In 2019, the Governors of Kansas and Missouri both committed to a truce, pausing the pointless, destructive tax border war.&nbsp; Prior to that, KC-area companies would regularly leverage millions
 of dollars from their respective states in order to move just a few miles across the state line.&nbsp; Waddell and Reed received $62 million to move from Kansas to Missouri, while AMC Theaters got over $21 million to move from Missouri to Kansas.&nbsp; Neither move
 took the respective companies out of the KC area.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The result of this nonsense was millions of dollars lost to state services, most notably public schools, all for companies to relocate–not create–jobs.&nbsp; State money was in the mix, too—it was
 not just a Kansas City issue. The choice is then whether to cut essential services like schools and infrastructure, or make up the revenue by raising taxes on individuals and small businesses that do not have powerful, well-connected lobbyists.&nbsp; No jobs are
 created in this process, except of course for lawyers and lobbyists.

This is absurd.&nbsp; Fortunately, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and Missouri Governor Mike Parson agree.&nbsp; In 2019, they agreed to a tax break truce, and it is holding.&nbsp; The Missouri General Assembly
 also passed legislation codifying it, but only if the Kansas Legislature would pass similar legislation within two years, which they did not.&nbsp; Kelly and Parson have each been re-elected since, but to make this commitment more binding once their terms are up,
 the two legislatures need to renew their own deal.&nbsp; This time, the Kansas Legislature needs to reciprocate.

To be clear, both states are still gung ho about tax breaks such as the massive “APEX” deal that lured a Panasonic electric-vehicle battery factory to Desoto. However, since 2019 there have
 been no massive tax packages dangled before existing KC employers to move a few blocks or a few miles.&nbsp; Yet unfinished business remains.&nbsp; Not only do the legislatures need to make the deal permanent, there is yet another issue that they need to address: a
 lack of tax reciprocity.

Hundreds of thousands of taxpayers live in Kansas and work in Missouri, and vice-versa.&nbsp; Each one is required to file and pay taxes in both states.&nbsp; Each state offers residents a credit for
 taxes paid to other states, but the process is cumbersome and error-prone.&nbsp; By contrast, Ohio has had a tax reciprocity agreement with all states which it borders for decades.&nbsp; Most notably, this includes the Cincinnati area, a substantial portion of which
 lies in Kentucky.&nbsp; Under those agreements, one pays taxes to the state where one lives, not where one works.&nbsp; A single state tax return is filed, and that is the end of it.&nbsp; If there are any complications, the other state need only check the taxpayer’s state
 of legal residency.&nbsp; Kansas could also do this with Colorado, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Opportunities are being lost and time wasted because of the baffling complexity of filing two tax returns and negotiating each state’s complicated process of taking a credit for the taxes paid
 to other states.&nbsp; It also incentivizes many people with otherwise-simple tax status to rely on paid tax preparers, wasting money.&nbsp; But for the border issue, these taxpayers could easily complete the forms on their own.

This should not be an ideological or partisan issue.&nbsp; The Kansas Legislature needs to renew the tax truce legislation and pass tax reciprocity–the sooner, the better.

Michael Smith is a professor at Emporia State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639601062071.jpeg" alt="Michael Smith is a professor at Emporia State University." />
 <figcaption>Michael Smith is a professor at Emporia State University.</figcaption>
 </figure>In 2019, the Governors of Kansas and Missouri both committed to a truce, pausing the pointless, destructive tax border war.&nbsp; Prior to that, KC-area companies would regularly leverage millions
 of dollars from their respective states in order to move just a few miles across the state line.&nbsp; Waddell and Reed received $62 million to move from Kansas to Missouri, while AMC Theaters got over $21 million to move from Missouri to Kansas.&nbsp; Neither move
 took the respective companies out of the KC area.&nbsp;&nbsp;The result of this nonsense was millions of dollars lost to state services, most notably public schools, all for companies to relocate–not create–jobs.&nbsp; State money was in the mix, too—it was
 not just a Kansas City issue. The choice is then whether to cut essential services like schools and infrastructure, or make up the revenue by raising taxes on individuals and small businesses that do not have powerful, well-connected lobbyists.&nbsp; No jobs are
 created in this process, except of course for lawyers and lobbyists.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>This is absurd.&nbsp; Fortunately, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and Missouri Governor Mike Parson agree.&nbsp; In 2019, they agreed to a tax break truce, and it is holding.&nbsp; The Missouri General Assembly
 also passed legislation codifying it, but only if the Kansas Legislature would pass similar legislation within two years, which they did not.&nbsp; Kelly and Parson have each been re-elected since, but to make this commitment more binding once their terms are up,
 the two legislatures need to renew their own deal.&nbsp; This time, the Kansas Legislature needs to reciprocate.To be clear, both states are still gung ho about tax breaks such as the massive “APEX” deal that lured a Panasonic electric-vehicle battery factory to Desoto. However, since 2019 there have
 been no massive tax packages dangled before existing KC employers to move a few blocks or a few miles.&nbsp; Yet unfinished business remains.&nbsp; Not only do the legislatures need to make the deal permanent, there is yet another issue that they need to address: a
 lack of tax reciprocity.Hundreds of thousands of taxpayers live in Kansas and work in Missouri, and vice-versa.&nbsp; Each one is required to file and pay taxes in both states.&nbsp; Each state offers residents a credit for
 taxes paid to other states, but the process is cumbersome and error-prone.&nbsp; By contrast, Ohio has had a tax reciprocity agreement with all states which it borders for decades.&nbsp; Most notably, this includes the Cincinnati area, a substantial portion of which
 lies in Kentucky.&nbsp; Under those agreements, one pays taxes to the state where one lives, not where one works.&nbsp; A single state tax return is filed, and that is the end of it.&nbsp; If there are any complications, the other state need only check the taxpayer’s state
 of legal residency.&nbsp; Kansas could also do this with Colorado, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.&nbsp;&nbsp;Opportunities are being lost and time wasted because of the baffling complexity of filing two tax returns and negotiating each state’s complicated process of taking a credit for the taxes paid
 to other states.&nbsp; It also incentivizes many people with otherwise-simple tax status to rely on paid tax preparers, wasting money.&nbsp; But for the border issue, these taxpayers could easily complete the forms on their own.This should not be an ideological or partisan issue.&nbsp; The Kansas Legislature needs to renew the tax truce legislation and pass tax reciprocity–the sooner, the better.Michael Smith is a professor at Emporia State University.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Tax truce is holding, but it’s time to finish the job

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

GOVE COUNTY, Kan. — The prairie was still asleep when I drug my blurry-eyed self and camera gear out of a van onto a pasture in Gove County.

