages, and origins&nbsp;of&nbsp;soldiers&nbsp;and scouts&nbsp;from other regiments who died during&nbsp;similar&nbsp;conflicts&nbsp;or for other reasons.&nbsp;Many&nbsp;were immigrants, mostly from Ireland.&nbsp;While&nbsp;some&nbsp;passed away&nbsp;fighting,&nbsp;most buried during the 17 years the fort existed&nbsp;died&nbsp;of diseases,&nbsp;including pneumonia, cholera,&nbsp;diphtheria, and intermittent fever. Accidents, drownings, and&nbsp;quarrels filled&nbsp;additional&nbsp;graves.

​While&nbsp;wandering&nbsp;the lane between&nbsp;memorials, I tugged on a scarf and gloves to protect&nbsp;chilled&nbsp;ears and fingers.&nbsp;We&nbsp;didn’t know the temp with windchill, but&nbsp;the cold&nbsp;reminded us&nbsp;that life here&nbsp;is&nbsp;extreme. It&nbsp;made it hard&nbsp;to&nbsp;imagine&nbsp;how three&nbsp;soldiers&nbsp;drowned.&nbsp;

Gazing at the Smoky Hill today, it&nbsp;appears a&nbsp;person could walk across.&nbsp;However, research&nbsp;indicates&nbsp;the military dammed it to create a pond south of the fort.&nbsp;Stifling&nbsp;August temperatures&nbsp;might account for a non-swimmer’s unintended demise&nbsp;as&nbsp;he&nbsp;tried to cool&nbsp;down. Perhaps someone crossed&nbsp;itafter&nbsp;a&nbsp;rare&nbsp;torrential rain&nbsp;and found&nbsp;himself&nbsp;swallowed&nbsp;by rising&nbsp;water.

Accidents involving trains and woodcutting ended several lives.&nbsp;Woodcutting risks&nbsp;explain themselves, but train accidents make a person wonder. An engine&nbsp;ran over at least one individual. How’d that happen?&nbsp;Did someone start the train&nbsp;rolling&nbsp;before the guy&nbsp;finished repairing&nbsp;track or&nbsp;did&nbsp;hedrunkenly&nbsp;wander steel rails&nbsp;and fail to&nbsp;pay attention?

Shivering&nbsp;inside my wool jacket, I&nbsp;considered&nbsp;wives&nbsp;who joined husbands at this distant post and buried tiny children&nbsp;here.&nbsp;Disease most commonly took young&nbsp;lives.&nbsp;Over time, this&nbsp;once-military cemetery morphed into a community burial&nbsp;ground.&nbsp;Those killed&nbsp;during&nbsp;the Cheyenne raid on the German family were re-interred here.&nbsp;Merchant Peter&nbsp;Robidoux and his family share a memorial at the&nbsp;cemetery’s&nbsp;north end. Local families continue to&nbsp;lay&nbsp;loved ones to rest here.&nbsp;

This&nbsp;stone garden&nbsp;offers&nbsp;history that touches&nbsp;every sense. If you come on an icy&nbsp;morn, you’ll&nbsp;crunch ice and&nbsp;shiver like&nbsp;earlier occupants&nbsp;did. If you show up on&nbsp;a&nbsp;sizzling August afternoon, you’ll understand why some non-swimming, young&nbsp;Irish&nbsp;immigrant laid his uniform on the banks of the Smoky Hill and waded in for his last dip.&nbsp;As you gaze across endless horizon, you&nbsp;grasp&nbsp;why&nbsp;people fought for this landscape.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680204300025.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By KAREN MADORIN​Nothing like visiting an old cemetery to connect past&nbsp;with&nbsp;present.&nbsp;On a&nbsp;windy,&nbsp;cold March 19, 2023, sunlight highlighted&nbsp;sere&nbsp;prairie grasses&nbsp;that&nbsp;blanketed&nbsp;Fort Wallace’s&nbsp;hallowed ground&nbsp;as&nbsp;three&nbsp;western&nbsp;history&nbsp;buffs&nbsp;wandered between gravestones.&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;wind&nbsp;sharpened freezing temps to&nbsp;remind them&nbsp;that&nbsp;life&nbsp;there&nbsp;is harsh&nbsp;as it certainly was for those posted at the edge of the world from 1865 to 1882.​Following the Civil War, Manifest Destiny and the Homestead Act lured&nbsp;the&nbsp;curious and bold&nbsp;to go&nbsp;West. Sioux, Cheyenne, and other native people resented&nbsp;this&nbsp;encroachment on prime hunting grounds.&nbsp;Ingredients for cultural collision burbled and stewed—finally boiling&nbsp;over&nbsp;through&nbsp;the&nbsp;1860s-70s.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658158605319.jpeg" alt="Karen Madorin" />
 <figcaption>Karen Madorin</figcaption>
 </figure>​Former Civil War General, William Tecumseh Sherman, later commander of the Military Division of Missouri authorized&nbsp;construction&nbsp;of&nbsp;garrisoned&nbsp;forts&nbsp;to protect those traveling the&nbsp;Smoky Hill Trail. Fort Wallace&nbsp;(1865 -1882)&nbsp;was the western-most outpost.&nbsp;During&nbsp;these conflicts,&nbsp;many&nbsp;soldiers, scouts, and others died.&nbsp;Survivors&nbsp;laid their remains&nbsp;to rest in the post cemetery.​Following&nbsp;the fort’s&nbsp;decommissioning,&nbsp;authorities ordered&nbsp;military burials removed to Fort Leavenworth in 1886.&nbsp;To preserve history, site caretakers&nbsp;designed and posted&nbsp;markers&nbsp;to&nbsp;document names, ages, nationalities, and causes of death of soldiers and their loved ones who died while posted at&nbsp;Ft. Wallace.&nbsp;As a result, their stories live on.Interrupting the horizontal plane, a&nbsp;tall&nbsp;cenotaph&nbsp;carved&nbsp;from&nbsp;native limestone, now under a protective covering,&nbsp;records&nbsp;names of 7th&nbsp;cavalrymen&nbsp;who died&nbsp;in&nbsp;battle.&nbsp;To the north lie&nbsp;weathered planks&nbsp;detailing&nbsp;names, ages, and origins&nbsp;of&nbsp;soldiers&nbsp;and scouts&nbsp;from other regiments who died during&nbsp;similar&nbsp;conflicts&nbsp;or for other reasons.&nbsp;Many&nbsp;were immigrants, mostly from Ireland.&nbsp;While&nbsp;some&nbsp;passed away&nbsp;fighting,&nbsp;most buried during the 17 years the fort existed&nbsp;died&nbsp;of diseases,&nbsp;including pneumonia, cholera,&nbsp;diphtheria, and intermittent fever. Accidents, drownings, and&nbsp;quarrels filled&nbsp;additional&nbsp;graves.​While&nbsp;wandering&nbsp;the lane between&nbsp;memorials, I tugged on a scarf and gloves to protect&nbsp;chilled&nbsp;ears and fingers.&nbsp;We&nbsp;didn’t know the temp with windchill, but&nbsp;the cold&nbsp;reminded us&nbsp;that life here&nbsp;is&nbsp;extreme. It&nbsp;made it hard&nbsp;to&nbsp;imagine&nbsp;how three&nbsp;soldiers&nbsp;drowned.&nbsp;Gazing at the Smoky Hill today, it&nbsp;appears a&nbsp;person could walk across.&nbsp;However, research&nbsp;indicates&nbsp;the military dammed it to create a pond south of the fort.&nbsp;Stifling&nbsp;August temperatures&nbsp;might account for a non-swimmer’s unintended demise&nbsp;as&nbsp;he&nbsp;tried to cool&nbsp;down. Perhaps someone crossed&nbsp;itafter&nbsp;a&nbsp;rare&nbsp;torrential rain&nbsp;and found&nbsp;himself&nbsp;swallowed&nbsp;by rising&nbsp;water.Accidents involving trains and woodcutting ended several lives.&nbsp;Woodcutting risks&nbsp;explain themselves, but train accidents make a person wonder. An engine&nbsp;ran over at least one individual. How’d that happen?&nbsp;Did someone start the train&nbsp;rolling&nbsp;before the guy&nbsp;finished repairing&nbsp;track or&nbsp;did&nbsp;hedrunkenly&nbsp;wander steel rails&nbsp;and fail to&nbsp;pay attention?Shivering&nbsp;inside my wool jacket, I&nbsp;considered&nbsp;wives&nbsp;who joined husbands at this distant post and buried tiny children&nbsp;here.&nbsp;Disease most commonly took young&nbsp;lives.&nbsp;Over time, this&nbsp;once-military cemetery morphed into a community burial&nbsp;ground.&nbsp;Those killed&nbsp;during&nbsp;the Cheyenne raid on the German family were re-interred here.&nbsp;Merchant Peter&nbsp;Robidoux and his family share a memorial at the&nbsp;cemetery’s&nbsp;north end. Local families continue to&nbsp;lay&nbsp;loved ones to rest here.&nbsp;This&nbsp;stone garden&nbsp;offers&nbsp;history that touches&nbsp;every sense. If you come on an icy&nbsp;morn, you’ll&nbsp;crunch ice and&nbsp;shiver like&nbsp;earlier occupants&nbsp;did. If you show up on&nbsp;a&nbsp;sizzling August afternoon, you’ll understand why some non-swimming, young&nbsp;Irish&nbsp;immigrant laid his uniform on the banks of the Smoky Hill and waded in for his last dip.&nbsp;As you gaze across endless horizon, you&nbsp;grasp&nbsp;why&nbsp;people fought for this landscape.

