By&nbsp;Dr. TIM DAVIS Fort Hays State University

Several years ago,&nbsp;in response to the urgent need for professional social work clinicians in rural Kansas, the Department of Social Work at Fort Hays State University&nbsp;decided&nbsp;to offer a master’s degree program.&nbsp;On March 13, 2023, the Council on Social Work Education granted initial accreditation to the FHSU Master of Social Work (MSW) program. This decision is retroactively effective to the date that Candidacy status was granted when the program launched in 2020.

As a comprehensive public university,&nbsp;FHSU has a responsibility to contribute to the quality of life and economic prosperity in our service area.&nbsp;One pervasive and,&nbsp;unfortunately,growing area of need that adversely impacts the quality of life in our rural communities is&nbsp;the lack of&nbsp;access to critical social services.&nbsp;The need for clinical&nbsp;social workers&nbsp;in Kansas is expected to rise at a rate of&nbsp;11%.&nbsp;Unfortunately,&nbsp;only 5% of&nbsp;the state’s&nbsp;clinical social workers practice in the western half of Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;

FHSU is leading the charge to address this&nbsp;critical rural workforce shortage.&nbsp;From an initial graduating class of 27 in 2021 to our projected graduating class in 2024 of 56 students, the program has steadily grown&nbsp;every year.

The Clinical MSW program we created at Fort Hays State University is unique on several levels. First, it&nbsp;takes advantage of the flexibility and outreach aspects of online education while maintaining a strong hands-on clinical training emphasis.&nbsp;The program&nbsp;also&nbsp;features several innovative strategies to educate and train practitioners, utilizing the advantages of delivering coursework online while infusing robust face-to-face clinical training experiences.&nbsp;As the first university in Kansas to offer online MSW, our innovative approach to training clinicians broke new ground.

Since the program coursework is completed entirely online, it is accessible from wherever students might live.&nbsp;Thus, the program makes it easier for students in rural areas to stay with their families, keep their current jobs, and remain in their home communities as they progress through the program.&nbsp;

When designing the program, we&nbsp;also took extra steps to&nbsp;meet with agencies across Kansas to ensure we fully understood their&nbsp;needs and&nbsp;considered&nbsp;their perspectives. The program has been designed to ensure both&nbsp;the&nbsp;personal and professional growth&nbsp;of&nbsp;our students and that they&nbsp;develop the&nbsp;highest&nbsp;quality clinical skills.

Another key contributor to the success and continued growth&nbsp;of our&nbsp;social work programs&nbsp;is the investment&nbsp;the university&nbsp;has made in essential agency partnerships.&nbsp;Department of Social Work&nbsp;faculty and staff work closely&nbsp;with agencies that traditionally struggle to recruit and retain qualified practitioners by offering guaranteed admission to applicants sponsored by our agency partners.&nbsp;This ensures that the agency will be able to grow&nbsp;its&nbsp;own clinicians while the social worker provides services to clients&nbsp;as they progress to&nbsp;the&nbsp;completion of their&nbsp;academic program.

We are immensely grateful for the enthusiastic&nbsp;support&nbsp;we received from our elected representatives, including&nbsp;U.S.&nbsp;Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall,&nbsp;for their support in launching the program. We are also thankful for the work of&nbsp;representative Barbara Wasinger, who championed legislation that ensured that our students who earned their degrees online would remain eligible for licensure as the accreditation process&nbsp;was in process.

We are&nbsp;also thankful&nbsp;for&nbsp;the&nbsp;generous&nbsp;guidance&nbsp;and support we’ve received from&nbsp;the agency and&nbsp;community college&nbsp;professionals&nbsp;in our service area&nbsp;who helped us shape and focus our program&nbsp;to best meet&nbsp;the needs of the people and communities we all serve.&nbsp;Today, more and more non-traditional agencies are discovering the value a compassionate and multi-skilled social work professional can add to the quality of services delivered in settings that range from the military, law, law enforcement, and&nbsp;special treatment settings like veterans centers&nbsp;and drug and alcohol abuse clinics.&nbsp;

With&nbsp;full&nbsp;program&nbsp;accreditation confirmed,&nbsp;the pipeline of&nbsp;FHSU-trained&nbsp;clinicians&nbsp;is about to expand with a new student cohort group forming this spring. To learn more about the master’s in social work program at Fort Hays State University, go to fhsu.edu/socialwork.&nbsp;