Our instructions indicated we should follow the stacks of cow pies to the lek, mating grounds for prairie chickens, usually used year after year.

We quickly set up our pop-up blinds and settled into the darkness, waiting and listening as the cold, dry Kansas wind slapped our faces.&nbsp;

"You will hear them before you see them," our guide whispered as he zipped us in.

Then through the darkness, you could hear warbles and then bloop, bloop, bloop of the lesser prairie chickens and finally the booooma of a greater prairie chicken.

I participated in the <a href="https://www.audubonofkansas.org/grousetours">Kansas Audubon Society</a>'s Lek Trek weekend April 13 to 16, which was based in Hays.

Although greater prairie chickens can be found from Texas to southern Canada, northwestern Kansas is the only place in the world where greater and lesser prairie chickens occur in the same place.&nbsp;

Lesser prairie chickens have a much smaller range that includes parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and New Mexico — the majority of that range is in western Kansas.

Last weekend, more than 140 birders from across the nation came to Kansas, with Hays as their base, to see prairie chickens during their mating season.&nbsp;

In addition to the males inflating sacks on either side of their throats to make their signature booms, prairie chickens are also known for their distinct (and in my view, comical) mating dances.

The males shoot up feathers located on the back of their necks called&nbsp;pinnae. Those feathers stick up above their heads like horns. They stick their tail feathers up in the air, wiggle their butts and quickly stomp their feet. It looks like a combo between a 2-year-old throwing a temper tantrum and grandma trying to do the chicken dance.&nbsp;

Although you're supposed to be dead silent in those blinds, it's hard not to giggle just a little at the whole sight.

As more birds join the lek, fights erupt. Two males will face off in the middle of the lek, staring at each other. Sometimes they just walk away. Other times one will fly up and pounce on the other bird.&nbsp;

The females, who are much less showy, which is common in the bird world, mingle with the males appearing uninterested and unamused.

Even after all the girls have left the lek for the morning, a few males tend to hang out, too tired to spar anymore.&nbsp;

Observing prairie chickens from a blind gets you the best views of the birds and the best glimpses of their natural behaviors.

At times, birds were no more than 10 feet from our blinds and could be easily seen without scopes or binoculars.&nbsp;

The downside is that you have to be in those blinds before the first light and must stay in the blinds without a bathroom break until after 9 a.m. in our case when the birds for no apparent reason all flushed at once. We met to load vans to head toward our leks at 3:30 a.m.

Even last Friday when the high was 80, it was cold on that hilltop in Gove County, even with three layers of clothes and gloves. A birder from San Fransisco who went out on one of the blind tours Saturday morning when the high was only in the 50s said it was the coldest he had ever been.

They haven't been here when the wind chills were 50 below.

Prairie chickens were once ubiquitous on the prairie. Early settlers hunted them for food. However, their numbers have been in decline for decades.

Prairie chickens need large open areas of grassland to sustain their populations and perform their signature mating dances. They don't like anything that is taller than they are. This includes trees, power poles, windmills and oil derricks.&nbsp;

Some researchers have proffered the prairie chickens avoid these natural and manmade structures because they have historically been used by birds of prey for perches.

You likely have heard lesser prairie chickens mentioned in the news recently. The federal government has listed the lesser prairie chicken as threatened, which is not sitting too well with some energy companies and local landowners.

Prairie chickens thrive on cattle pastures. Grazing keeps cover at the needed heights for the prairie chickens through their life cycles. They need some short grass, some medium cover and some thicker cover.&nbsp;

One of these said landowners stopped our van on the way out of the pasture Friday morning and started chit-chatting about the chickens.

He said he too had prairie chickens on his property, but he said he was concerned about the limits the listing would place on property rights.

The landowner said he isn't bothered by the prairie chickens or the researchers and visitors who come to see them.&nbsp;

However, he said he wants to be able to manage his cattle and land without interference from the feds in D.C. 

The farmer's concerns did not fall on deaf ears. We've had a farm in our family for several generations. It's hard work, and farmers are often left with small profits and big debts.

So why go through all this trouble to save this one goofy little bird?&nbsp;

Jackie Augustine, organizer of the Prairie Chicken Festival and an expert on the birds, said simply they're cute.

More importantly, they are a sign of healthy prairie habitat.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/727ddb20-ced5-4d23-9090-aeb6cfda8a9e">She also argued voluntary measures have been in place for years, but the prairie chicken populations have yet to stabilize.</a>

Commerce doesn't have to be given up entirely for conservation.

Augustine said cattle ranchers can still run cattle on their land, and the listing doesn't completely restrict oil and energy production in this region. It encourages it to be done in areas that won't destroy leks.

Birders are a passionate group. They have what they call life lists, which include every bird they have seen in their lifetimes. Some birders travel internationally to add to those life lists.

The Prairie Chicken Festival attendees, most of whom were from out of state, paid hundreds of dollars in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/audubonofkansas">Audubon</a> fees alone, not to mention food, gas, lodging and entertainment to watch these birds.

Coming to a compromise between maintaining property owner rights and implementing conservation tactics that will preserve the lesser prairie chicken is where we need to be, but that's not where politics are going.

Unfortunately, parties in the prairie chicken debate have taken to their corners for a fight. <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/1f995f9e-3403-4556-b353-c968c3e5e924">Last week, the Kansas Attorney General sued President Biden in an attempt to have the lesser prairie chicken delisted from the threatened species list.</a>

This weekend was my third time observing prairie chickens in the wild. They never cease to amaze me. They always make me smile. Their boom ... boom ... boom ... makes me feel more in rhythm.&nbsp;

They don't understand land deeds or lawsuits. They are just doing what prairie chickens do.

Those who know me, know I am not a morning person. I don't know anyone who is a 3 a.m. morning person. However, as I emerged from our little prairie cocoons Friday morning on lek, I had a huge smile on my face. The hike, no bathroom, the early wakeup, and the cold were worth it.