MADORIN: Learning history in a cemetery

If passed into law, can Education Saving Accounts and tax credit vouchers withstand a constitutional challenge?&nbsp;&nbsp; That’s a question rolling around the state house.&nbsp;

The concern, at this point, is speculation since these two school choice bills have yet to go to Governor Kelly for her signature or veto.

The ESA bill currently creates&nbsp;a fund for families to use taxpayer dollars for private and homeschooling expenses. In its first year, the program would be available to public school students testing at the lowest grade level or receiving free or reduced-price lunch.&nbsp; Eventually families of four making $180,000 per year or more would be eligible.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The tax credit bill enlarges the current tax credit scholarship fund.&nbsp; Fully implemented, it would give about $5,000 per qualifying student per year to attend any accredited or unaccredited private school or use for other educational expenses.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Donors to the scholarship fund could apply for a 70 percent tax credit.&nbsp; Currently the fund is limited to low income, low performing students but the 2023 bill would expand incrementally to include almost all student applicants regardless of parent’s income, including students who always have attended a private school or been homeschooled.&nbsp;

Currently 11 states allow various types of ESAs, and 20 states allow tax credit scholarships.&nbsp;

Do ESAs that directly fund private schools with public tax dollars and scholarships that indirectly reduce education funds through tax credits violate the Kansas Constitution?&nbsp;&nbsp;

Tax Credit scholarships may more easily withstand legal challenges because they are funded by donations.&nbsp; The loss to the state comes from fewer tax dollars collected due to the refundable tax credits.&nbsp; ESAs are directly funded from tax dollars budgeted for education.&nbsp; Both bills siphon public funds from public schools.

Here are reasons for concern: &nbsp;First, the Kansas Constitution creates a single system of common schools.<a></a>

Article 6: (1) “The legislature shall provide for a state board of education which shall have general supervision of public schools, educational institutions and all the educational interests of the state.”

The proposed bills create two separate systems—one governed by the state board of education and a new system governed by the Kansas treasurer to administer the scholarships and ESAs.&nbsp;

Second, Article 6:&nbsp; 2&nbsp;(a) states, “The state board of education shall perform such other duties as may be provided by law.”

Currently there are no laws that direct the state board of education to oversee schools other than public schools.&nbsp; Moreover, proponents of the bills advocate a main value is that funds would go to schools governed by the state treasurer not the state board of education.

Third, the Kansas constitution is clear.&nbsp;&nbsp;Article 6: 6 (c) “No religious sect or sects shall control any part of the public educational funds.”

Recently the U. S. Supreme Court ruled&nbsp;in &nbsp;<a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/carson-v-makin/" target="_blank">Carson v. Makin</a>&nbsp; to require states to fund private religious schools if the states fund any other private schools.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his majority opinion that the ruling does not require states to fund private schools—but once they do,&nbsp;religious schools can’t be excluded.&nbsp;

In January an Ohio lawsuit challenging the state’s voucher program moved forward to Franklin County Court.&nbsp; More than 100 school districts signed onto the lawsuit advocating a&nbsp;"secure"&nbsp;and single "system of common schools.”&nbsp;

Who among us would want another long, costly constitutional confrontation over Kansas schools?&nbsp; &nbsp;Nevertheless, this battle may be ongoing well into the future.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593719779701.jpeg" alt="Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education." />
 <figcaption>Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.</figcaption>
 </figure>If passed into law, can Education Saving Accounts and tax credit vouchers withstand a constitutional challenge?&nbsp;&nbsp; That’s a question rolling around the state house.&nbsp;The concern, at this point, is speculation since these two school choice bills have yet to go to Governor Kelly for her signature or veto.The ESA bill currently creates&nbsp;a fund for families to use taxpayer dollars for private and homeschooling expenses. In its first year, the program would be available to public school students testing at the lowest grade level or receiving free or reduced-price lunch.&nbsp; Eventually families of four making $180,000 per year or more would be eligible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The tax credit bill enlarges the current tax credit scholarship fund.&nbsp; Fully implemented, it would give about $5,000 per qualifying student per year to attend any accredited or unaccredited private school or use for other educational expenses.&nbsp;&nbsp;Donors to the scholarship fund could apply for a 70 percent tax credit.&nbsp; Currently the fund is limited to low income, low performing students but the 2023 bill would expand incrementally to include almost all student applicants regardless of parent’s income, including students who always have attended a private school or been homeschooled.&nbsp;Currently 11 states allow various types of ESAs, and 20 states allow tax credit scholarships.&nbsp;Do ESAs that directly fund private schools with public tax dollars and scholarships that indirectly reduce education funds through tax credits violate the Kansas Constitution?&nbsp;&nbsp;Tax Credit scholarships may more easily withstand legal challenges because they are funded by donations.&nbsp; The loss to the state comes from fewer tax dollars collected due to the refundable tax credits.&nbsp; ESAs are directly funded from tax dollars budgeted for education.&nbsp; Both bills siphon public funds from public schools.Here are reasons for concern: &nbsp;First, the Kansas Constitution creates a single system of common schools.<a></a>Article 6: (1) “The legislature shall provide for a state board of education which shall have general supervision of public schools, educational institutions and all the educational interests of the state.”The proposed bills create two separate systems—one governed by the state board of education and a new system governed by the Kansas treasurer to administer the scholarships and ESAs.&nbsp;Second, Article 6:&nbsp; 2&nbsp;(a) states, “The state board of education shall perform such other duties as may be provided by law.”Currently there are no laws that direct the state board of education to oversee schools other than public schools.&nbsp; Moreover, proponents of the bills advocate a main value is that funds would go to schools governed by the state treasurer not the state board of education.Third, the Kansas constitution is clear.&nbsp;&nbsp;Article 6: 6 (c) “No religious sect or sects shall control any part of the public educational funds.”Recently the U. S. Supreme Court ruled&nbsp;in &nbsp;<a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/carson-v-makin/" target="_blank">Carson v. Makin</a>&nbsp; to require states to fund private religious schools if the states fund any other private schools.Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his majority opinion that the ruling does not require states to fund private schools—but once they do,&nbsp;religious schools can’t be excluded.&nbsp;In January an Ohio lawsuit challenging the state’s voucher program moved forward to Franklin County Court.&nbsp; More than 100 school districts signed onto the lawsuit advocating a&nbsp;"secure"&nbsp;and single "system of common schools.”&nbsp;Who among us would want another long, costly constitutional confrontation over Kansas schools?&nbsp; &nbsp;Nevertheless, this battle may be ongoing well into the future.&nbsp;&nbsp;Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Is another constitutional school lawsuit in the offing?