Dr. Tom Davis is department chair and professor with the FHSU Department of Social Work.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681136164738.png" alt="Davis" />
 <figcaption>Davis</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;Dr. TIM DAVIS Fort Hays State UniversitySeveral years ago,&nbsp;in response to the urgent need for professional social work clinicians in rural Kansas, the Department of Social Work at Fort Hays State University&nbsp;decided&nbsp;to offer a master’s degree program.&nbsp;On March 13, 2023, the Council on Social Work Education granted initial accreditation to the FHSU Master of Social Work (MSW) program. This decision is retroactively effective to the date that Candidacy status was granted when the program launched in 2020.As a comprehensive public university,&nbsp;FHSU has a responsibility to contribute to the quality of life and economic prosperity in our service area.&nbsp;One pervasive and,&nbsp;unfortunately,growing area of need that adversely impacts the quality of life in our rural communities is&nbsp;the lack of&nbsp;access to critical social services.&nbsp;The need for clinical&nbsp;social workers&nbsp;in Kansas is expected to rise at a rate of&nbsp;11%.&nbsp;Unfortunately,&nbsp;only 5% of&nbsp;the state’s&nbsp;clinical social workers practice in the western half of Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU is leading the charge to address this&nbsp;critical rural workforce shortage.&nbsp;From an initial graduating class of 27 in 2021 to our projected graduating class in 2024 of 56 students, the program has steadily grown&nbsp;every year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Clinical MSW program we created at Fort Hays State University is unique on several levels. First, it&nbsp;takes advantage of the flexibility and outreach aspects of online education while maintaining a strong hands-on clinical training emphasis.&nbsp;The program&nbsp;also&nbsp;features several innovative strategies to educate and train practitioners, utilizing the advantages of delivering coursework online while infusing robust face-to-face clinical training experiences.&nbsp;As the first university in Kansas to offer online MSW, our innovative approach to training clinicians broke new ground.Since the program coursework is completed entirely online, it is accessible from wherever students might live.&nbsp;Thus, the program makes it easier for students in rural areas to stay with their families, keep their current jobs, and remain in their home communities as they progress through the program.&nbsp;When designing the program, we&nbsp;also took extra steps to&nbsp;meet with agencies across Kansas to ensure we fully understood their&nbsp;needs and&nbsp;considered&nbsp;their perspectives. The program has been designed to ensure both&nbsp;the&nbsp;personal and professional growth&nbsp;of&nbsp;our students and that they&nbsp;develop the&nbsp;highest&nbsp;quality clinical skills.Another key contributor to the success and continued growth&nbsp;of our&nbsp;social work programs&nbsp;is the investment&nbsp;the university&nbsp;has made in essential agency partnerships.&nbsp;Department of Social Work&nbsp;faculty and staff work closely&nbsp;with agencies that traditionally struggle to recruit and retain qualified practitioners by offering guaranteed admission to applicants sponsored by our agency partners.&nbsp;This ensures that the agency will be able to grow&nbsp;its&nbsp;own clinicians while the social worker provides services to clients&nbsp;as they progress to&nbsp;the&nbsp;completion of their&nbsp;academic program.We are immensely grateful for the enthusiastic&nbsp;support&nbsp;we received from our elected representatives, including&nbsp;U.S.&nbsp;Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall,&nbsp;for their support in launching the program. We are also thankful for the work of&nbsp;representative Barbara Wasinger, who championed legislation that ensured that our students who earned their degrees online would remain eligible for licensure as the accreditation process&nbsp;was in process.We are&nbsp;also thankful&nbsp;for&nbsp;the&nbsp;generous&nbsp;guidance&nbsp;and support we’ve received from&nbsp;the agency and&nbsp;community college&nbsp;professionals&nbsp;in our service area&nbsp;who helped us shape and focus our program&nbsp;to best meet&nbsp;the needs of the people and communities we all serve.&nbsp;Today, more and more non-traditional agencies are discovering the value a compassionate and multi-skilled social work professional can add to the quality of services delivered in settings that range from the military, law, law enforcement, and&nbsp;special treatment settings like veterans centers&nbsp;and drug and alcohol abuse clinics.&nbsp;With&nbsp;full&nbsp;program&nbsp;accreditation confirmed,&nbsp;the pipeline of&nbsp;FHSU-trained&nbsp;clinicians&nbsp;is about to expand with a new student cohort group forming this spring. To learn more about the master’s in social work program at Fort Hays State University, go to fhsu.edu/socialwork.&nbsp;Dr. Tom Davis is department chair and professor with the FHSU Department of Social Work.

DAVIS: FHSU Master of Social Work Program earns initial accreditation 

​Recently, two&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;school boards split votes to close rural schools in Wilson and Walton. In both cases, parents and students presented strong arguments to maintain their schools, but those points&nbsp;didn’t&nbsp;keep doors open.&nbsp;

​If you drive around western Kansas, you’ll see one fine&nbsp;school&nbsp;after another built in the early 1900s now falling&nbsp;to ruin. Broken windows and crumbling foundations tell&nbsp;an&nbsp;oft-told tale of&nbsp;buildings that outlived their use. After reading what Logan, a&nbsp;village&nbsp;along Hwy 9,&nbsp;is doing&nbsp;to&nbsp;serve&nbsp;day care, public education, and senior citizens’&nbsp;needs,&nbsp;town&nbsp;leaders, administrators, and school boards&nbsp;might want to study their&nbsp;model to&nbsp;keep schools open&nbsp;while meeting multiple community needs.&nbsp;