However, as the birds flushed and disappeared into the gray morning Friday, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as I wondered what was next for my feathered friends.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681935383708.jpeg" alt="Prairie chickens thrive on land that is being grazed by cattle because the cattle help maintain vegetation at varying densities, which is ideal for the life cycle of the birds. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Prairie chickens thrive on land that is being grazed by cattle because the cattle help maintain vegetation at varying densities, which is ideal for the life cycle of the birds. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostGOVE COUNTY, Kan. — The prairie was still asleep when I drug my blurry-eyed self and camera gear out of a van onto a pasture in Gove County.Our instructions indicated we should follow the stacks of cow pies to the lek, mating grounds for prairie chickens, usually used year after year.We quickly set up our pop-up blinds and settled into the darkness, waiting and listening as the cold, dry Kansas wind slapped our faces.&nbsp;"You will hear them before you see them," our guide whispered as he zipped us in.Then through the darkness, you could hear warbles and then bloop, bloop, bloop of the lesser prairie chickens and finally the booooma of a greater prairie chicken.I participated in the <a href="https://www.audubonofkansas.org/grousetours">Kansas Audubon Society</a>'s Lek Trek weekend April 13 to 16, which was based in Hays.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681935690526.jpeg" alt="The greater prairie chicken on the left, inflates its air sacs, as the lesser prairie chicken does the same on the right. Greater prairie chickens tend to be bigger and have an orange air sac. The lesser prairie chickens are smaller and have a red air sac. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The greater prairie chicken on the left, inflates its air sacs, as the lesser prairie chicken does the same on the right. Greater prairie chickens tend to be bigger and have an orange air sac. The lesser prairie chickens are smaller and have a red air sac. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Although greater prairie chickens can be found from Texas to southern Canada, northwestern Kansas is the only place in the world where greater and lesser prairie chickens occur in the same place.&nbsp;Lesser prairie chickens have a much smaller range that includes parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and New Mexico — the majority of that range is in western Kansas.Last weekend, more than 140 birders from across the nation came to Kansas, with Hays as their base, to see prairie chickens during their mating season.&nbsp;In addition to the males inflating sacks on either side of their throats to make their signature booms, prairie chickens are also known for their distinct (and in my view, comical) mating dances.The males shoot up feathers located on the back of their necks called&nbsp;pinnae. Those feathers stick up above their heads like horns. They stick their tail feathers up in the air, wiggle their butts and quickly stomp their feet. It looks like a combo between a 2-year-old throwing a temper tantrum and grandma trying to do the chicken dance.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681935984841.jpeg" alt="Male lesser prairie chickens square off on a lek in Gove County. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Male lesser prairie chickens square off on a lek in Gove County. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Although you're supposed to be dead silent in those blinds, it's hard not to giggle just a little at the whole sight.As more birds join the lek, fights erupt. Two males will face off in the middle of the lek, staring at each other. Sometimes they just walk away. Other times one will fly up and pounce on the other bird.&nbsp;The females, who are much less showy, which is common in the bird world, mingle with the males appearing uninterested and unamused.Even after all the girls have left the lek for the morning, a few males tend to hang out, too tired to spar anymore.&nbsp;Observing prairie chickens from a blind gets you the best views of the birds and the best glimpses of their natural behaviors.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681936081724.jpeg" alt="A male lesser prairie chicken, right, tries to woo a female lesser prairie chicken, left. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A male lesser prairie chicken, right, tries to woo a female lesser prairie chicken, left. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>At times, birds were no more than 10 feet from our blinds and could be easily seen without scopes or binoculars.&nbsp;The downside is that you have to be in those blinds before the first light and must stay in the blinds without a bathroom break until after 9 a.m. in our case when the birds for no apparent reason all flushed at once. We met to load vans to head toward our leks at 3:30 a.m.Even last Friday when the high was 80, it was cold on that hilltop in Gove County, even with three layers of clothes and gloves. A birder from San Fransisco who went out on one of the blind tours Saturday morning when the high was only in the 50s said it was the coldest he had ever been.They haven't been here when the wind chills were 50 below.Prairie chickens were once ubiquitous on the prairie. Early settlers hunted them for food. However, their numbers have been in decline for decades.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681936235390.jpeg" alt="A prairie chicken tries to pounce on a rival male as they fight for mates on a lek in Gove County. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A prairie chicken tries to pounce on a rival male as they fight for mates on a lek in Gove County. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Prairie chickens need large open areas of grassland to sustain their populations and perform their signature mating dances. They don't like anything that is taller than they are. This includes trees, power poles, windmills and oil derricks.&nbsp;Some researchers have proffered the prairie chickens avoid these natural and manmade structures because they have historically been used by birds of prey for perches.You likely have heard lesser prairie chickens mentioned in the news recently. The federal government has listed the lesser prairie chicken as threatened, which is not sitting too well with some energy companies and local landowners.Prairie chickens thrive on cattle pastures. Grazing keeps cover at the needed heights for the prairie chickens through their life cycles. They need some short grass, some medium cover and some thicker cover.&nbsp;One of these said landowners stopped our van on the way out of the pasture Friday morning and started chit-chatting about the chickens.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681936388982.jpeg" alt="An overview of the prairie chicken lek as dawn slowly breaks over the prairie. A male lesser prairie chicken, center, can be seen here with several females. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>An overview of the prairie chicken lek as dawn slowly breaks over the prairie. A male lesser prairie chicken, center, can be seen here with several females. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>He said he too had prairie chickens on his property, but he said he was concerned about the limits the listing would place on property rights.The landowner said he isn't bothered by the prairie chickens or the researchers and visitors who come to see them.&nbsp;However, he said he wants to be able to manage his cattle and land without interference from the feds in D.C. The farmer's concerns did not fall on deaf ears. We've had a farm in our family for several generations. It's hard work, and farmers are often left with small profits and big debts.So why go through all this trouble to save this one goofy little bird?&nbsp;Jackie Augustine, organizer of the Prairie Chicken Festival and an expert on the birds, said simply they're cute.More importantly, they are a sign of healthy prairie habitat.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681936745789.jpeg" alt="Lesser prairie chickens have been listed as threatened by the federal government, but the state of Kansas is fighting that designation. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Lesser prairie chickens have been listed as threatened by the federal government, but the state of Kansas is fighting that designation. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/727ddb20-ced5-4d23-9090-aeb6cfda8a9e">She also argued voluntary measures have been in place for years, but the prairie chicken populations have yet to stabilize.</a>Commerce doesn't have to be given up entirely for conservation.Augustine said cattle ranchers can still run cattle on their land, and the listing doesn't completely restrict oil and energy production in this region. It encourages it to be done in areas that won't destroy leks.Birders are a passionate group. They have what they call life lists, which include every bird they have seen in their lifetimes. Some birders travel internationally to add to those life lists.The Prairie Chicken Festival attendees, most of whom were from out of state, paid hundreds of dollars in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/audubonofkansas">Audubon</a> fees alone, not to mention food, gas, lodging and entertainment to watch these birds.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681936920208.jpeg" alt="Most of the prairie chicken leks in Kansas are on private land. This one was marked by cow pie piles. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Most of the prairie chicken leks in Kansas are on private land. This one was marked by cow pie piles. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Coming to a compromise between maintaining property owner rights and implementing conservation tactics that will preserve the lesser prairie chicken is where we need to be, but that's not where politics are going.Unfortunately, parties in the prairie chicken debate have taken to their corners for a fight. <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/1f995f9e-3403-4556-b353-c968c3e5e924">Last week, the Kansas Attorney General sued President Biden in an attempt to have the lesser prairie chicken delisted from the threatened species list.</a>This weekend was my third time observing prairie chickens in the wild. They never cease to amaze me. They always make me smile. Their boom ... boom ... boom ... makes me feel more in rhythm.&nbsp;They don't understand land deeds or lawsuits. They are just doing what prairie chickens do.Those who know me, know I am not a morning person. I don't know anyone who is a 3 a.m. morning person. However, as I emerged from our little prairie cocoons Friday morning on lek, I had a huge smile on my face. The hike, no bathroom, the early wakeup, and the cold were worth it.However, as the birds flushed and disappeared into the gray morning Friday, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as I wondered what was next for my feathered friends.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681936568023.jpeg" alt="Hays Post reporter Cristina Janney standing outside of her blind in the late morning after her prairie chicken viewing tour. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Hays Post reporter Cristina Janney standing outside of her blind in the late morning after her prairie chicken viewing tour. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>