The other day,&nbsp;we&nbsp;passed a golf course, and&nbsp;I&nbsp;was amazed at the number of golfers&nbsp;already out chasing&nbsp;that little white ball around on what amounts to be nothing more than a huge lawn. It’s always puzzled me how that game can be considered a good workout when the most exorcize most golfers get is dragging their overweight carcasses in and out of the golf cart. Anyway, it all reminded me of my first and only brush with the game of golf.&nbsp;

Awhile back, in&nbsp;a valiant attempt&nbsp;to&nbsp;add a little culture to my otherwise mundane&nbsp;and culture-less&nbsp;existence, and to&nbsp;further stretch the boundaries of my comfort zone, (also known as&nbsp;free tickets) I attended&nbsp;a&nbsp;fairly&nbsp;major&nbsp;Golf Tournament&nbsp;at Prairie Dunes Country Club just outside of Hutchinson.&nbsp;Now understand, I&nbsp;don’t know a fairway from a flambé, or a bogey from a booger. To me, a driver is the person at the wheel of a&nbsp;vehicle, and&nbsp;putter is something we men do in lieu of something constructive. Yet&nbsp;there&nbsp;I was, reduced to&nbsp;being part of&nbsp;a gaggle of onlookers sittin’ in the hot sun&nbsp;called “the&nbsp;gallery.”&nbsp;Even though I tried my best to fit in,&nbsp;I’m pretty sure I looked at that&nbsp;entire experience slightly different than most other people there. Allow me&nbsp;to explain.&nbsp;

Every golf course is littered with various sized&nbsp;pits of sand known as sand traps. When I looked at the sand traps all around us,&nbsp;all I could think&nbsp;was what swell little ponds they could be. Large mouth bass and those big hybrid bluegills would love nice sandy bottom pools like those.&nbsp;Wild turkeys take regular dust baths to help keep bugs out of their feathers, and in doing so they carve out bowl shaped spots in the dirt called&nbsp;“wallows.” I’ll bet those nice sandy “traps”&nbsp;could&nbsp;draw every turkey for miles around; sort of like a communal bath.&nbsp;I’d also bet every female turtle in the county comes there to lay her eggs in that nice deep sand. Wouldn’t it be a hoot to&nbsp;watch&nbsp;a golfer swingin’ away at turtle eggs thinkin’ they were his golf ball!

Much&nbsp;of the hilly terrain between holes was thick with sand hill plum bushes. I imagine the&nbsp;refined&nbsp;eye of any golf connoisseur saw&nbsp;this as garnish; part of the&nbsp;overall presentation. I saw it&nbsp;as a never-ending supply of plum jelly. And just think how many gallons of plums those guys could put in all the pockets in those golf bags they cart around.&nbsp;And what about sand hill plum wine? You talk about an additional revenue stream!&nbsp;Lots of those guys are drinking anyway, so why not open a small&nbsp;micro brewery there in the pro shop and they could be drinking home grown plum wine brewed&nbsp;right there at the golf course.

The miles of neatly groomed footpaths amidst the roughs looked to me like great&nbsp;spots for coyote traps.&nbsp;I know from talking with golf course employees that coyotes love to roam golf courses no matter where the course is. Heck,&nbsp;I’ll bet most courses would even loan me one of their neat little golf carts to&nbsp;buzz around and check traps, just to keep the occasional coyote from scaring the&nbsp;dickens out of patrons. The&nbsp;trees bordering the course screamed deer hunting to me, and I had a few good tree-stand locations picked out&nbsp;before we’d left. And I hadn’t even thought about&nbsp;the turkey hunting yet!&nbsp;​

Anyway, as out-of-place as I felt, I began&nbsp;to see that this game called golf has a lot of similarities to deer and turkey hunting. For example, we’d been advised to find choice seats and wait for the players to come to us.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;there we&nbsp;sat awaiting&nbsp;our “quarry,”&nbsp;on hunter green&nbsp;colored bleachers at&nbsp;the 17th&nbsp;hole, a spot where we could see action all around us.&nbsp;Not much&nbsp;different I’d say than puttin’up&nbsp;our camouflage hunting blind near a “hot” deer trail or a known turkey roost and marking time in anticipation of a good shot. Speaking of shots, when&nbsp;one of us makes a nice shot and harvests&nbsp;a deer or turkey for the freezer, there are high-fives and handshakes all around. Those&nbsp;guys too! When one of them made&nbsp;an exceptional “shot” he’d dance a jig, shake everyone’s hand and even tip&nbsp;his&nbsp;hat to the crowd. They even had&nbsp;guys who raised&nbsp;their hands to keep everyone quiet while they shoot. (Now there’s something my&nbsp;wife and I would both benefit from&nbsp;when we hunt together!) I must say&nbsp;though&nbsp;that their marksmanship left a lot to be desired. Those guys all shot 64 or 65 times each day, and I didn’t see one of them carrying any dead critters&nbsp;to show for it!&nbsp;

Yes, my&nbsp;playing golf at Prairie Dunes&nbsp;(now there’s a mental picture) would probably be worthy of a movie. We could call it something like “the Clampetts Join the Country Club.”&nbsp;I’d have to have a special custom-made golf bag&nbsp;with an extra pouch on each side; one to hold a deer rifle with a scope, and the other to hold a shotgun. I’m pretty sure I could get a fishing rod&nbsp;and traps&nbsp;in there somewhere amongst the clubs. I seriously doubt they would allow me into the clubhouse or proshop though dressed in full camo and smellin’ like coyote bait or deer pee.&nbsp;Although, now that I think about it, after playing 18 holes, some of the guys comin’ off the course might not smell much better.&nbsp;Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be&nbsp;contacted&nbsp;by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>The other day,&nbsp;we&nbsp;passed a golf course, and&nbsp;I&nbsp;was amazed at the number of golfers&nbsp;already out chasing&nbsp;that little white ball around on what amounts to be nothing more than a huge lawn. It’s always puzzled me how that game can be considered a good workout when the most exorcize most golfers get is dragging their overweight carcasses in and out of the golf cart. Anyway, it all reminded me of my first and only brush with the game of golf.&nbsp;Awhile back, in&nbsp;a valiant attempt&nbsp;to&nbsp;add a little culture to my otherwise mundane&nbsp;and culture-less&nbsp;existence, and to&nbsp;further stretch the boundaries of my comfort zone, (also known as&nbsp;free tickets) I attended&nbsp;a&nbsp;fairly&nbsp;major&nbsp;Golf Tournament&nbsp;at Prairie Dunes Country Club just outside of Hutchinson.&nbsp;Now understand, I&nbsp;don’t know a fairway from a flambé, or a bogey from a booger. To me, a driver is the person at the wheel of a&nbsp;vehicle, and&nbsp;putter is something we men do in lieu of something constructive. Yet&nbsp;there&nbsp;I was, reduced to&nbsp;being part of&nbsp;a gaggle of onlookers sittin’ in the hot sun&nbsp;called “the&nbsp;gallery.”&nbsp;Even though I tried my best to fit in,&nbsp;I’m pretty sure I looked at that&nbsp;entire experience slightly different than most other people there. Allow me&nbsp;to explain.&nbsp;Every golf course is littered with various sized&nbsp;pits of sand known as sand traps. When I looked at the sand traps all around us,&nbsp;all I could think&nbsp;was what swell little ponds they could be. Large mouth bass and those big hybrid bluegills would love nice sandy bottom pools like those.&nbsp;Wild turkeys take regular dust baths to help keep bugs out of their feathers, and in doing so they carve out bowl shaped spots in the dirt called&nbsp;“wallows.” I’ll bet those nice sandy “traps”&nbsp;could&nbsp;draw every turkey for miles around; sort of like a communal bath.&nbsp;I’d also bet every female turtle in the county comes there to lay her eggs in that nice deep sand. Wouldn’t it be a hoot to&nbsp;watch&nbsp;a golfer swingin’ away at turtle eggs thinkin’ they were his golf ball!Much&nbsp;of the hilly terrain between holes was thick with sand hill plum bushes. I imagine the&nbsp;refined&nbsp;eye of any golf connoisseur saw&nbsp;this as garnish; part of the&nbsp;overall presentation. I saw it&nbsp;as a never-ending supply of plum jelly. And just think how many gallons of plums those guys could put in all the pockets in those golf bags they cart around.&nbsp;And what about sand hill plum wine? You talk about an additional revenue stream!&nbsp;Lots of those guys are drinking anyway, so why not open a small&nbsp;micro brewery there in the pro shop and they could be drinking home grown plum wine brewed&nbsp;right there at the golf course.The miles of neatly groomed footpaths amidst the roughs looked to me like great&nbsp;spots for coyote traps.&nbsp;I know from talking with golf course employees that coyotes love to roam golf courses no matter where the course is. Heck,&nbsp;I’ll bet most courses would even loan me one of their neat little golf carts to&nbsp;buzz around and check traps, just to keep the occasional coyote from scaring the&nbsp;dickens out of patrons. The&nbsp;trees bordering the course screamed deer hunting to me, and I had a few good tree-stand locations picked out&nbsp;before we’d left. And I hadn’t even thought about&nbsp;the turkey hunting yet!&nbsp;​Anyway, as out-of-place as I felt, I began&nbsp;to see that this game called golf has a lot of similarities to deer and turkey hunting. For example, we’d been advised to find choice seats and wait for the players to come to us.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;there we&nbsp;sat awaiting&nbsp;our “quarry,”&nbsp;on hunter green&nbsp;colored bleachers at&nbsp;the 17th&nbsp;hole, a spot where we could see action all around us.&nbsp;Not much&nbsp;different I’d say than puttin’up&nbsp;our camouflage hunting blind near a “hot” deer trail or a known turkey roost and marking time in anticipation of a good shot. Speaking of shots, when&nbsp;one of us makes a nice shot and harvests&nbsp;a deer or turkey for the freezer, there are high-fives and handshakes all around. Those&nbsp;guys too! When one of them made&nbsp;an exceptional “shot” he’d dance a jig, shake everyone’s hand and even tip&nbsp;his&nbsp;hat to the crowd. They even had&nbsp;guys who raised&nbsp;their hands to keep everyone quiet while they shoot. (Now there’s something my&nbsp;wife and I would both benefit from&nbsp;when we hunt together!) I must say&nbsp;though&nbsp;that their marksmanship left a lot to be desired. Those guys all shot 64 or 65 times each day, and I didn’t see one of them carrying any dead critters&nbsp;to show for it!&nbsp;Yes, my&nbsp;playing golf at Prairie Dunes&nbsp;(now there’s a mental picture) would probably be worthy of a movie. We could call it something like “the Clampetts Join the Country Club.”&nbsp;I’d have to have a special custom-made golf bag&nbsp;with an extra pouch on each side; one to hold a deer rifle with a scope, and the other to hold a shotgun. I’m pretty sure I could get a fishing rod&nbsp;and traps&nbsp;in there somewhere amongst the clubs. I seriously doubt they would allow me into the clubhouse or proshop though dressed in full camo and smellin’ like coyote bait or deer pee.&nbsp;Although, now that I think about it, after playing 18 holes, some of the guys comin’ off the course might not smell much better.&nbsp;Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be&nbsp;contacted&nbsp;by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: Golf through the eyes of a hunter