​I&nbsp;graduated&nbsp;from a class, not school,&nbsp;of 1050+&nbsp;students,&nbsp;so&nbsp;consider&nbsp;my surprise to find&nbsp;my first job involved&nbsp;teaching&nbsp;54&nbsp;total&nbsp;high school students.&nbsp;To&nbsp;introduce me&nbsp;that&nbsp;first day, cheerleaders&nbsp;hid the new teacher in&nbsp;a&nbsp;cardboard box&nbsp;on the gym floor&nbsp;where she&nbsp;imagined&nbsp;herself&nbsp;leaping&nbsp;out&nbsp;to&nbsp;a&nbsp;packed&nbsp;gymnasium.&nbsp;Instead, my jaw dropped&nbsp;to see&nbsp;only&nbsp;two rows of staff and&nbsp;teens sitting&nbsp;in the first section of one side of the gym. Used to crowds that rocked rafters, I wondered where everyone was&nbsp;until reality set&nbsp;in.&nbsp;This was everyone. That&nbsp;lesson continued for the next two years as I learned&nbsp;how&nbsp;tiny schools&nbsp;build strong character and well-rounded&nbsp;citizens.&nbsp;

​Big schools limit participation.&nbsp;Everyone attends&nbsp;class but that doesn’t guarantee&nbsp;they’ll make teams, choir, play&nbsp;casts,&nbsp;or&nbsp;student government&nbsp;office. In tiny McCracken, every student&nbsp;counted. We needed every body in sports, forensics, music, school plays, student leadership, and daily existence. Kids who weren’t&nbsp;natural athletes became skilled, aggressive teammates&nbsp;or encouraging cheerleaders. Folks who couldn’t carry a tune&nbsp;in a bucket with a lid on it&nbsp;learned to play instruments well enough to win awards. If we wanted a pretty prom, everyone—juniors, parents, teachers,&nbsp;administrator,&nbsp;and curious&nbsp;townspeople&nbsp;showed up after&nbsp;a school day followed by&nbsp;a windblown&nbsp;track practice to turn&nbsp;the old grade school gym into a&nbsp;tented&nbsp;dining area that&nbsp;transformed&nbsp;to a dance floor after handsomely suited&nbsp;junior and senior men moved&nbsp;decorated&nbsp;tables and chairs to the edges of the room.

​That first year taught me it’s not the variety of coursework offered that makes good citizens. It’s folks who&nbsp;regularly&nbsp;overcome challenges under extreme duress that&nbsp;rebuild lives after crises or&nbsp;guide businesses&nbsp;to&nbsp;survive downturns.&nbsp;Students in small&nbsp;schools&nbsp;problem-solve hourly to manage&nbsp;their world’s&nbsp;demands.&nbsp;After 30+&nbsp;years teaching in&nbsp;1 A and 2 A&nbsp;districts&nbsp;and watching&nbsp;those&nbsp;youngsters become parents and&nbsp;grandparents, I’ve seen&nbsp;the citizens&nbsp;rural&nbsp;schools&nbsp;build.&nbsp;

​These&nbsp;individuals&nbsp;support their communities with&nbsp;time, money, and labor.&nbsp;They may&nbsp;differ in beliefs, but they learned to work together to achieve goals starting in kindergarten.&nbsp;Pundits may discount these salt of the earth&nbsp;human beings, but their&nbsp;communities enabled them to dream and live big. Among them number soldiers, medical personnel, mechanics,&nbsp;inventors,&nbsp;agriculturalists, educators, law enforcement officers,&nbsp;entrepreneurs,&nbsp;politicians, artists, musicians, librarians, dozens of other professions, reliable employees, and most of all Americans who care about one another. &nbsp;One graduation after another introduces&nbsp;our&nbsp;world to another round of problem-solvers who get jobs done.&nbsp;

