Kansas legislative session winding down

At the time I began this writing it is noon on Wednesday. I am sitting in my office waiting to caucus and go back on the floor in hopes of wrapping up the 2008 legislative session.

We are waiting on the House to finish a few bills so we can begin debate the omnibus bill as well as any other bills that could potentially surface that are on life support, if revived. Today is the 90th day of the session and it is time for us to go home. I am hopeful that by the time you are reading this update, we will be home.

Overall ,this has been a very successful year for South Central Kansas. Investments were renewed for aviation research at the National Institution for Aviation Research.

Because of this technology and research, we are positioning to move into a new dimension of taking composite materials and technology into the medical field.

After decades of using metals to replace joints we have the ability to use lightweight composites, making movement much easier for individuals. Because of the investments we have made, we have become the composite cluster of the United States. The net effect means more jobs for our region.

In the last update I shared with you the impact the investment of the new Cessna Columbus line will have on our work force. In addition, every dollar invested in this project will return $2.14 to the state.

In order to fund needed human services, we need to make these kind of investments.

Another investment in the last week was funding for the Wichita Center for Graduate Medical Education. This funding was included in SB 81, the Health Care Reform Act of 2008 and is the beginning of health care reform that will affect all Kansans.

This measure establishes the Physician Workforce and Accreditation Task Force and appropriates moneys for WCGME, a program that provides physicians to serve in medically underserved areas, particularly in rural areas. Possibly the largest provision of this bill authorizes the Kansas Children’s Health Insurance Program to provide coverage for an estimated additional 5,000 to 8,000 Kansas children living in households with a gross income under 225 percent of the federal poverty level initially, and eventually moving to under 250 percent of the federal poverty level in 2010.

To provide this care for children, SB 81 supplements federal dollars from the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, with state dollars to get maximum efficiency for money spent. SB 81 also requires insurance companies to offer to individuals who are self-employed or who work for employers who are not providing health insurance, a Federal Section 125 Plan which will exempt the costs of health insurance from both federal and state taxes. The measure passed the Senate 34-1.

It is now Thursday morning, and with the exception of sine-die, the 2008 session came to a close last night sometime after 9:00 pm. One of the final bills and most contentious was HB 2946 Omnibus Appropriations Bill: Being cost conscious in the face of a recession, Senate Republicans took the lead in crafting a financially responsible budget for FY 2008 and 2009.

The omnibus bill increases FY 2008 state general fund expenditures by $14.8 million net from the mega-bill. In crafting this budget, senators were able to fully fund Social and Rehabilitation Services case loads, provide an increase for home and community based services, allow for the expansion of the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy, and pay for a $300 bonus for all KPERS retirees with at least ten years of service and retired on or before July 1, 1998. The measure passed the Senate 23-11.

Another bill, SB 414, known as the Stalking Bill, brought about legislation that would tighten state law to protect victims of stalking. This legislation was motivated by the stalking and murder of Jodi Sanderholm in Arkansas City last year. Basically, the bill provides that a person served with a protective order or a person who engaged in stalking after having been advised against the stalking activities by uniformed law enforcement officers, will be presumed to have acted intentionally. The measure passed the Senate 40-0.

Again thank you for all your input into this important process. Since not all Kansans share the same opinion, we work hard to balance the needs of a diverse constituency. Your information is invaluable to the process.

In my next update, I hope to announce a web site I am working on that you will be able to access to receive more state information that affects our district, region and state. On this Web site you will also be able to sign up for my e-news letter. I want to be able to keep you posted of current events throughout the year. Sincere thanks for all your support.

Sen. Carolyn McGinn represents the 31st District in the Kansas Senate. She can be contacted at (785) 296-7377 or mcginn@senate.state.ks.us.