I have always greatly appreciated the creative arts and am especially proud of the work our art and design department students produce. I am also a huge fan of all Fort Hays State sports.&nbsp;I’d like to share with you a story about an FHSU student who excels in two very different pursuits-volleyball and graphic design. While volleyball and graphic design have very little in common, both are pursuits where intense competition and open collaboration can be the keys to success. &nbsp;

Riley&nbsp;is a senior graphic design major from Basehor. At a relatively early age,&nbsp;Riley&nbsp;learned the importance of keeping life’s ups and downs in perspective. She’s learned the importance of finding&nbsp;a&nbsp;balance between all the demands on her time and attention.&nbsp;

Riley&nbsp;has always&nbsp;loved&nbsp;competing. She ran track and played basketball, softball, volleyball, and swam. While softball was her first love, she eventually gravitated to volleyball, joining a club team in 4th grade.

“I love the adrenaline rushes that are so much a part of volleyball. There are a lot of ups and downs, but I love that it is totally a team game,”&nbsp;Riley said.

As the years progressed, Riley began to settle on volleyball as her sports passion.&nbsp;Although she loved art, math was her academic area of greatest interest, that is, until her senior year of high school when she did a job shadow at a marketing agency called Global Prairie. Until stepping into their offices, Riley believed that a career in art would equate to a vow of poverty. Once she saw the possibilities of what a graphic designer could do in an agency, she knew that was what she wanted to study in college.

While&nbsp;Riley knew she wanted to study graphic design&nbsp;at&nbsp;Fort Hays State, she&nbsp;wasn’t willing to give up on the dream of playing college volleyball. She reached out to FHSU volleyball coach Jessica Wood-Atkins but was told there wasn’t a spot on the roster for her. Then, late in the recruitment cycle, one of&nbsp;coach Wood-Atkins’&nbsp;seniors decided to forgo her&nbsp;final&nbsp;season of eligibility and left the team.&nbsp;Fortune unexpectantly smiled on Riley&nbsp;as&nbsp;she&nbsp;got&nbsp;her shot as a walk-on with the Tigers.

A steady passer, an aggressive server, and a smart and disciplined hitter, Riley quickly found her way to the starting lineup&nbsp;in her sophomore season. Last season, Riley led the squad in both kills and service aces. She has been recognized several times for her performance on and off the court, earning the All&nbsp;Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) honorable mention honors in 2021 and 2022&nbsp;and&nbsp;the MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award and selection to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team in 2022.&nbsp;

Riley pours her heart and soul into Tiger Volleyball both during the fall NCAA season and in the spring, where the competition schedule is limited, but the training, weight-lifting, and conditioning regimes can be exhaustive.&nbsp;

“This is all I’ve ever done. I probably take things way too serious and too personally. I’m learning not to make it my identity when I do well or not,” Riley&nbsp;said.

When she’s not eating, sleeping, or fulfilling her volleyball responsibilities, Riley can usually be found in a studio&nbsp;with her classmates&nbsp;at the Schmidt&nbsp;Foundation&nbsp;Center for Art Design. When&nbsp;deciding&nbsp;to pursue graphic design,&nbsp;Riley&nbsp;was concerned that&nbsp;she wouldn’t&nbsp;fit in. Thankfully, she was wrong. Together,&nbsp;in the studio for countless hours, Riley and her fellow graphic design students quickly formed a strong bond.&nbsp;

“Sometimes, usually at around 2 am, when we’re all kind of exhausted and delusional, are the times when we make the best memories,” Riley&nbsp;said. &nbsp;

Each spring, junior and senior students in the graphic design program have&nbsp;the opportunity to participate in the Pencil Project&nbsp;portfolio&nbsp;competition. The competition is sponsored by Leo Burnett Worldwide, a Chicago-based advertising agency. The brainchild of former FHSU graphic design majors who found success&nbsp;working for&nbsp;the agency, the Pencil Project was created more than 25 years ago as a way for&nbsp;Leo Burnett&nbsp;to partner with FHSU to&nbsp;help shape future agency professionals.&nbsp;More than just a simple portfolio project, the Pencil Project is really about helping FHSU graphic design students develop the personal brand they will present to potential employers&nbsp;and the world. Riley calls it a test of everything she’s learned in the program.&nbsp;

As a junior&nbsp;last spring,&nbsp;Riley&nbsp;won the competition.&nbsp;She points to this&nbsp;experience&nbsp;as one that trulyhammered home the importance&nbsp;of&nbsp;each student designer’s role in&nbsp;maintaining the well-earned reputation of the graphic design program at FHSU.&nbsp;

“All of us knew that we were next in line to carry the torch for the legacy of our program,” Riley said,&nbsp;“maintaining that legacy was a shared responsibility,” and&nbsp;one that brought&nbsp;her and her colleagues&nbsp;closer.&nbsp;Even though&nbsp;the Pencil Project&nbsp;was an individual and not a team&nbsp;competition,&nbsp;Riley believes the best part was&nbsp;their shared commitment to collaboration. They really saw the greatest outcome&nbsp;was to see everyone succeed.&nbsp;