​Sometimes, keeping a school open involves more than budgetary concerns. It means rethinking how community functions. Maybe it means new ways&nbsp;of seeing and&nbsp;reinventing&nbsp;accordingly.&nbsp;Folks ought&nbsp;to keep an eye on&nbsp;how&nbsp;tiny Logan&nbsp;maintains&nbsp;their&nbsp;viability despite their challenges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680800613949.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By KAREN MADORIN​Recently, two&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;school boards split votes to close rural schools in Wilson and Walton. In both cases, parents and students presented strong arguments to maintain their schools, but those points&nbsp;didn’t&nbsp;keep doors open.&nbsp;​If you drive around western Kansas, you’ll see one fine&nbsp;school&nbsp;after another built in the early 1900s now falling&nbsp;to ruin. Broken windows and crumbling foundations tell&nbsp;an&nbsp;oft-told tale of&nbsp;buildings that outlived their use. After reading what Logan, a&nbsp;village&nbsp;along Hwy 9,&nbsp;is doing&nbsp;to&nbsp;serve&nbsp;day care, public education, and senior citizens’&nbsp;needs,&nbsp;town&nbsp;leaders, administrators, and school boards&nbsp;might want to study their&nbsp;model to&nbsp;keep schools open&nbsp;while meeting multiple community needs.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680800698654.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>​I&nbsp;graduated&nbsp;from a class, not school,&nbsp;of 1050+&nbsp;students,&nbsp;so&nbsp;consider&nbsp;my surprise to find&nbsp;my first job involved&nbsp;teaching&nbsp;54&nbsp;total&nbsp;high school students.&nbsp;To&nbsp;introduce me&nbsp;that&nbsp;first day, cheerleaders&nbsp;hid the new teacher in&nbsp;a&nbsp;cardboard box&nbsp;on the gym floor&nbsp;where she&nbsp;imagined&nbsp;herself&nbsp;leaping&nbsp;out&nbsp;to&nbsp;a&nbsp;packed&nbsp;gymnasium.&nbsp;Instead, my jaw dropped&nbsp;to see&nbsp;only&nbsp;two rows of staff and&nbsp;teens sitting&nbsp;in the first section of one side of the gym. Used to crowds that rocked rafters, I wondered where everyone was&nbsp;until reality set&nbsp;in.&nbsp;This was everyone. That&nbsp;lesson continued for the next two years as I learned&nbsp;how&nbsp;tiny schools&nbsp;build strong character and well-rounded&nbsp;citizens.&nbsp;​Big schools limit participation.&nbsp;Everyone attends&nbsp;class but that doesn’t guarantee&nbsp;they’ll make teams, choir, play&nbsp;casts,&nbsp;or&nbsp;student government&nbsp;office. In tiny McCracken, every student&nbsp;counted. We needed every body in sports, forensics, music, school plays, student leadership, and daily existence. Kids who weren’t&nbsp;natural athletes became skilled, aggressive teammates&nbsp;or encouraging cheerleaders. Folks who couldn’t carry a tune&nbsp;in a bucket with a lid on it&nbsp;learned to play instruments well enough to win awards. If we wanted a pretty prom, everyone—juniors, parents, teachers,&nbsp;administrator,&nbsp;and curious&nbsp;townspeople&nbsp;showed up after&nbsp;a school day followed by&nbsp;a windblown&nbsp;track practice to turn&nbsp;the old grade school gym into a&nbsp;tented&nbsp;dining area that&nbsp;transformed&nbsp;to a dance floor after handsomely suited&nbsp;junior and senior men moved&nbsp;decorated&nbsp;tables and chairs to the edges of the room.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680800728091.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>​That first year taught me it’s not the variety of coursework offered that makes good citizens. It’s folks who&nbsp;regularly&nbsp;overcome challenges under extreme duress that&nbsp;rebuild lives after crises or&nbsp;guide businesses&nbsp;to&nbsp;survive downturns.&nbsp;Students in small&nbsp;schools&nbsp;problem-solve hourly to manage&nbsp;their world’s&nbsp;demands.&nbsp;After 30+&nbsp;years teaching in&nbsp;1 A and 2 A&nbsp;districts&nbsp;and watching&nbsp;those&nbsp;youngsters become parents and&nbsp;grandparents, I’ve seen&nbsp;the citizens&nbsp;rural&nbsp;schools&nbsp;build.&nbsp;​These&nbsp;individuals&nbsp;support their communities with&nbsp;time, money, and labor.&nbsp;They may&nbsp;differ in beliefs, but they learned to work together to achieve goals starting in kindergarten.&nbsp;Pundits may discount these salt of the earth&nbsp;human beings, but their&nbsp;communities enabled them to dream and live big. Among them number soldiers, medical personnel, mechanics,&nbsp;inventors,&nbsp;agriculturalists, educators, law enforcement officers,&nbsp;entrepreneurs,&nbsp;politicians, artists, musicians, librarians, dozens of other professions, reliable employees, and most of all Americans who care about one another. &nbsp;One graduation after another introduces&nbsp;our&nbsp;world to another round of problem-solvers who get jobs done.&nbsp;​Sometimes, keeping a school open involves more than budgetary concerns. It means rethinking how community functions. Maybe it means new ways&nbsp;of seeing and&nbsp;reinventing&nbsp;accordingly.&nbsp;Folks ought&nbsp;to keep an eye on&nbsp;how&nbsp;tiny Logan&nbsp;maintains&nbsp;their&nbsp;viability despite their challenges.