📸 Reporter experiences Kansas prairie chickens first hand

By JACKIE MUNDT Pratt County farmer and rancher Living in a small town is wonderful. Knowing people in the grocery store, the space and security for children to play in parks or yards and a shared sense of ownership with your neighbors to help and make life better for each other are some of the things that make this life sweet. Smaller usually feels like an advantage in rural communities, except there are fewer people to help financially support the cost of community resources. Farmers and other landowners cover a large portion of the communities’ financial needs through property tax payments to support local municipalities, schools, hospitals and other taxing entities. Incredibly rural communities often have a choice between shockingly high taxes or a glaring lack of important community services. Bond issues are a way for the community to declare their opinion of whether some of the taxes are worth it. This spring, our school district like many other across the state, has a bond issue on the upcoming ballot. The school is asking our community to make improvements to existing facilities to accommodate unmet and future needs. Bond measures are really asking whether you and your neighbors want to join together and spend money out of your own pocket on an investment in the community. All investments should be considered carefully by weighing the cost against the risk and reward. In our ultra-polarized world, some people will quickly jump to one side or the other of this issue. Some will oppose the measure because the cost is too high or they believe the improvements are not needed. Others are strongly in favor of all investments in education and community improvements regardless of the cost. This community has been fortunate to have had citizens who balanced fiscal responsibility with a vision for a community that is a great place to live. As I look around, it is easy to see all the places where people have made investments of time and money to make our community great. I often marvel about how people have been proactive and really cared about the future of our community. It’s not like that everywhere. I appreciate the past investments and feel a sense of obligation and desire to do my best for the future of this place.&nbsp; Personally, I am typically pro-investment because community growth and improvements to our schools and other facilities make for a high quality of life that attracts new people and helps us all to thrive. However, the idea of more taxes pushes me to temper that reaction with an evaluation of the project before deciding my stance. It is my responsibility as a voter and community member to evaluate the proposed bond against my own desires and the needs of our community. The vote is a few weeks away, and I have been investigating the proposal, discussing it with my fellow voters and seeking knowledge to fill gaps in my understanding. If you have a bond issue in your community, I hope you will take the time to evaluate what is being asked and if the solution is the right course of action. Getting to the decision right can have a big impact on the future of your community. I haven’t made a decision on the bond issue yet but am confident I will walk into the polling booth as an informed voter with the best interest our community in mind. I also have faith that my fellow community members have the same feelings of responsibility and ownership of the decision they make. "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/2019/12/1575406519723.jpeg" alt="Jackie Mundt" />
 <figcaption>Jackie Mundt</figcaption>
 </figure>By JACKIE MUNDT Pratt County farmer and rancher Living in a small town is wonderful. Knowing people in the grocery store, the space and security for children to play in parks or yards and a shared sense of ownership with your neighbors to help and make life better for each other are some of the things that make this life sweet. Smaller usually feels like an advantage in rural communities, except there are fewer people to help financially support the cost of community resources. Farmers and other landowners cover a large portion of the communities’ financial needs through property tax payments to support local municipalities, schools, hospitals and other taxing entities. Incredibly rural communities often have a choice between shockingly high taxes or a glaring lack of important community services. Bond issues are a way for the community to declare their opinion of whether some of the taxes are worth it. This spring, our school district like many other across the state, has a bond issue on the upcoming ballot. The school is asking our community to make improvements to existing facilities to accommodate unmet and future needs. Bond measures are really asking whether you and your neighbors want to join together and spend money out of your own pocket on an investment in the community. All investments should be considered carefully by weighing the cost against the risk and reward. In our ultra-polarized world, some people will quickly jump to one side or the other of this issue. Some will oppose the measure because the cost is too high or they believe the improvements are not needed. Others are strongly in favor of all investments in education and community improvements regardless of the cost. This community has been fortunate to have had citizens who balanced fiscal responsibility with a vision for a community that is a great place to live. As I look around, it is easy to see all the places where people have made investments of time and money to make our community great. I often marvel about how people have been proactive and really cared about the future of our community. It’s not like that everywhere. I appreciate the past investments and feel a sense of obligation and desire to do my best for the future of this place.&nbsp; Personally, I am typically pro-investment because community growth and improvements to our schools and other facilities make for a high quality of life that attracts new people and helps us all to thrive. However, the idea of more taxes pushes me to temper that reaction with an evaluation of the project before deciding my stance. It is my responsibility as a voter and community member to evaluate the proposed bond against my own desires and the needs of our community. The vote is a few weeks away, and I have been investigating the proposal, discussing it with my fellow voters and seeking knowledge to fill gaps in my understanding. If you have a bond issue in your community, I hope you will take the time to evaluate what is being asked and if the solution is the right course of action. Getting to the decision right can have a big impact on the future of your community. I haven’t made a decision on the bond issue yet but am confident I will walk into the polling booth as an informed voter with the best interest our community in mind. I also have faith that my fellow community members have the same feelings of responsibility and ownership of the decision they make. "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: Community bonds

Have you ever stepped into the water on the first fishing trip of the spring only to find your waders leaked? Or lost a nice fish because the line on your reel was old and snapped? Or even found while trying to make the&nbsp;first cast of the year that your reel wouldn’t work at all?&nbsp;All of the above are scenarios&nbsp;that can easily be avoided with a little prior planning. So&nbsp;here are a few tips to help make you ready for action&nbsp;when your buddy calls and screams&nbsp;into the phone&nbsp;“The fish are bitin’!”