This summer, Riley plans to intern with several firms in the Kansas City area. She wants to learn as much as&nbsp;possible&nbsp;from these experiences so she can carefully choose the setting to launch her career. Riley will graduate in December of 2023, right after her final season with the Tiger Volleyball team&nbsp;comes to a close.&nbsp;In December of this year, she will graduate from FHSU with the ability to compete&nbsp;fiercely&nbsp;at the highest levels,&nbsp;but balanced by&nbsp;a personal commitment to being a compassionate and selfless&nbsp;friend and&nbsp;colleague.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575301942236.jpeg" alt="Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president</figcaption>
 </figure>I have always greatly appreciated the creative arts and am especially proud of the work our art and design department students produce. I am also a huge fan of all Fort Hays State sports.&nbsp;I’d like to share with you a story about an FHSU student who excels in two very different pursuits-volleyball and graphic design. While volleyball and graphic design have very little in common, both are pursuits where intense competition and open collaboration can be the keys to success. &nbsp;Riley&nbsp;is a senior graphic design major from Basehor. At a relatively early age,&nbsp;Riley&nbsp;learned the importance of keeping life’s ups and downs in perspective. She’s learned the importance of finding&nbsp;a&nbsp;balance between all the demands on her time and attention.&nbsp;Riley&nbsp;has always&nbsp;loved&nbsp;competing. She ran track and played basketball, softball, volleyball, and swam. While softball was her first love, she eventually gravitated to volleyball, joining a club team in 4th grade.“I love the adrenaline rushes that are so much a part of volleyball. There are a lot of ups and downs, but I love that it is totally a team game,”&nbsp;Riley said.As the years progressed, Riley began to settle on volleyball as her sports passion.&nbsp;Although she loved art, math was her academic area of greatest interest, that is, until her senior year of high school when she did a job shadow at a marketing agency called Global Prairie. Until stepping into their offices, Riley believed that a career in art would equate to a vow of poverty. Once she saw the possibilities of what a graphic designer could do in an agency, she knew that was what she wanted to study in college.While&nbsp;Riley knew she wanted to study graphic design&nbsp;at&nbsp;Fort Hays State, she&nbsp;wasn’t willing to give up on the dream of playing college volleyball. She reached out to FHSU volleyball coach Jessica Wood-Atkins but was told there wasn’t a spot on the roster for her. Then, late in the recruitment cycle, one of&nbsp;coach Wood-Atkins’&nbsp;seniors decided to forgo her&nbsp;final&nbsp;season of eligibility and left the team.&nbsp;Fortune unexpectantly smiled on Riley&nbsp;as&nbsp;she&nbsp;got&nbsp;her shot as a walk-on with the Tigers.A steady passer, an aggressive server, and a smart and disciplined hitter, Riley quickly found her way to the starting lineup&nbsp;in her sophomore season. Last season, Riley led the squad in both kills and service aces. She has been recognized several times for her performance on and off the court, earning the All&nbsp;Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) honorable mention honors in 2021 and 2022&nbsp;and&nbsp;the MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award and selection to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team in 2022.&nbsp;Riley pours her heart and soul into Tiger Volleyball both during the fall NCAA season and in the spring, where the competition schedule is limited, but the training, weight-lifting, and conditioning regimes can be exhaustive.&nbsp;“This is all I’ve ever done. I probably take things way too serious and too personally. I’m learning not to make it my identity when I do well or not,” Riley&nbsp;said.When she’s not eating, sleeping, or fulfilling her volleyball responsibilities, Riley can usually be found in a studio&nbsp;with her classmates&nbsp;at the Schmidt&nbsp;Foundation&nbsp;Center for Art Design. When&nbsp;deciding&nbsp;to pursue graphic design,&nbsp;Riley&nbsp;was concerned that&nbsp;she wouldn’t&nbsp;fit in. Thankfully, she was wrong. Together,&nbsp;in the studio for countless hours, Riley and her fellow graphic design students quickly formed a strong bond.&nbsp;“Sometimes, usually at around 2 am, when we’re all kind of exhausted and delusional, are the times when we make the best memories,” Riley&nbsp;said. &nbsp;Each spring, junior and senior students in the graphic design program have&nbsp;the opportunity to participate in the Pencil Project&nbsp;portfolio&nbsp;competition. The competition is sponsored by Leo Burnett Worldwide, a Chicago-based advertising agency. The brainchild of former FHSU graphic design majors who found success&nbsp;working for&nbsp;the agency, the Pencil Project was created more than 25 years ago as a way for&nbsp;Leo Burnett&nbsp;to partner with FHSU to&nbsp;help shape future agency professionals.&nbsp;More than just a simple portfolio project, the Pencil Project is really about helping FHSU graphic design students develop the personal brand they will present to potential employers&nbsp;and the world. Riley calls it a test of everything she’s learned in the program.&nbsp;As a junior&nbsp;last spring,&nbsp;Riley&nbsp;won the competition.&nbsp;She points to this&nbsp;experience&nbsp;as one that trulyhammered home the importance&nbsp;of&nbsp;each student designer’s role in&nbsp;maintaining the well-earned reputation of the graphic design program at FHSU.&nbsp;“All of us knew that we were next in line to carry the torch for the legacy of our program,” Riley said,&nbsp;“maintaining that legacy was a shared responsibility,” and&nbsp;one that brought&nbsp;her and her colleagues&nbsp;closer.&nbsp;Even though&nbsp;the Pencil Project&nbsp;was an individual and not a team&nbsp;competition,&nbsp;Riley believes the best part was&nbsp;their shared commitment to collaboration. They really saw the greatest outcome&nbsp;was to see everyone succeed.&nbsp;This summer, Riley plans to intern with several firms in the Kansas City area. She wants to learn as much as&nbsp;possible&nbsp;from these experiences so she can carefully choose the setting to launch her career. Riley will graduate in December of 2023, right after her final season with the Tiger Volleyball team&nbsp;comes to a close.&nbsp;In December of this year, she will graduate from FHSU with the ability to compete&nbsp;fiercely&nbsp;at the highest levels,&nbsp;but balanced by&nbsp;a personal commitment to being a compassionate and selfless&nbsp;friend and&nbsp;colleague.

Heart of a Tiger: The value of competition and collaboration 

By GREG DOERING Kansas Farm Bureau Perhaps the biggest pastime in spring is watching the weather. I could be just searching for a nice Saturday to visit a park or checking to see if I need to carry an umbrella to the office. For farmers and ranchers, however, spring weather is high stakes and full of questions. Will there be enough rain to awaken the wheat crop and carry it through to maturity? If there is, will it be too much to prevent planting corn and soybeans? Will there be enough moisture to grow enough grass for cattle to graze? Unfortunately for more than three quarters of the state right now, the biggest question is when will the drought break? The northeast corner is the only portion of Kansas not experiencing a moisture deficiency currently. More than 40 counties are wholly or in part in an exceptional drought according to the most recent report. Most natural disasters are quick, but a drought is an open-ended catastrophe that grinds on day after day. Pictures and video do little to convey the effects the absence of water has on those who live through it. At least with a tornado or flood, you can start picking up the pieces relatively quickly. With a drought, you’re just left to endure until the rains return. We’re moving into the height of severe weather season in Kansas. Thanks to the drought, fire is also a potential hazard in addition to the usual thunderstorms and tornadoes. While we can’t prevent severe weather outbreaks, there’s plenty of steps to take in advance to be prepared. It starts with developing a good plan while hoping you never need to implement it. This can be as simple as a space in a basement with some bottled water, a battery-operated radio and some flashlights or candles for storms capable of producing tornados. Now’s a good time to check those batteries if they’ve been sitting in a stockpile for a while. For those who don’t have a basement, a windowless room is the next safest place to ride out a storm. If you’re outside, find a low-lying area, preferably away from trees, to lie flat and cover your head with your arms. In the event of a flashflood, immediately move to higher ground and don’t drive through flooded roadways. The current is capable of carrying away a vehicle, plus there’s all kinds of potential dangers obscured by the water. The second step is to be aware of current forecasts and know when there’s potential for severe weather in your area. The National Weather Service has a good track record of predicting when weather systems can go from normal to life threatening. A “watch” means conditions are favorable for severe weather to develop. It’s a reminder to be alert for worsening conditions. A “warning” is the signal to implement you plan as quickly as possible. If watching the weather isn’t already part of your spring routine, now’s a good time to add it to your to-do list so you’re prepared to act if it becomes necessary. "Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574694551876.png" alt="Greg Doering&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Greg Doering&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By GREG DOERING Kansas Farm Bureau Perhaps the biggest pastime in spring is watching the weather. I could be just searching for a nice Saturday to visit a park or checking to see if I need to carry an umbrella to the office. For farmers and ranchers, however, spring weather is high stakes and full of questions. Will there be enough rain to awaken the wheat crop and carry it through to maturity? If there is, will it be too much to prevent planting corn and soybeans? Will there be enough moisture to grow enough grass for cattle to graze? Unfortunately for more than three quarters of the state right now, the biggest question is when will the drought break? The northeast corner is the only portion of Kansas not experiencing a moisture deficiency currently. More than 40 counties are wholly or in part in an exceptional drought according to the most recent report. Most natural disasters are quick, but a drought is an open-ended catastrophe that grinds on day after day. Pictures and video do little to convey the effects the absence of water has on those who live through it. At least with a tornado or flood, you can start picking up the pieces relatively quickly. With a drought, you’re just left to endure until the rains return. We’re moving into the height of severe weather season in Kansas. Thanks to the drought, fire is also a potential hazard in addition to the usual thunderstorms and tornadoes. While we can’t prevent severe weather outbreaks, there’s plenty of steps to take in advance to be prepared. It starts with developing a good plan while hoping you never need to implement it. This can be as simple as a space in a basement with some bottled water, a battery-operated radio and some flashlights or candles for storms capable of producing tornados. Now’s a good time to check those batteries if they’ve been sitting in a stockpile for a while. For those who don’t have a basement, a windowless room is the next safest place to ride out a storm. If you’re outside, find a low-lying area, preferably away from trees, to lie flat and cover your head with your arms. In the event of a flashflood, immediately move to higher ground and don’t drive through flooded roadways. The current is capable of carrying away a vehicle, plus there’s all kinds of potential dangers obscured by the water. The second step is to be aware of current forecasts and know when there’s potential for severe weather in your area. The National Weather Service has a good track record of predicting when weather systems can go from normal to life threatening. A “watch” means conditions are favorable for severe weather to develop. It’s a reminder to be alert for worsening conditions. A “warning” is the signal to implement you plan as quickly as possible. If watching the weather isn’t already part of your spring routine, now’s a good time to add it to your to-do list so you’re prepared to act if it becomes necessary. "Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: Weather watching

March 27, 2023 Hello from Topeka.