MADORIN: Rural schools — value-added

By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;

“Nothing changes if nothing changes.”&nbsp;

That quote was cited by K-State sportswriter D. Scott Fritchen in an article about a young ballplayer who used the transfer portal and became an impact player at her new school. The young player posted that quote on her mirror to remind herself that sometimes we have to make a change if we are to better our situation.&nbsp;

Is this true for communities as well? Today we’ll meet another woman who has been a leading force for positive change in her community.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Carolyn Dunn is president of the Stafford County Port Authority and past director of economic development in Stafford County. She has seen change firsthand.&nbsp;

Dunn grew up on a farm near the rural community of Ottawa, population 12,625 people. Now, that’s rural. She studied agricultural economics at K-State and worked in Washington, D.C. before meeting and marrying Brian Dunn and moving back to his farm in Stafford County, Kansas.&nbsp;

By 2011, she was the mother of three boys and serving on the local school board. 

“We were talking about declining enrollments,” Dunn said. “I commented that we didn’t even have an economic development program in the county and we need one.”&nbsp;

She was also consulting on a Kansas Farm Bureau project to assist three other rural communities in the state. “I asked myself, `Why am I working on these other towns when we need this here?’”&nbsp;&nbsp;Dunn said.&nbsp;

Stafford County Farm Bureau approached the county commissioners and pledged to commit funds if the county would create a full-time economic development director position. They did so. Dunn took the job.&nbsp;

In 2019, a crisis hit the Stafford County community of St. John: Dillons closed the only grocery store in town. “The immediate thought was, we need somebody else to come in and run that (same) store,” Dunn said. The city established a committee of citizens to consider the matter.&nbsp;

“To their credit, the committee stepped back to look at the big picture,” Dunn said. More alternatives were considered. An outside consultant provided input.&nbsp;

A study concluded that rather than reopening the cramped store downtown, a new, more spacious highway location would be more successful.&nbsp;&nbsp;After all, nothing changes if nothing changes.&nbsp;

Ultimately, Stafford County Economic Development built a new building near the highway and rented the space to White’s Foodliner, which operates the grocery store today. Space is also rented to Stafford County Drug, which operates a pharmacy.&nbsp;

“We needed more space to sell more things, especially those things that the consumer wants today, such as a deli,” Dunn said. Fuel pumps were also added, including ethanol pumps with support from Kansas Corn Commission.&nbsp;

“This was a $3.8 million project,” Dunn said. Talk about a heavy lift.&nbsp;

“Fourteen different sources of financing went into the project, including loans and grants,” she said. “We used a tax increment financing district so the city didn’t have to raise taxes to do this.”&nbsp;

“The president of the economic development board at the time was a 26-year-old young professional,” Dunn said. “As he was signing these two million dollar loan documents, I felt proud that he was stepping into this leadership role at such a young age.”&nbsp;

The store is doing well, but that is not the only accomplishment in Dunn’s eyes.&nbsp;

“The grocery store is important, and it could be a template for other rural communities,” she said. “The schools say you can’t recruit teachers without a store in town, for example, but I think it goes deeper than that. (Accomplishing this project) shifted our mentality. It told us that we could do bigger, harder things.”&nbsp;

For more information, see&nbsp;<a href="http://www.staffordecodevo.com/">www.staffordecodevo.com</a>.&nbsp;

Nothing changes if nothing changes. We commend Carolyn Dunn of Stafford County Economic Development for making a difference with visionary economic development in her county. I’m glad to see she is an agent of change.&nbsp;