Check your gear early. We all lose tackle each year to rocks and “stick fish,” so go through your tackle box, make a list and stock up. Check your waders for leaks. If they didn’t leak the last time you took them off, they probably won’t leak now, but be sure; it’s better than an unexpected boot full of cold water. Line on fishing reels should be changed every few years; the more often you use it the more often it should be changed. You can&nbsp;buy&nbsp;spools of line and DIY, or most sporting&nbsp;goods stores have&nbsp;a&nbsp;machine to do it for a small fee.&nbsp;If you fish from a boat, hopefully you’ve gone over it by now to make sure the batteries are good, the motor starts and runs well and the trailer&nbsp;tires aren’t flat.&nbsp;Also be certain to have life preservers on board for every passenger, because if stopped by wildlife and parks on the water or at the dock, they will check that.&nbsp;If you hate wearing life jackets while fishing like most of us do, look into some of the new technology that now allows life jackets to be much smaller, thinner and less obstructing. &nbsp;

We were just leaving town the other day when my wife snapped her fingers in the air and stated “Darn, I forgot to get my&nbsp;new&nbsp;fishing license.” That excuse won’t fly with a game warden if you get&nbsp;checked&nbsp;only to discover your fishing (or hunting) license has expired, so be sure yours is up-to-date. If you are 65, you can&nbsp;purchase a lifetime&nbsp;combination hunting / fishing license&nbsp;for&nbsp;only&nbsp;$42.50&nbsp;that’s good until you turn&nbsp;74 and no longer need a license; it’s the deal of the century!&nbsp;Have you ever bought your hunting license late in the season, and grumbled about it only being good for a short time until New Year’s Eve? Well grumble no more as that now has changed. Now all annual&nbsp;licenses (NOT&nbsp;special permits like deer and turkey tags and fur harvester’s permits) are valid for 365 days from the time you purchase them. So, for example, if you buy a hunting license just in time for the November pheasant opener, that license will be good until that date the&nbsp;following year. And to take convenience one step further, if you purchase licenses online, you can now sign up for a feature called “auto renew” that will send you a notice a few weeks before your new license is due each year, then automatically renew it and&nbsp;charge it to a credit or debit card. &nbsp;

Along with possessing the proper licenses and permits, comes knowledge of all Kansas fishing rules and regulations. Some regulations are statewide and apply to every cubic inch of Kansas water, whether lake, river, stream or reservoir. Some lakes and reservoirs however have length limits, etc that are unique to that water. That’s why every Kansas fisherman’s tackle box should contain a copy of the 2023&nbsp;Kansas Fishing regulations Summary, a&nbsp;multi-page pamphlet that lists&nbsp;all that information for all Kansas lakes, reservoirs, state fishing lakes and community fishing lakes, so you should never get “caught”&nbsp;with your hook bare, so to speak. These should be available everywhere tackle and licenses are sold.

If you’re like me,&nbsp;and not a died-in-the-wool fisherman, it’s handy to know what lakes and reservoirs are best for what fish species. Another handy booklet no Kansas fisherman should be without is the 2023Fishing Forecast. This forecast&nbsp;is assembled by Kansas fisheries biologists using data gathered when they sample&nbsp;lakes in each of their jurisdictions. For each fish species, it rates lakes, reservoirs, state fishing lakes and community fishing lakes for largest fish and largest fish populations. These forecasts are available at all Kansas Dept of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism offices and to download online from the website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ksoutdoors.com/">www.ksoutdoors.com</a>.&nbsp;So instead of helping put the “pro” in procrastinate, take care of business by getting your&nbsp;fishing stuff in order, making certain your license is up-to-date, arm yourselves with all the available information readily available about Kansas fishing regulations and opportunities, and take someone along who’s new to fishing as you continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>Have you ever stepped into the water on the first fishing trip of the spring only to find your waders leaked? Or lost a nice fish because the line on your reel was old and snapped? Or even found while trying to make the&nbsp;first cast of the year that your reel wouldn’t work at all?&nbsp;All of the above are scenarios&nbsp;that can easily be avoided with a little prior planning. So&nbsp;here are a few tips to help make you ready for action&nbsp;when your buddy calls and screams&nbsp;into the phone&nbsp;“The fish are bitin’!”Check your gear early. We all lose tackle each year to rocks and “stick fish,” so go through your tackle box, make a list and stock up. Check your waders for leaks. If they didn’t leak the last time you took them off, they probably won’t leak now, but be sure; it’s better than an unexpected boot full of cold water. Line on fishing reels should be changed every few years; the more often you use it the more often it should be changed. You can&nbsp;buy&nbsp;spools of line and DIY, or most sporting&nbsp;goods stores have&nbsp;a&nbsp;machine to do it for a small fee.&nbsp;If you fish from a boat, hopefully you’ve gone over it by now to make sure the batteries are good, the motor starts and runs well and the trailer&nbsp;tires aren’t flat.&nbsp;Also be certain to have life preservers on board for every passenger, because if stopped by wildlife and parks on the water or at the dock, they will check that.&nbsp;If you hate wearing life jackets while fishing like most of us do, look into some of the new technology that now allows life jackets to be much smaller, thinner and less obstructing. &nbsp;We were just leaving town the other day when my wife snapped her fingers in the air and stated “Darn, I forgot to get my&nbsp;new&nbsp;fishing license.” That excuse won’t fly with a game warden if you get&nbsp;checked&nbsp;only to discover your fishing (or hunting) license has expired, so be sure yours is up-to-date. If you are 65, you can&nbsp;purchase a lifetime&nbsp;combination hunting / fishing license&nbsp;for&nbsp;only&nbsp;$42.50&nbsp;that’s good until you turn&nbsp;74 and no longer need a license; it’s the deal of the century!&nbsp;Have you ever bought your hunting license late in the season, and grumbled about it only being good for a short time until New Year’s Eve? Well grumble no more as that now has changed. Now all annual&nbsp;licenses (NOT&nbsp;special permits like deer and turkey tags and fur harvester’s permits) are valid for 365 days from the time you purchase them. So, for example, if you buy a hunting license just in time for the November pheasant opener, that license will be good until that date the&nbsp;following year. And to take convenience one step further, if you purchase licenses online, you can now sign up for a feature called “auto renew” that will send you a notice a few weeks before your new license is due each year, then automatically renew it and&nbsp;charge it to a credit or debit card. &nbsp;Along with possessing the proper licenses and permits, comes knowledge of all Kansas fishing rules and regulations. Some regulations are statewide and apply to every cubic inch of Kansas water, whether lake, river, stream or reservoir. Some lakes and reservoirs however have length limits, etc that are unique to that water. That’s why every Kansas fisherman’s tackle box should contain a copy of the 2023&nbsp;Kansas Fishing regulations Summary, a&nbsp;multi-page pamphlet that lists&nbsp;all that information for all Kansas lakes, reservoirs, state fishing lakes and community fishing lakes, so you should never get “caught”&nbsp;with your hook bare, so to speak. These should be available everywhere tackle and licenses are sold.If you’re like me,&nbsp;and not a died-in-the-wool fisherman, it’s handy to know what lakes and reservoirs are best for what fish species. Another handy booklet no Kansas fisherman should be without is the 2023Fishing Forecast. This forecast&nbsp;is assembled by Kansas fisheries biologists using data gathered when they sample&nbsp;lakes in each of their jurisdictions. For each fish species, it rates lakes, reservoirs, state fishing lakes and community fishing lakes for largest fish and largest fish populations. These forecasts are available at all Kansas Dept of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism offices and to download online from the website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ksoutdoors.com/">www.ksoutdoors.com</a>.&nbsp;So instead of helping put the “pro” in procrastinate, take care of business by getting your&nbsp;fishing stuff in order, making certain your license is up-to-date, arm yourselves with all the available information readily available about Kansas fishing regulations and opportunities, and take someone along who’s new to fishing as you continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: Be prepared when the fish are biting

