It may seem hard to believe, but the legislature is now fully ten weeks into its session and has just two weeks remaining prior to “first adjournment.” We will adjourn briefly before returning to wrap up the regular part of the session with veto session beginning April 26th and the target date to end April 28th.
SENATE FLOOR ACTION
HB 2014 would designate as the Robert Lessen Memorial Highway the portion of US-69 in Crawford County from its junction with K-47 in Crawford County to its junction with 650th Avenue. HB 2014 passed 36-0. I voted yes.
SB 127 would authorize the Board of County Commissioners of Dickinson County to submit to the voters of the county a question of imposing a countywide sales tax at a rate of 0.25 percent for the purpose of financing public safety capital projects. SB 127 passed 35-1. 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 www.kslegislature.org.
ADDITIONAL LINKS FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Kansas Legislature YouTube – Here you can follow the legislature live as it happens, or access archives of past sessions and committee meetings.
Kansas Legislature Audio – Here you can listen in on session or committees when they are in session, or access prior committee meetings, as well.
CAPITOL PRESERVATION COMMITTEE BILLS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
SB11 – Ad Astra – the 8’2” sculpture will finally be placed on the pedestal in the Ad Astra Plaza which has been waiting for the statue since 2002. More than 2,600 bricks stored along with the statue at the Bergen Studio are stored in Salina and will be placed in the plaza as well. Fundraising can now begin in earnest to finish the plaza as originally proposed more than two decades ago.
KANSAS SECRETARY OF STATE – SCOTT SCHWAB
SB39 – 1st Kansas Colored Voluntary Infantry Regiment Mural – the Capitol Preservation Committee now has the go-ahead to start the process of fundraising and sending Requests for Proposals (RFP) to select the artist and for the sub-committee to begin work on the project including the location of the mural. This mural was conceived in 2000 with the passage of SB660 and now with 2023 SB39 can see this start of the project and hopefully see it finished in the near future.
The Secretary of State is one of four state offices authorized by the Kansas Constitution. Although created by the state constitution, the duties of the office are defined by almost 1,000 state laws. Among the many duties of the Office of the Kansas Secretary of State is maintaining primary responsibility for administering elections, collecting certain records of Kansas businesses, and publishing the official publications for the State of Kansas. As a result, hundreds of thousands of documents are kept by the Secretary of State. Generally, they fall into four categories – executive, legislative, elections, and business. The Secretary of State is elected to a four-year term and Kansas law does not impose term limits on those serving as Kansas Secretary of State.
Secretary Scott Schwab grew up in Great Bend, Kansas, and graduated from Fort Hays State University. He was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 2002 and served as Chairman of the House Elections Committee. Scott also served as Vice Chairman of the House Insurance and Financial Institutions Committee and as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Kansas House of Representatives. In November 2018, Schwab was elected to his first term as Kansas Secretary of State and in November 2022, he was re-elected to serve a second term. Publications available: Kansas Administrative Regulations, Session Laws, Kansas Register, Lawbooks, and the Kansas Then and Now information sheet.
The very popular Legislative Directory can be found and printed at – https://www.sos.ks.gov/publications/legislative-directory/2023-Online-Legislative-Directory.pdf.
UPDATE FROM KANSAS INSURANCE COMMISSIONER VICKI SCHMIDT
If you or someone you know has an issue with their insurance, we are happy to help! We may not always like the answers we get, but we will do our best to get you an answer. Please use the contact information below to reach out to us if we can be of assistance.
Main Line: (785) 296-3071
Consumer Assistance Hotline: 1-800-432-2484
Consumer Complaint:kid.webcomplaints@ks.gov
Producer Licensing: kid.licensing@ks.gov
Email: KID.Commissioner@ks.gov
Website: Insurance.kansas.gov
GIRL AND BOY STATE – June 2023
Kansas American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary’s have announced the application process for Girl State and Boy State for the 2023 events. Find more information at https://ksbstate.org/ andhttp://www.ksgirlsstate.org/. Boy State will be held June 4th-10th in Manhattan and Girl State June 11th – 16th in Lawrence. I was a girl stater in 1980 sponsored by the Delphos American Legion Auxiliary.
LEGISLATIVE TOWNHALLS
On Saturday, March 25th, Representative Troy Waymaster and I will have a townhall in Lincoln at 9:00 AM at Violette’s Coffee Shop. Next, I will join Senator Rick Billinger and Representative Ken Rahjes in Phillipsburg at 11:00 AM for a townhall at Huck Boyd Center. Our next stop will be in Palco at 1:30 PM at the McKenna Youth Center. On April 1st, Representative Waymaster and I will be in Russell for a townhall at 9:00 AM at Espresso Etc.
THANK YOU FOR ENGAGING
Thank you for all of your calls, emails, and letters regarding your thoughts and concerns about happenings in Kansas. 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 www.kslegislature.org. You are also able to ‘listen in live’ at this website. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and suggestions. 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
785 296-7389