And there’s more. Housing was another huge issue that her office tackled. Now 10 new affordable, energy-efficient houses have been built in Stafford County. We’ll learn about that next week.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680700670828.png" alt="Courtesy K-State Research &amp; Extension" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy K-State Research &amp; Extension</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;“Nothing changes if nothing changes.”&nbsp;That quote was cited by K-State sportswriter D. Scott Fritchen in an article about a young ballplayer who used the transfer portal and became an impact player at her new school. The young player posted that quote on her mirror to remind herself that sometimes we have to make a change if we are to better our situation.&nbsp;Is this true for communities as well? Today we’ll meet another woman who has been a leading force for positive change in her community.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Carolyn Dunn is president of the Stafford County Port Authority and past director of economic development in Stafford County. She has seen change firsthand.&nbsp;Dunn grew up on a farm near the rural community of Ottawa, population 12,625 people. Now, that’s rural. She studied agricultural economics at K-State and worked in Washington, D.C. before meeting and marrying Brian Dunn and moving back to his farm in Stafford County, Kansas.&nbsp;By 2011, she was the mother of three boys and serving on the local school board. “We were talking about declining enrollments,” Dunn said. “I commented that we didn’t even have an economic development program in the county and we need one.”&nbsp;She was also consulting on a Kansas Farm Bureau project to assist three other rural communities in the state. “I asked myself, `Why am I working on these other towns when we need this here?’”&nbsp;&nbsp;Dunn said.&nbsp;Stafford County Farm Bureau approached the county commissioners and pledged to commit funds if the county would create a full-time economic development director position. They did so. Dunn took the job.&nbsp;In 2019, a crisis hit the Stafford County community of St. John: Dillons closed the only grocery store in town. “The immediate thought was, we need somebody else to come in and run that (same) store,” Dunn said. The city established a committee of citizens to consider the matter.&nbsp;“To their credit, the committee stepped back to look at the big picture,” Dunn said. More alternatives were considered. An outside consultant provided input.&nbsp;A study concluded that rather than reopening the cramped store downtown, a new, more spacious highway location would be more successful.&nbsp;&nbsp;After all, nothing changes if nothing changes.&nbsp;Ultimately, Stafford County Economic Development built a new building near the highway and rented the space to White’s Foodliner, which operates the grocery store today. Space is also rented to Stafford County Drug, which operates a pharmacy.&nbsp;“We needed more space to sell more things, especially those things that the consumer wants today, such as a deli,” Dunn said. Fuel pumps were also added, including ethanol pumps with support from Kansas Corn Commission.&nbsp;“This was a $3.8 million project,” Dunn said. Talk about a heavy lift.&nbsp;“Fourteen different sources of financing went into the project, including loans and grants,” she said. “We used a tax increment financing district so the city didn’t have to raise taxes to do this.”&nbsp;“The president of the economic development board at the time was a 26-year-old young professional,” Dunn said. “As he was signing these two million dollar loan documents, I felt proud that he was stepping into this leadership role at such a young age.”&nbsp;The store is doing well, but that is not the only accomplishment in Dunn’s eyes.&nbsp;“The grocery store is important, and it could be a template for other rural communities,” she said. “The schools say you can’t recruit teachers without a store in town, for example, but I think it goes deeper than that. (Accomplishing this project) shifted our mentality. It told us that we could do bigger, harder things.”&nbsp;For more information, see&nbsp;<a href="http://www.staffordecodevo.com/">www.staffordecodevo.com</a>.&nbsp;Nothing changes if nothing changes. We commend Carolyn Dunn of Stafford County Economic Development for making a difference with visionary economic development in her county. I’m glad to see she is an agent of change.&nbsp;And there’s more. Housing was another huge issue that her office tackled. Now 10 new affordable, energy-efficient houses have been built in Stafford County. We’ll learn about that next week.&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural: Carolyn Dunn, rural grocer

TOPEKA —&nbsp;Representative Barb Wasinger, R-Hays, issued the following statement:

“As a former athlete who competed before the days&nbsp;that<a></a>&nbsp;Title IX&nbsp;became law,&nbsp;I know firsthand how important the advances made in the last 50 years are for women’s sports and the&nbsp;significance of protecting them.&nbsp;I’m proud&nbsp;to&nbsp;stand&nbsp;today in support of women’s athletics and carry the motion to override Gov. Kelly’s veto of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act in honor&nbsp;all of&nbsp;our daughters and granddaughters who deserve every right afforded to their male counterparts.”

News releaseTOPEKA —&nbsp;Representative Barb Wasinger, R-Hays, issued the following statement:“As a former athlete who competed before the days&nbsp;that<a></a>&nbsp;Title IX&nbsp;became law,&nbsp;I know firsthand how important the advances made in the last 50 years are for women’s sports and the&nbsp;significance of protecting them.&nbsp;I’m proud&nbsp;to&nbsp;stand&nbsp;today in support of women’s athletics and carry the motion to override Gov. Kelly’s veto of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act in honor&nbsp;all of&nbsp;our daughters and granddaughters who deserve every right afforded to their male counterparts.”

Wasinger issues statement on decision to override veto

I have spent the last three weekends holding Town Hall meetings in the 40th Senate District. 

When I spoke about the property tax rebate for seniors over 65 and disabled veterans many of the people were not aware of the property tax rebate program.

 I mentioned at the meetings that I would republish the information regarding the new tax law. During the 2022 session, there were several changes to tax law. One change is the first step in a property tax freeze for low-income seniors and disabled veterans via a rebate program administered by the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR). 

Applications for property tax relief must be submitted by April 18, 2023, and can be found at: <a href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/pdf/k-40svr.pdf">https://www.ksrevenue.gov/pdf/k-40svr.pdf</a>.

Please note that to qualify for the “freeze” a household annual income must be $50,000 or below, a homeowner must be 65 years or older, and the value of the home cannot be above $350,000. A disabled veteran must be at least 50% disabled. Property taxes are still paid to the county and then a homeowner may apply to Kansas Department of Revenue for a refund on their increase, resulting in a freeze. In 2023 we will continue to look for solutions for the reduction in property taxes for all Kansas tax payers.