2023 SENATE SCENE WEEK THIRTEEN – 1st&nbsp;Adjournment

Senate Highlights – Weekly overview April 17

This was the last week of legislative activity before VETO session.&nbsp; Early Friday morning, the Senate gaveled out for adjournment and will reconvene on April 26th.&nbsp; When we return, the legislature will consider any items the governor has vetoed and complete its work on the budget and any other remaining bills.&nbsp; The wrap-up period is expected to not last long, but work remains on a few topics.

The Senate voted on numerous conference committee reports and also debated bills on the Senate Floor.&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; Within ten days after passage, a bill must be signed by the presiding officers of each chamber, the chief clerk of the House and the secretary of the Senate, and be presented to the governor for approval.&nbsp; The governor has ten days after receipt of the bill to act on it.&nbsp; If the governor does not act on it during the ten-day period, the bill automatically becomes law without the governor’s signature.&nbsp; Most bills passed by the Legislature are approved by the governor.&nbsp; However, the governor may veto a bill by refusing to sign it and returning it to the chamber in which the bill originated, together with a statement of the reasons for the veto.&nbsp; In appropriation bills only, the governor may veto some items (line-item) and approve the others by signing the bill.&nbsp; However, should the governor veto a bill, the Legislature, by a two-thirds vote in both chambers, may override (overturn) the governor's veto and the bill will be enacted into law without the governor’s signature.&nbsp; Once the bill becomes a law, whether by the governor’s approval or a legislative override, it is filed with the Secretary of State.

<a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2238/" target="_blank">HB 2238</a>&nbsp;– will create the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act to require student athletes to compete in gender-specific sports based upon the student’s biological gender.&nbsp; The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act will now become law. The Kansas Senate on April 5th&nbsp;followed in the footsteps of the Kansas House (vote of 84-40) in voting to override the veto of HB 2238 by Governor Kelly.&nbsp;HB&nbsp;2238 passed 28-12.&nbsp;&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2184/" target="_blank">HB 2184</a>&nbsp;-&nbsp; The Senate and House both passed their budget for the year.&nbsp; This budget bill, HB&nbsp;2184, makes appropriations to various state agencies for fiscal years 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028.&nbsp; The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 24-12 and the House by a vote of 79-44.&nbsp; The budget will now be presented to the governor for consideration. It is important to note that HB 2184 does not contain K-12 education funding, so it only represents about 50% of state expenditures.&nbsp; The education funding will be taken care of in the omnibus budget during veto session.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a>I voted yes.</a>

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb169/" target="_blank">House Sub. for SB 169</a>&nbsp;- Both chambers passed their major tax legislation, SB 169, late last week.&nbsp; The bill makes various changes to income, sales, and property tax law.&nbsp; Specifically, the bill replaces current individual income tax brackets with a single rate of 5.15 percent.&nbsp; The bill also expands the exemption of Social Security income and provides for annual standard deduction increases by a cost-of-living adjustment.&nbsp; The bill accelerates the elimination of state sales tax on food to January 1, 2024, lowers the corporate tax rate by 1% and also increases the amount of the appraised value of residential property exempt from the statewide uniform 20-mill school finance levy to $60,000 (from the current $40,000).&nbsp; The bill passed the Senate 24-13 and the House 85-38 and is also under consideration by the Governor.&nbsp;&nbsp;House Sub. for SB 169 heads to the governor.&nbsp;&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/scr1611/" target="_blank">SCR 1611</a>&nbsp;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 4 percent per year.&nbsp; The limit would not apply when the property (among other exemptions) includes new construction or when improvements have been made, title to the property is transferred, changed, or conveyed to another person.&nbsp;&nbsp;SCR 1611 passed 28-11.&nbsp; If it passes the House, it will go to the voters for approval.&nbsp;&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2138/" target="_blank">Senate Sub. for HB 2138</a>&nbsp;would require school district boards of education to adopt a policy regarding separate overnight accommodations for students of each biological sex during school district sponsored travel and provide for administrative review by the State Board of Education of resolutions adopted by school district boards to permanently close a school building.&nbsp; Senate Sub. for HB&nbsp;2138 passed 28-10.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2039/" target="_blank">HB 2039</a>&nbsp;would require the Secretary of Wildlife and Parks or the Secretary’s designee 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; The bill also would designate the Lehigh Portland Trails in Allen County as Lehigh Portland State Park.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2039 passed 35-5.&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb116/" target="_blank">House Sub. for SB 116</a>&nbsp;would amend the Personal and Family Protection Act to remove certain fees paid by persons who have applied for a concealed carry license (CCL) or who are seeking renewal of such license, specifying no such fees would be required to be paid except to cover the cost of taking fingerprints.&nbsp;&nbsp;House Sub. for SB 116 passed 27-10.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2264/" target="_blank">HB 2264</a>&nbsp;would amend the Woman’s-Right-to-Know Act to add a notification requirement about reversal of abortion options with certain medications and amend the definition of abortion.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2264 passed 26-11.&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb209/" target="_blank">SB 209</a>&nbsp;would change the deadline for all advance voting ballots to be received by the county election officer from the third day following the date of the election to 7:00 p.m. on the date of the election.&nbsp;SB 209 passed 23-14.&nbsp;&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/scr1603/" target="_blank">SCR 1603</a>&nbsp;states the Kansas Legislature urges&nbsp;the President of the United States to restore energy independence in the United States.&nbsp;&nbsp;SCR 1603 passed 29-10.&nbsp; Having also passed the house, it heads to the governor.&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2100/" target="_blank">HB 2100</a>,&nbsp;would create the Kansas Public Investments and Contracts Protection Act and would amend law governing the Kansas Public Employees Retirement Fund (Trust Fund) and 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) criteria.&nbsp;HB 2100 passed 27-12.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb217/" target="_blank">SB 217</a>&nbsp;would amend law regarding the use of electronic tracking systems (air tags) to target a person’s location, movement, or travel patterns and the timeframes of protective orders.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB&nbsp;217 passed 37-0. Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb180/" target="_blank">SB 180</a>&nbsp;would establish the Women’s Bill of Rights and provide a meaning of biological sex for purposes of statutory construction.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB 180 passed 28-12.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2350/" target="_blank">HB 2350</a>&nbsp;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.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2350 passed 36-2.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb26/" target="_blank">SB 26</a>&nbsp;would create the Kansas Child Mutilation Prevention Act (Act).&nbsp; The bill would allow an individual who had gender reassignment service performed as a child to bring a civil cause of action under the Act against the physician who performed such service.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB 26 passed 23-12.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the Governor.&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2020/" target="_blank">HB 2020</a>&nbsp;would amend law pertaining to the employment classification of drivers for motor carriers and transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2020 passed 28-12. Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2298/" target="_blank">HB 2298</a>&nbsp;would designate two portions of highways in honor of deceased Kansans:

The Officer Donald Burton Gamblin Jr Memorial Highway would be the portion of I-435 in Johnson County and The Robert Lessen Memorial Highway would be the portion of US-69 in Crawford County.&nbsp;HB 2298 passed 40-0. Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2147/" target="_blank">HB 2147</a>&nbsp;would create and amend law to change procedures regarding purchase of a vehicle that had been towed.&nbsp; It also would amend the Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on Highways to add law to prohibit counterfeit airbags and to amend law to authorize certain ground effect lighting on vehicles.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2147 passed 40-0. Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2059/" target="_blank">HB 2059</a>&nbsp;would amend various provisions of the Kansas Liquor Control Act, Kansas Cereal Malt Beverage Act, and Club and Drinking Establishment Act concerning remittance of gallonage taxes, samples, Sunday sales, the food sales requirement, and common consumption areas.&nbsp; The bill would also permit food establishments to allow dogs in outside areas on the premises.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2059 passed 34-6. Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2346/" target="_blank">HB 2346</a>&nbsp;would authorize “Back the Blue” and City of Topeka distinctive license plates and permit, on and after January 1, 2025, any distinctive license plate to also be a personalized plate.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2346 passed 40-0.&nbsp;&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb66/" target="_blank">SB 66</a>&nbsp; would enact the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact.&nbsp; In addition, the bill would require state licensing bodies to provide paper-based and verified electronic credentials to all credential holders, and to also utilize a centralized electronic credential data management system.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB 66 passed 37-3.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb132/" target="_blank">SB 132</a>&nbsp;would authorize a Buffalo Soldier license plate for use on a vehicle.&nbsp; The bill would allow the Richard Allen Cultural Center and Museum to authorize the organization’s logo to be affixed on these license plates.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB 132 passed 40-0.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb44/" target="_blank">SB 44</a>&nbsp;would enact the Kansas Financial Institutions Information Security Act.&nbsp; Covered entities under the act would be required to set standards for developing and maintaining safeguards to protect the security, confidentiality, and integrity of customer information.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB 44 passed the Senate 36-4.&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2335/" target="_blank">HB 2335</a>&nbsp;would authorize the Rail Service Improvement Fund to be used for qualified track maintenance and would increase transfers from the State Highway Fund (SHF) to the Rail Service Improvement Fund from $5.0 million to $10.0 million annually, starting July 1, 2023.&nbsp; Continuing law authorizes use of these funds for financing, acquisition, or rehabilitation of railroad and rolling stock.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2335 passed 35-2. &nbsp;Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2279/" target="_blank">HB 2279</a>&nbsp;would add sections to the Kansas Groundwater Management District Act to require groundwater management 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.&nbsp; The bill would be part of and supplemental to the Kansas Groundwater Management Act.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2279 passed 34-6.&nbsp;&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb44/" target="_blank">SB 44</a>&nbsp;would enact the Kansas Financial Institutions Information Security Act.&nbsp; The bill would designate covered entities, define terms, outline requirements for covered entities, and provide for responsibilities of the State Bank Commissioner under the Act.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;SB 44 passed 36-4.&nbsp;&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb119/" target="_blank">SB 119</a>&nbsp;would clarify the definition of “insurance company,” add certain legal entities to the definition of “person,”; make the annual update to risk-based capital (RBC) and other technical corrections and reconciling changes in the Insurance Code.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB 119 passed 40-0.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2090/" target="_blank">HB 2090</a>&nbsp;would make several changes to the Insurance Code to decrease the premium tax rate assessed for certain surplus lines business, modify reporting and fee requirements relating to prepaid service plans, and amend the Uniform Insurance Agents Licensure Act and the Public Adjusters Licensing Act to allow the Commissioner of Insurance to set certain fees lower than the established statutory maximum amounts and also amend fingerprinting criteria for resident agents.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2090 passed 37-3.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2015/" target="_blank">HB 2015</a>&nbsp;- would modify the law governing court-ordered infectious disease testing.&nbsp; Current law allows the head of an agency or head of an entity that employs certain persons to petition a court to apply for a court-ordered infectious disease test of another person when an employee is exposed to the transmission of bodily fluids of another person during the course of their work.&nbsp; Employees within the scope of this law include corrections officers, emergency services staff, juvenile correctional facility staff, and law enforcement employees.&nbsp; The bill would allow a designee of the head of an agency or head of an entity to apply for such court-ordered testing. The bill would also make technical changes to ensure consistency in statutory phrasing.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB&nbsp;2015 passed 32-8.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2216/" target="_blank">HB 2216</a>&nbsp;contains important criminal justice reform.&nbsp; It 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.&nbsp; Convictions for the offense would be subject to a mandatory fine of at least $100.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2216 passed 34-6.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2065/" target="_blank">HB 2065</a>&nbsp;would modify law governing name changes during a divorce to allow the court to change a spouse’s name to a name other than the spouse’s former name at the request of the spouse and to give the court jurisdiction to make such a change at or after the time the decree of divorce becomes final.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2065 passed 39-1.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp;&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2131/" target="_blank">HB 2131</a>&nbsp;would create law concerning the mission of the Judicial Council and amend law related to Judicial Council funds.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2131 passed 37-3.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2130/" target="_blank">HB 2130</a>&nbsp;would amend law in the Kansas Probate Code concerning: certain dollar amount limits and thresholds referenced in the Code; transfer-on-death deeds; publication of notice of probate hearings and sales of probate real estate; and filing of wills in court.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2130 passed 40-0.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2093/" target="_blank">HB 2093</a>&nbsp;would establish the Group-funded Pools Refund Fund and eliminate assessments paid by municipal group-funded liability pools and group-funded workers’ compensation pools; amend provisions pertaining to premium taxes paid by municipal group funded liability pools and group-funded workers’ compensation pools; and 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; The bill would also make technical changes.