A big thank you to all who came to the town halls we had throughout the district; great attendance and lots of issues were discussed. Glad to have State Senators Billinger and Bowers&nbsp;and State Representative Barb Wasinger at some of the stops. 

We are in the final two weeks before First&nbsp;Adjournment of the session. There are many things that we will vote on and some that did not make the&nbsp;cut, so they may be attempted next year.

Here are a few of the things that happened:

Comprehensive Tax Package - The House Tax Committee has spent months putting together a taxation&nbsp;package. Kansans in every corner of the state made their voices heard, and we listened. This taxation&nbsp;package is responsible, sustainable, and will not raise taxes on ANY Kansans.

Income Tax - This plan brings about a single-rate income tax of 5.25%. Establish a single-rate tax assists&nbsp;in keeping things simple as our state grows and adjustments are made, while making Kansas competitive&nbsp;with our neighbors. The Republican income tax plan focuses most relief on low-income Kansans, raising&nbsp;the starting point before taxes kick in by more than $4,000 for individuals and $7,300 for married filers.

The standard deduction for individuals is brought to $4,000, a number that will increase with inflation to&nbsp;provide flexibility in economic turmoil. This package accelerates reductions to taxes paid by businesses&nbsp;as they stay in Kansas. This helps us retain mature and loyal businesses who want to stay in Kansas. 

The&nbsp;Social Security Income Tax cliff has been great concern to many of our state’s retirees. This package&nbsp;eliminates that cliff and smooths out the tax rate when earning over $100,000 in Social Security income.&nbsp;This relief is much-needed for Kansas retirees. 

Property Taxes - The residential property tax deduction is increased from $40,000 to $65,000, placing&nbsp;about $60 million in tax relief directly to homeowners.

Sales Tax - This bill brings the elimination of sales tax on groceries to July 1st of this year, saving the&nbsp;average family hundreds of dollars that they would have previously had to wait much longer to see. The&nbsp;Senate has their own version of tax relief so we are a few steps away before something is finalized.&nbsp;

Education Budget - House Republicans have fully and constitutionally funded K-12 education again this year to the tune of $6.4 billion, $4.2 billion of which comes from state general funds. We fully support&nbsp;our K-12 schools and educators and are committed to providing them with the resources they need to&nbsp;be successful. SB 113 also allows students enrolled in nonpublic schools or home school programs to&nbsp;compete in KSHSAA activities. This increases competition and expands the opportunity to join peers in&nbsp;athletics and other activities to more students across Kansas. Additionally, parents will now be able to&nbsp;access a portal on district websites so they can view curricula for the year, increasing transparency and&nbsp;providing a resource to parents who want to reinforce schoolwork at home. SB 113 does not include&nbsp;special education funding.

Much like tax bills, education is not finished yet; there will still be&nbsp;negotiations with the Senate and we will have to see if the Governor vetoes these measures if they are&nbsp;agreed to by the legislative branch. 

ESG -&nbsp;The weaponization of ESG policies that we have seen seeks to eliminate the free market by neglecting&nbsp;fiduciary duty to investors. With HB 2436, House Republicans are taking care of the issue now, returning&nbsp;our investments to a free-market strategy that does not play games with the money we are responsible&nbsp;for. This bill has been carefully crafted over the course of many months to minimize any unintended&nbsp;consequences. The goal is simple: ensure that fiduciary responsibility takes precedence over ideological&nbsp;credit scores when making investments with state dollars.

Here’s what we have accomplished with HB&nbsp;2436: Proxy Voting:&nbsp;Now, we will use proxy voting organizations that do not follow ESG criteria, making&nbsp;sure that state-controlled money will not be used by investment firms to push their agenda upon&nbsp;companies.

Investments: There’s roughly $30 billion managed by our pension and pooled money&nbsp;boards. HB 2436 will make sure that money is not invested based on political ESG criteria, but with the&nbsp;goal of the greatest returns for Kansans.

Contracts: ESG will no longer be permitted as criteria for&nbsp;selection when the state is determining contracts. This affects all contracts, not just those with financial&nbsp;institutions.

Teacher Interstate Mobility Compact -&nbsp;Teacher shortages are impacting districts across Kansas and&nbsp;House Republicans are determined to tackle the issue from multiple angles. One solution we are&nbsp;discussing is SB 66, which creates a compact that assists in the mobility of teachers across member&nbsp;states. By streamlining licensure reciprocity, we can welcome new teachers from other states that we&nbsp;know are strong, well-qualified candidates to educate Kansas kids.

You can read about all the bills that passed or could be considered in either chamber by going online to&nbsp;<a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/">kslegislature.org</a>&nbsp;and when the house and senate are on the floor or in committees you can see all of them on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_0NO-Pb96CFABvxDwXAq8A">Kansas Legislature’s YouTube channel</a>. I am located at 186-W, which is the northwest corner of the capital. When you call my assistant, Terry Benitis will answer you call and help you with you matter. If you would like to contact me, email is:&nbsp;ken.rahjes@house.ks.gov, phone during the session (785) 296-7463 or you can always try my cell number at (785) 302-8416.

Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, is the Kansas state representative of the 110th Dist. which includes:&nbsp;

* Graham, Norton, Phillips and Rooks Counties * Ellis County: Cities: Catharine, Ellis, Munjor and Schoenchen Townships: Big Creek (part), Buckeye, Catherine, Ellis, Freedom, Herzog (part), Lookout, Victoria (part) and Wheatland

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678110420754.jpeg" alt="Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, 110th Dist. (Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, 110th Dist. (Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post)</figcaption>
 </figure>March 27, 2023 Hello from Topeka. A big thank you to all who came to the town halls we had throughout the district; great attendance and lots of issues were discussed. Glad to have State Senators Billinger and Bowers&nbsp;and State Representative Barb Wasinger at some of the stops. We are in the final two weeks before First&nbsp;Adjournment of the session. There are many things that we will vote on and some that did not make the&nbsp;cut, so they may be attempted next year.Here are a few of the things that happened: Comprehensive Tax Package - The House Tax Committee has spent months putting together a taxation&nbsp;package. Kansans in every corner of the state made their voices heard, and we listened. This taxation&nbsp;package is responsible, sustainable, and will not raise taxes on ANY Kansans.&nbsp;Here are some highlights:&nbsp;Income Tax - This plan brings about a single-rate income tax of 5.25%. Establish a single-rate tax assists&nbsp;in keeping things simple as our state grows and adjustments are made, while making Kansas competitive&nbsp;with our neighbors. The Republican income tax plan focuses most relief on low-income Kansans, raising&nbsp;the starting point before taxes kick in by more than $4,000 for individuals and $7,300 for married filers. The standard deduction for individuals is brought to $4,000, a number that will increase with inflation to&nbsp;provide flexibility in economic turmoil. This package accelerates reductions to taxes paid by businesses&nbsp;as they stay in Kansas. This helps us retain mature and loyal businesses who want to stay in Kansas. The&nbsp;Social Security Income Tax cliff has been great concern to many of our state’s retirees. This package&nbsp;eliminates that cliff and smooths out the tax rate when earning over $100,000 in Social Security income.&nbsp;This relief is much-needed for Kansas retirees. Property Taxes - The residential property tax deduction is increased from $40,000 to $65,000, placing&nbsp;about $60 million in tax relief directly to homeowners.Sales Tax - This bill brings the elimination of sales tax on groceries to July 1st of this year, saving the&nbsp;average family hundreds of dollars that they would have previously had to wait much longer to see. The&nbsp;Senate has their own version of tax relief so we are a few steps away before something is finalized.&nbsp;Other issues:&nbsp;Education Budget - House Republicans have fully and constitutionally funded K-12 education again this year to the tune of $6.4 billion, $4.2 billion of which comes from state general funds. We fully support&nbsp;our K-12 schools and educators and are committed to providing them with the resources they need to&nbsp;be successful. SB 113 also allows students enrolled in nonpublic schools or home school programs to&nbsp;compete in KSHSAA activities. This increases competition and expands the opportunity to join peers in&nbsp;athletics and other activities to more students across Kansas. Additionally, parents will now be able to&nbsp;access a portal on district websites so they can view curricula for the year, increasing transparency and&nbsp;providing a resource to parents who want to reinforce schoolwork at home. SB 113 does not include&nbsp;special education funding. Much like tax bills, education is not finished yet; there will still be&nbsp;negotiations with the Senate and we will have to see if the Governor vetoes these measures if they are&nbsp;agreed to by the legislative branch. ESG -&nbsp;The weaponization of ESG policies that we have seen seeks to eliminate the free market by neglecting&nbsp;fiduciary duty to investors. With HB 2436, House Republicans are taking care of the issue now, returning&nbsp;our investments to a free-market strategy that does not play games with the money we are responsible&nbsp;for. This bill has been carefully crafted over the course of many months to minimize any unintended&nbsp;consequences. The goal is simple: ensure that fiduciary responsibility takes precedence over ideological&nbsp;credit scores when making investments with state dollars.Here’s what we have accomplished with HB&nbsp;2436: Proxy Voting:&nbsp;Now, we will use proxy voting organizations that do not follow ESG criteria, making&nbsp;sure that state-controlled money will not be used by investment firms to push their agenda upon&nbsp;companies. Investments: There’s roughly $30 billion managed by our pension and pooled money&nbsp;boards. HB 2436 will make sure that money is not invested based on political ESG criteria, but with the&nbsp;goal of the greatest returns for Kansans.Contracts: ESG will no longer be permitted as criteria for&nbsp;selection when the state is determining contracts. This affects all contracts, not just those with financial&nbsp;institutions.Teacher Interstate Mobility Compact -&nbsp;Teacher shortages are impacting districts across Kansas and&nbsp;House Republicans are determined to tackle the issue from multiple angles. One solution we are&nbsp;discussing is SB 66, which creates a compact that assists in the mobility of teachers across member&nbsp;states. By streamlining licensure reciprocity, we can welcome new teachers from other states that we&nbsp;know are strong, well-qualified candidates to educate Kansas kids.You can read about all the bills that passed or could be considered in either chamber by going online to&nbsp;<a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/">kslegislature.org</a>&nbsp;and when the house and senate are on the floor or in committees you can see all of them on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_0NO-Pb96CFABvxDwXAq8A">Kansas Legislature’s YouTube channel</a>. I am located at 186-W, which is the northwest corner of the capital. When you call my assistant, Terry Benitis will answer you call and help you with you matter. If you would like to contact me, email is:&nbsp;ken.rahjes@house.ks.gov, phone during the session (785) 296-7463 or you can always try my cell number at (785) 302-8416.Thanks for reading. It is my honor to serve you.Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, is the Kansas state representative of the 110th Dist. which includes:&nbsp;* Graham, Norton, Phillips and Rooks Counties * Ellis County: Cities: Catharine, Ellis, Munjor and Schoenchen Townships: Big Creek (part), Buckeye, Catherine, Ellis, Freedom, Herzog (part), Lookout, Victoria (part) and Wheatland&nbsp;

