I am humbled and honored to serve you and  I take my commitment very seriously and am commited  to continue  working hard for the first district. While I'm in Topeka working for you to make Kansas a better place to live, work, and raise a family, I want to stay connected to our community and listen to your concerns. 

This recession, one of the worst in Kansas history, has had a profound impact on the people of our district. When times are tough, strong leadership is needed to set priorities, make hard decisions, and think about the future. Kansas is a great state. Excellent public schools. Vibrant, safe communities. Strong, thriving businesses. These are important to the people of Kansas and, as your State Representative, I will strive to improve and protect the quality of life that you value. There are no easy answers to the challenges that face us, but I will take your ideas and concerns to Topeka, collaborate with legislators from both sides of the aisle, and build consensus towards new solutions.

I enjoy hearing from you. If you have comments, suggestions, or would just like to visit with me about issues affecting our district, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.  

Together we can and WILL make a difference.

Doug

This Week At the Statehouse

After a very busy week pushing out bills before the Turnaround deadline last week, the Legislature was in recess on Monday and Tuesday. We picked up again on Wednesday with committee work. Most House committees are now hearing Senate bills, and vice versa.

Budget Update

There was no movement on the FY 2011 rescission budget this week. Both sides are still at a standstill with four weeks left in the session to come to an agreement.  If they cannot reach an agreement and the current budget falls below zero, the Governor will be forced to make allotments on his own.

Meanwhile, the House continues work on the FY 2012 budget.  One interesting discussion in the House Appropriations Committee this week involved the appropriation of new funds for the Director of the Budget’s salary. During the same meeting that the committee voted to eliminate funds for public broadcasting, they also voted to add a new position to Governor Brownback’s Cabinet which will cost Kansans an additional $136,000 a year.  

Under Governors Sebelius and Parkinson, one person served the dual role of Director of the Budget and Secretary of Administration at a salary of $114,000.  Governor Brownback has split the position in two.  The Director of the Budget is drawing a salary of $114,000 and the Director of Administration will draw a salary of $136,000.  

I offered an amendment to eliminate the $136,000 in new expenditures and require Gov. Brownback to find the funds out of the currently allotted budget. This amendment was defeated by a margin of 9-10. An additional amendment was offered and passed that will require the Director of the Budget to appear before the committee before the final omnibus budget is considered. Even though the session is halfway completed, the Director of the Budget has yet to appear before the Appropriations Committee.

Legislation targets KPERS retirees who return to work

The House Pensions and Benefits Committee considered a bill on Wednesday that would eliminate the ability of KPERS recipients to continue working while receiving benefits. Currently, retired employees (such as school teachers) can return to work after earning retirement and earn a salary of up to $20,000 while also collecting a pension.  This provides districts with much needed experience and manpower (at cheaper than an entry level rate) while also enabling retirees to earn limited income for a few additional years.  House Bill 2310 would end this practice. It prohibits retirees from receiving their KPERS benefits for the time period that they return to work.

Proponents of House Bill 2310 say that this attempts to work toward solving a longstanding funding shortfall for the state’s retirement program by closing what some see as an expensive loophole.

Opponents argue that this bill attempts to fix problems with KPERS by denying people benefits that they have rightfully earned.  Additionally, this change in law would place additional burden on school districts and state agencies that are already grappling with severe budget cuts. Retirees who return to work are capped at a $20,000 salary - they are bargain hires. By denying retirees benefits to which they are rightfully entitled, House Bill 2310 essentially punishes them for returning to the workforce.  This will significantly decrease the number who would do so. School districts in desperate need of staff would have to increase offered salaries to make up the difference. Those costs would be substantial, as in some Kansas schools these retirees compose up to 15% of the staff. The most dramatic impact would be on special education and gifted programs, which require additional training and certification not common among new teachers.  

Education “suitability” amendment up for debate

Redefining the suitability of education in the Kansas constitution was up for debate before the House Education committee on Thursday. HCR 5010 would replace existing constitutional requirements for the Legislature to provide suitable financial support for education. This would shift emphasis to equitable distribution of public school funds rather than the sufficiency of those funds.

Proponents of the bill referenced the difficulty that Kansas has faced in legal battles over the issue. Dating back to 1993, various groups have sued the state to provide additional funds to public schools in order to satisfy the “sufficiency” requirement stated in the constitution. Omitting this standard would reduce court costs for the state and fix a breach of the separation of powers, according supporters of the bill. If adopted, HCR 5010 would allow legislators more room to cut education financing while maintaining required academic standards.

Suitability has been defined four times since 1993.  Opponents of HCR 5010 argue that it is nothing more than an attempt for the Legislature to sidestep its constitutional obligation to fund public schools by narrowing what the state is obligated to fund.

The committee has yet to deliver a recommendation on HCR 5010.  Because this is a constitutional amendment, this must pass both the House and Senate and then be approved by all Kansans in the 2012 election.

Mental health advocates visit the Capitol:
Thursday was the annual Mental Health Advocacy Day at the Capitol. A gathering of about 300 mental health advocates and government officials met to discuss issues facing the state. Participants filled the halls of the capitol building throughout the day to lobby their legislators to provide mental health services to our state’s most vulnerable citizens.

Senate committee votes against KNI closure

The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee voted to support a decision by fellow senators opposing Brownback's budget recommendation to close KNI. The facility is home to 168 developmentally disabled residents, many with severe mental and physical issues.

Senators have taken the opposite approach of the House, which endorsed the governor's proposal to begin closing KNI. Residents would be transferred to community settings or to the Parsons State Hospital in southeast Kansas.

Parents and advocates testified before the health committee Wednesday to support keeping KNI open. They said many of the residents would have a diminished quality of life if placed in community settings or transferred to Parsons, which is not equipped to meet their medical needs.

The governor’s proposal calls for starting the closure process during fiscal year 2012, which begins July 1. He estimates it will take 23 months to move all the residents to community settings, with a goal of moving seven residents a month. Costs will be reduced as residents are transferred and buildings are closed.

Keep in touch

It is a special honor to serve as your state representative.  I value and need your input on the various issues facing state government.  Please feel free to contact me with your comments and questions.  My office address is Room 43-S, State Capitol, Topeka, KS 66612.  You can reach me at (785) 296-7798 or call the legislative hotline at 1-800-432-3924 to leave a message for me.  Additionally, you can e-mail me at doug.gatewood@house.ks.gov.  You can also follow the legislative session online at www.kslegislature.org.  If you would like to receive an electronic version of the updates please e-mail me at the above e-mail address.