We passed the Senate’s version of the budget:

The budget vote is the first step in a multi-stop train that is the annual budget process. The committee delayed action on several items to be reviewed at conference and some at omnibus. The legislature has the power of the purse and it’s important we do not just simply act as a rubber stamp. At this stage in the process, nothing is off the table. 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. 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 by Senator Tyson that made a modest cut to agencies NOT INCLUDING health, safety, or K-12 education by just 3.25% to save $97 million. Senator Blasi also added an amendment that transferred $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. Senator Blasi indicated that Kansas has been losing targeted case managers which is causing tremendous anxiety for families who need IDD care.

Some of the bills of interest for the 40th Senate District this week are:

HB2335 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. Continuing law authorizes use of these funds for financing, acquisition, or rehabilitation of railroad and rolling stock.

HB2290 would authorize the affiliation of Northwest Kansas Technical College and North Central Kansas Technical College with Fort Hays State University (FHSU).

Senate Sub.for HB2302 would establish funding for the State Water Plan and water infrastructure projects, create the Water Technical Assistance Fund and the Water Projects Grant Fund, authorize the Kansas Water Office to provide grants and adopt rules and regulations to establish criteria for grants, update reporting requirements for the Kansas Water Authority, and make technical amendments.

HB2279 would add sections to the Kansas Groundwater Management District Act to require groundwater districts to submit annual reports to the Legislature and conservation and stabilization action plans to the Chief Engineer, Division of Water Resources, Kansas Department of Agriculture. The bill will be part of and supplemental to the Kansas Groundwater Management Act of the Kansas Statues Annotated.

This week is conference committee week where bills from the House and Senate that have differences will be negotiated and agreed to by conference committee participants from the House and Senate. After an agreement is met each chamber will need to receive a majority approval to the changes.

Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, is senator of the 40th District which includes:

* Cheyenne, Decatur, Ellis, Gove, Graham, Logan, Norton, Rawlins,&nbsp;Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, Trego and Wallace Counties * Phillips County: Cities: Logan, Long Island, Prairie View, Speed;&nbsp;Townships: Beaver, Belmont, Dayton, Granite, Logan, Long Island, Mound, Plainview, Prairie View,&nbsp;Solomon (part) and Towanda

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675701343257.jpeg" alt="Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, 40th Dist. (Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post)" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, 40th Dist. (Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post)</figcaption>
 </figure>April 5, 2023I have spent the last three weekends holding Town Hall meetings in the 40th Senate District. When I spoke about the property tax rebate for seniors over 65 and disabled veterans many of the people were not aware of the property tax rebate program. I mentioned at the meetings that I would republish the information regarding the new tax law. During the 2022 session, there were several changes to tax law. One change is the first step in a property tax freeze for low-income seniors and disabled veterans via a rebate program administered by the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR). Applications for property tax relief must be submitted by April 18, 2023, and can be found at: <a href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/pdf/k-40svr.pdf">https://www.ksrevenue.gov/pdf/k-40svr.pdf</a>. Please note that to qualify for the “freeze” a household annual income must be $50,000 or below, a homeowner must be 65 years or older, and the value of the home cannot be above $350,000. A disabled veteran must be at least 50% disabled. Property taxes are still paid to the county and then a homeowner may apply to Kansas Department of Revenue for a refund on their increase, resulting in a freeze. In 2023 we will continue to look for solutions for the reduction in property taxes for all Kansas tax payers.We passed the Senate’s version of the budget:The budget vote is the first step in a multi-stop train that is the annual budget process. The committee delayed action on several items to be reviewed at conference and some at omnibus. The legislature has the power of the purse and it’s important we do not just simply act as a rubber stamp. At this stage in the process, nothing is off the table. 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. 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 by Senator Tyson that made a modest cut to agencies NOT INCLUDING health, safety, or K-12 education by just 3.25% to save $97 million. Senator Blasi also added an amendment that transferred $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. Senator Blasi indicated that Kansas has been losing targeted case managers which is causing tremendous anxiety for families who need IDD care.Some of the bills of interest for the 40th Senate District this week are:HB2335 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. Continuing law authorizes use of these funds for financing, acquisition, or rehabilitation of railroad and rolling stock.HB2290 would authorize the affiliation of Northwest Kansas Technical College and North Central Kansas Technical College with Fort Hays State University (FHSU).Senate Sub.for HB2302 would establish funding for the State Water Plan and water infrastructure projects, create the Water Technical Assistance Fund and the Water Projects Grant Fund, authorize the Kansas Water Office to provide grants and adopt rules and regulations to establish criteria for grants, update reporting requirements for the Kansas Water Authority, and make technical amendments.HB2279 would add sections to the Kansas Groundwater Management District Act to require groundwater districts to submit annual reports to the Legislature and conservation and stabilization action plans to the Chief Engineer, Division of Water Resources, Kansas Department of Agriculture. The bill will be part of and supplemental to the Kansas Groundwater Management Act of the Kansas Statues Annotated.This week is conference committee week where bills from the House and Senate that have differences will be negotiated and agreed to by conference committee participants from the House and Senate. After an agreement is met each chamber will need to receive a majority approval to the changes.Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, is senator of the 40th District which includes:* Cheyenne, Decatur, Ellis, Gove, Graham, Logan, Norton, Rawlins,&nbsp;Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, Trego and Wallace Counties * Phillips County: Cities: Logan, Long Island, Prairie View, Speed;&nbsp;Townships: Beaver, Belmont, Dayton, Granite, Logan, Long Island, Mound, Plainview, Prairie View,&nbsp;Solomon (part) and Towanda