RAHJES REPORT: March 27, 2023

2023 SENATE SCENE WEEK 11 March 27, 2023

SENATE HIGHLIGHTS - WEEKLY OVERVIEW

This week the Senate concluded committee meetings; there are a total of 16 standing committees in the Senate.  Monday will start a three-day week to complete the regular part of the 2023 legislative session.  After the conclusion of the regular session with conference committee action the next week, the legislature is scheduled to take a two-week break before returning for the veto session to wrap up in late April.  

The Kansas Senate on Thursday confirmed three appointments recommended by the Governor - Kansas Air National Guard Commander: Jason Knobbe; Department of Administration Secretary: Adam Proffitt; and, the Kansas Historical Society Executive Director: Patrick Zollner.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb155/">SB 155 </a> – 2023 SENATE BUDGET&nbsp;

The budget vote is the first step of many in the annual budget process with the Ways &amp; Means Committee delaying action on several items to be reviewed at conference and some at omnibus.  The final budget will include appropriated monies for the final tax plans that are adopted as well as any new expenditures that may be passed, such as a presidential primary. One item of note that the committee delayed for review at omnibus, is an additional pay increase for state employees on top of the 5% that was passed last year. There is significant support for this item to ensure we’re taking care of our state employees, particularly with persistent inflation and costs of living, so it remains a viable point of discussion.  An amendment was added making a cut to agencies NOT INCLUDING health, safety, or K-12 education by just 3.25% to save $97 million. Another amendment was added transferring $1.8 million from idle funds (meaning they are currently unused) in the Department of Corrections to help bring the pay for Targeted Case Managers for those with Intellectual Development Disabilities to $75/hour.  The budget passed by a vote of 23-12.  I voted yes.  

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2344/">HB 2344</a> - Establishing child care licensing requirements relating to license capacity and staff-to-child ratios, eliminating certain license fees and training requirements, creating a process for day care&nbsp;facility licensees to apply for temporary waiver of certain statutory requirements and authorizing the secretary to develop and operate pilot programs to increase child care facility availability or capacity. HB 2344 passed 21-17. I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/scr1607/">SCR 1607</a> - Convention of States - serves as Kansas’ application to Congress, under the provisions of Article V of the U.S. Constitution, for the purpose of calling a convention of the states. The convention would be limited to proposing amendments to the U.S. Constitution that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for members of Congress and officials. SCR 1607 did win a majority support in the Senate, but the Kansas Constitution requires Article V matters to be approved by 2/3 of each chamber of the legislature. SCR 1607 was declared failed 22-16, as a result of two-thirds majority provision under the Kansas Constitution. I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2197/">HB 2197</a> would amend provisions in the First-time Home Buyer Savings Account Act to clarify the process for the designation and determination of an account holder’s payable on death beneficiary. The bill would also enact law supplemental to the Act to authorize the State Treasurer to market the First-time Home Buyers Savings Account Program to account holders and financial institutions. HB 2187 passed 36-1. I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2262/">HB 2262</a> would amend the educational requirements for embalmers, allowing for students to complete 6 months of a required 12-month apprenticeship before enrolling in a mortuary science school. HB 2262 passed 38-0. I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2332/">HB 2332</a> would update the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) statutes to reflect Executive Reorganization Order (ERO) No. 48 that became effective on July 1, 2021. ERO No. 48 transferred the Division of Tourism and the Office of the Director of Tourism from KDWP to the Department of Commerce. The bill would also make technical amendments. HB 2332 passed 38-0. I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2015/">HB 2015</a> would authorize the designee of an employing agency or entity to petition the court for an order requiring infectious disease testing, requiring such petition to contain a physician's statement that the test results sought are required for the exposed employee's medical treatment. HB 2015 passed 33-5. I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2020/">HB 2020</a> would add to employment-related law that a requirement for or use of a motor carrier safety improvement will not affect or change the worker status of a driver. HB 2020 passed 35-1. I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2065/">HB 2065</a> would modify law governing name changes during a divorce to allow the court to change a spouse’s name to a name other than the spouse’s former name at the request of the spouse and to give the court jurisdiction to make such a change at or after the time the decree of divorce becomes final. HB 2065 passed 36-2. I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2089/">HB 2089</a> would modify requirements for reporting individuals who solicit memberships on behalf of prepaid service plans from semi-annually to annually. The bill would also discontinue payment of annual registration fees. HB 2089 passed 36-2. I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2090/">HB 2090</a> would amend provisions in the Uniform Insurance Agents Licensure Act and the Public Adjusters Licensing Act to allow the Commissioner of Insurance to set fees in an amount lower than the maximum amount of the fees established in law. The bill would also amend fingerprinting criteria for resident agents. HB 2090 passed 36-2. I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/supp_note_hb2042_02_0000.pdf">HB 2042</a> would add self-storage unit operators to the list of persons who may direct the towing of a vehicle and permit the operators to have motor vehicles, trailers, and watercraft towed when the occupant of the storage space is in default for a period of 60 days. HB 2042 passed 38-0. I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2092/">HB 2092</a> would change the boundaries of member districts for the Washburn University board of regents appointees, from describing them using Topeka’s Senate districts to groupings of city council districts: The bill also would make technical amendments to reflect this change and clarify phrasing. HB 2092 passed 38-0. I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2093/">HB 2093</a> would establish the Group-funded Pools Refund Fund and amend and repeal law to eliminate assessments paid by municipal group-funded liability pools and group-funded workers’ compensation pools in order to refund existing balances in two associated fee funds and wind down such funds. HB 2093 passed 38-0. I voted yes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644853578448.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, 36th Dist." />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, 36th Dist.</figcaption>
 </figure>2023 SENATE SCENE WEEK 11 March 27, 2023SENATE HIGHLIGHTS - WEEKLY OVERVIEWThis week the Senate concluded committee meetings; there are a total of 16 standing committees in the Senate. Monday will start a three-day week to complete the regular part of the 2023 legislative session. After the conclusion of the regular session with conference committee action the next week, the legislature is scheduled to take a two-week break before returning for the veto session to wrap up in late April. SENATE CONFIRMATIONThe Kansas Senate on Thursday confirmed three appointments recommended by the Governor - Kansas Air National Guard Commander: Jason Knobbe; Department of Administration Secretary: Adam Proffitt; and, the Kansas Historical Society Executive Director: Patrick Zollner.SENATE FLOOR ACTION<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb155/">SB 155 </a> – 2023 SENATE BUDGET&nbsp;The budget vote is the first step of many in the annual budget process with the Ways &amp; Means Committee delaying action on several items to be reviewed at conference and some at omnibus. The final budget will include appropriated monies for the final tax plans that are adopted as well as any new expenditures that may be passed, such as a presidential primary. One item of note that the committee delayed for review at omnibus, is an additional pay increase for state employees on top of the 5% that was passed last year. There is significant support for this item to ensure we’re taking care of our state employees, particularly with persistent inflation and costs of living, so it remains a viable point of discussion. An amendment was added making a cut to agencies NOT INCLUDING health, safety, or K-12 education by just 3.25% to save $97 million. Another amendment was added transferring $1.8 million from idle funds (meaning they are currently unused) in the Department of Corrections to help bring the pay for Targeted Case Managers for those with Intellectual Development Disabilities to $75/hour. The budget passed by a vote of 23-12. I voted yes. <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2344/">HB 2344</a> - Establishing child care licensing requirements relating to license capacity and staff-to-child ratios, eliminating certain license fees and training requirements, creating a process for day care&nbsp;facility licensees to apply for temporary waiver of certain statutory requirements and authorizing the secretary to develop and operate pilot programs to increase child care facility availability or capacity. HB 2344 passed 21-17. I voted yes.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/scr1607/">SCR 1607</a> - Convention of States - serves as Kansas’ application to Congress, under the provisions of Article V of the U.S. Constitution, for the purpose of calling a convention of the states. The convention would be limited to proposing amendments to the U.S. Constitution that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for members of Congress and officials. SCR 1607 did win a majority support in the Senate, but the Kansas Constitution requires Article V matters to be approved by 2/3 of each chamber of the legislature. SCR 1607 was declared failed 22-16, as a result of two-thirds majority provision under the Kansas Constitution. I voted yes. <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2197/">HB 2197</a> would amend provisions in the First-time Home Buyer Savings Account Act to clarify the process for the designation and determination of an account holder’s payable on death beneficiary. The bill would also enact law supplemental to the Act to authorize the State Treasurer to market the First-time Home Buyers Savings Account Program to account holders and financial institutions. HB 2187 passed 36-1. I voted yes.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2262/">HB 2262</a> would amend the educational requirements for embalmers, allowing for students to complete 6 months of a required 12-month apprenticeship before enrolling in a mortuary science school. HB 2262 passed 38-0. I voted yes.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2332/">HB 2332</a> would update the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) statutes to reflect Executive Reorganization Order (ERO) No. 48 that became effective on July 1, 2021. ERO No. 48 transferred the Division of Tourism and the Office of the Director of Tourism from KDWP to the Department of Commerce. The bill would also make technical amendments. HB 2332 passed 38-0. I voted yes. <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2015/">HB 2015</a> would authorize the designee of an employing agency or entity to petition the court for an order requiring infectious disease testing, requiring such petition to contain a physician's statement that the test results sought are required for the exposed employee's medical treatment. HB 2015 passed 33-5. I voted yes.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2020/">HB 2020</a> would add to employment-related law that a requirement for or use of a motor carrier safety improvement will not affect or change the worker status of a driver. HB 2020 passed 35-1. I voted yes. <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2065/">HB 2065</a> would modify law governing name changes during a divorce to allow the court to change a spouse’s name to a name other than the spouse’s former name at the request of the spouse and to give the court jurisdiction to make such a change at or after the time the decree of divorce becomes final. HB 2065 passed 36-2. I voted yes.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2089/">HB 2089</a> would modify requirements for reporting individuals who solicit memberships on behalf of prepaid service plans from semi-annually to annually. The bill would also discontinue payment of annual registration fees. HB 2089 passed 36-2. I voted yes. <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2090/">HB 2090</a> would amend provisions in the Uniform Insurance Agents Licensure Act and the Public Adjusters Licensing Act to allow the Commissioner of Insurance to set fees in an amount lower than the maximum amount of the fees established in law. The bill would also amend fingerprinting criteria for resident agents. HB 2090 passed 36-2. I voted yes.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/supp_note_hb2042_02_0000.pdf">HB 2042</a> would add self-storage unit operators to the list of persons who may direct the towing of a vehicle and permit the operators to have motor vehicles, trailers, and watercraft towed when the occupant of the storage space is in default for a period of 60 days. HB 2042 passed 38-0. I voted yes.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2092/">HB 2092</a> would change the boundaries of member districts for the Washburn University board of regents appointees, from describing them using Topeka’s Senate districts to groupings of city council districts: The bill also would make technical amendments to reflect this change and clarify phrasing. HB 2092 passed 38-0. I voted yes.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2093/">HB 2093</a> would establish the Group-funded Pools Refund Fund and amend and repeal law to eliminate assessments paid by municipal group-funded liability pools and group-funded workers’ compensation pools in order to refund existing balances in two associated fee funds and wind down such funds. HB 2093 passed 38-0. I voted yes.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2094/">HB 2094</a> would amend law relating to the financial documentation demonstrating fiscal soundness that must be submitted by a health maintenance organization or a Medicare provider organization when applying for a certificate of authority to provide health care in the state. HB&nbsp;2094 passed 38-0. I voted yes.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2130/">HB 2130</a> would amend law in the Kansas Probate Code concerning certain dollar amount limits and thresholds referenced in the Code, transfer-on-death deeds, and publication of notice of probate hearings and sales of probate real estate. HB 2130 passed 38-0. I voted yes.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2131/">HB 2131 </a>would provide that the mission of the Kansas Judicial Council is to study the administration of justice in Kansas and make recommendations for improvements therefor. HB&nbsp;2131 passed 38-0. I voted yes.Full texts of the bills and supplemental notes as well as the Final Action vote on these measures can be found at <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/">www.kslegislature.org</a>.SAVING FOR COLLEGE: The new 529-to-Roth IRA transfer rule. From the <a href="https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2023/mar/saving-college-new-529-to-roth-irs-transfer-rule.html">Journal of Accountancy</a>: The most common argument against starting Sec. 529 college savings programs (529 plans) for young children is the uncertainty surrounding whether the child will even attend college and, if they do, whether they will need the funds in the event of qualifying for scholarships or other financial aid. Section 126 of the recently passed SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, P.L. 117-328) alleviates some of this concern by introducing a special rule allowing distributions from 529 plans to Roth IRAs. This essentially allows unused college savings to be transferred to a beneficiary's retirement savings without taxes or penalties. The new distribution rule takes effect in 2024.THANK YOU FOR ENGAGINGThank you for all of your calls, emails, and letters regarding your thoughts and concerns about happenings in Kansas.&nbsp; I always encourage you to stay informed of the issues under consideration by the Kansas Legislature. Committee schedules, bills, and other helpful information can be easily accessed through the legislature’s website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/" target="_blank">www.kslegislature.org</a>.&nbsp; You are also able to ‘listen in live’ at this website.&nbsp; Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and suggestions.&nbsp; An email is the best at this point in the session.Thank you for the honor of serving you!Senator Elaine Bowers Kansas State Capitol Building Room 223-E 300 SW 10th St. Topeka, KS 66612 <a href="mailto:elaine.bowers@senate.ks.gov" target="_blank">elaine.bowers@senate.ks.gov</a> 785-296-7389 <a href="https://elainebowers.com/" target="_blank">https://elainebowers.com/</a> <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/">www.kslegislature.org</a> Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, is senator of the 36th District in Kansas, which includes:* Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, Ottawa, Republic, Rooks, Russell, Smith and Washington Counties * Marshall County: Cities: Blue Rapids, Marysville, Oketo and Waterville; Townships: Blue Rapids, Blue Rapids City, Cottage Hill, Elm Creek, Herkimer, Logan, Marysville, Oketo, Walnut and Waterville * Phillips County: Cities: Agra, Glade, Kirwin and Phillipsburg; Townships: Arcade, Bow Creek, Crystal Deer Creek, Freedom, Glenwood, Greenwood, Kirwin, Phillipsburg, Plum, Rushville, Solomon(part), Sumner, Valley and Walnut

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