BILLINGER: Senate Update, April 5

By GLENN BRUNKOW Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher I don’t know about you, but spring is here and I am ready for it. After a cold winter, there is nothing better than the sun on your face&nbsp;that first warm spring day. That same sunshine brings new growth, and we can see our pastures greening up. At first, the blades of grass barely poke through the ground, but soon with a little bit of sunshine and (hopefully) some water the grass grows at an amazing rate. The growth is incredible and what I find more fascinating is it happens year after year. Fall and winter comes and the top growth dies off only to come back as new growth the next year. Why? The secret is in the roots, the grassroots. Just like the prairie, Kansas Farm Bureau relies on grassroots to make our organization strong and resilient. They are the source of everything that happens even though they may not always be very visible. Our grassroots are what anchor us in the ground and give the organization a strong footing. Our grassroots run deep; they have been growing for over a century. Without our counties anchoring and supporting, the rest of the organization would not exist. Our deep roots and wide network are also what make us survive. When things are tough, we cover enough ground to help us to receive what we need to keep going. Just like grassroots bring in water and nutrients, our counties supply the organization with new ideas, hard work and volunteers. In turn, the leaves provide the plant with energy. The Kansas Farm Bureau provides advocacy, support and education back to the counties. Those grassroots are what makes Farm Bureau such a great organization. It is the fact that each county has its own, autonomous association, then each state is its own entity and the American Farm Bureau Federation exists not because of the states but the counties in each state. Just like the grass plant, nothing else would exist without the county level organizations. All policy and decisions ultimately are made at the county level. Every leader started out as a member in their home county. Every policy in our state and national policy book started out as an idea at the county level and worked its way through the system. The most effective education, advocacy and community service all happen at the county level. That is why we can represent farmers and ranchers of all types of no matter how big or small their farms or ranches are. The depth and breadth of our roots is what makes us different from every other agricultural organization and we should be very proud of that. Yes, everyone sees the green grass growing above ground but that green grass exists because of its roots, and I don’t know about you but I am awfully proud of my grassroots. "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/2019/12/1576508626397.png" alt="Glenn Brunkow" />
 <figcaption>Glenn Brunkow</figcaption>
 </figure>By GLENN BRUNKOW Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher I don’t know about you, but spring is here and I am ready for it. After a cold winter, there is nothing better than the sun on your face&nbsp;that first warm spring day. That same sunshine brings new growth, and we can see our pastures greening up. At first, the blades of grass barely poke through the ground, but soon with a little bit of sunshine and (hopefully) some water the grass grows at an amazing rate. The growth is incredible and what I find more fascinating is it happens year after year. Fall and winter comes and the top growth dies off only to come back as new growth the next year. Why? The secret is in the roots, the grassroots. Just like the prairie, Kansas Farm Bureau relies on grassroots to make our organization strong and resilient. They are the source of everything that happens even though they may not always be very visible. Our grassroots are what anchor us in the ground and give the organization a strong footing. Our grassroots run deep; they have been growing for over a century. Without our counties anchoring and supporting, the rest of the organization would not exist. Our deep roots and wide network are also what make us survive. When things are tough, we cover enough ground to help us to receive what we need to keep going. Just like grassroots bring in water and nutrients, our counties supply the organization with new ideas, hard work and volunteers. In turn, the leaves provide the plant with energy. The Kansas Farm Bureau provides advocacy, support and education back to the counties. Those grassroots are what makes Farm Bureau such a great organization. It is the fact that each county has its own, autonomous association, then each state is its own entity and the American Farm Bureau Federation exists not because of the states but the counties in each state. Just like the grass plant, nothing else would exist without the county level organizations. All policy and decisions ultimately are made at the county level. Every leader started out as a member in their home county. Every policy in our state and national policy book started out as an idea at the county level and worked its way through the system. The most effective education, advocacy and community service all happen at the county level. That is why we can represent farmers and ranchers of all types of no matter how big or small their farms or ranches are. The depth and breadth of our roots is what makes us different from every other agricultural organization and we should be very proud of that. Yes, everyone sees the green grass growing above ground but that green grass exists because of its roots, and I don’t know about you but I am awfully proud of my grassroots. "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: From the ground up

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.

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 </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.

Opinion