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2093 passed 40-0.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp;&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2302/" target="_blank">Senate Sub. for HB 2302</a>&nbsp;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.&nbsp; Senate Sub. for HB 2302 passed 38-1.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2014/" target="_blank">HB 2014</a>&nbsp;would modify the Boiler Safety Act and emergency medical services (EMS) statutes relating to certain job qualifications and position descriptions.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2014 passed 40-0.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2336/" target="_blank">HB 2336</a>&nbsp;would amend law pertaining to the issuance of general obligation bonds by airport authorities enacted under the Surplus Property and Public Airport Authority Act.&nbsp; The bill would further specify any issuance of bonds subject to approval by a board of county commissioners could be petitioned by qualified electors of the county to be submitted to a general election in the manner provided for in continuing law.&nbsp; The bill would also limit the costs applying to the thresholds from the total project costs to the construction costs of the project.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2336 passed 31-7.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb17/" target="_blank">SB 17</a>&nbsp;would update the designation of and references to the Kansas Rural Housing Incentive District Act to the Kansas Reinvestment Housing Incentive District Act and would create certain housing projects criteria in designated cities with a population of 60,000 or more.&nbsp;SB 17 passed 31-9.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb85/" target="_blank">SB 85</a>&nbsp;would enact the Kansas Travel Insurance Act as part of the Kansas Insurance Act and remove the requirement that the Kansas State Employees Health Care Commission offer as a benefit the option to purchase long-term care insurance and indemnity insurance.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;SB 85 passed 36-4.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb42/" target="_blank">House Sub. for SB 42</a>&nbsp;would exempt a rural emergency hospital licensed under the Rural Emergency Hospital Act from an assessment imposed on hospital providers as part of the Health Care Access Improvement Program.&nbsp; The bill would also require members of a hospital board to be qualified electors of either the county where the hospital is located or any county adjacent to such county and require a member living in an adjacent county to own real property within the taxing district of the hospital.&nbsp; The bill would require a majority of the members of the hospital board to be residents of the county in which the hospital is located.&nbsp;&nbsp;House Sub. for SB 42 passed 38-1.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb221/" target="_blank">SB 221</a>&nbsp;is a comprehensive bill brought to the legislature by the Secretary of State aimed at cleaning up our election laws with a focus on ensuring our laws are consistent throughout statutes and clear for election officials at both the state and county level. It amends several provisions of law related to elections and would amend law on election-related subjects including procedures for write-in candidates for certain elected offices, election administration, qualifications for office, dates and deadlines, notices, certain election crimes, and equipment.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB 221 passed 30-6.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2058/" target="_blank">Senate Sub. for HB 2058</a>&nbsp;would amend law to authorize any gaming compact concerning sports wagering to include provisions governing sports wagering outside the boundaries of Indian lands.&nbsp;&nbsp;Senate Sub. for HB 2058 passed 26-13.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2170/" target="_blank">Senate Sub. for HB 2170</a>&nbsp;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;&nbsp;Senate Sub. for HB 2170 passed 37-3.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp;&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2196/" target="_blank">HB 2196</a>&nbsp;would authorize the affiliation of certain persons employed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks into the Kansas Police and Firemen’s (KP&amp;F) Retirement System on July 1, 2023, and would expand the defined membership of the Deferred Retirement Option Program to include any member of KP&amp;F who is eligible to participate in DROP.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2196 passed 32-6.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2094/" target="_blank">HB 2094</a>&nbsp;would continue the existing statutory requirement that parents cooperate with child support services administered by the Department for Children and Families (DCF) as a condition of receiving a child care subsidy and maintain the periods of ineligibility for a child care subsidy for non-cooperation.&nbsp; The bill would also amend law pertaining to eligibility requirements for the food assistance program (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP) to require work registrants ages 50 through 59 without dependents who are not exempt under federal law to participate in an employment and training program.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2094 passed 26-12.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2234/" target="_blank">HB 2234</a>&nbsp;would enact the Kansas Film and Digital Media Production Development.&nbsp; The Act would create a sales tax exemption and nonrefundable income tax credits for qualifying film production activities and establish educational and economic development programs to incentivize and promote the growth of film and digital media production and industry in Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2234 passed 32-6.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2292/" target="_blank">HB 2292</a>&nbsp;would create the Kansas Apprenticeship Act, which would establish a tax credit and grant incentive programs for apprenticeships and create a matching grant program within the Department of Commerce to provide grants to eligible institutions of higher education based on the number of engineering program graduates of the institution.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2292 passed 32-6.&nbsp;&nbsp;Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2019/" target="_blank">HB 2019</a>&nbsp;would add requirements for reporting significant cybersecurity incidents by entities maintaining personal information provided by the State or using information systems operated by the State.&nbsp;HB 2019 passed 38-0.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2024/" target="_blank">HB 2024</a>&nbsp;would amend the Revised Kansas Code for Care of Children relating to the Newborn Infant Protection Act to provide an alternate means to legally surrender an infant pursuant to the Act; to create a program within the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) for the training of and payment for Child Abuse Review and Evaluation (CARE) providers who conduct CARE exams; and would enact the Representative Gail Finney Memorial Foster Care Bill of Rights to enumerate and codify in statute the rights of children in need of care in the child welfare system (foster youth) and the rights of foster parents and kinship caregivers.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2024 passed 36-1.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb243/" target="_blank">SB 243</a>&nbsp;would create law concerning requirements and procedures for a person having legal custody of a minor to enter into a settlement agreement without court approval on behalf of the minor when the settlement is less than a net amount of $25,000.&nbsp;SB 243 passed 38-0.&nbsp;&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb244/" target="_blank">House Sub. for SB 244</a>&nbsp;would create a new section of law and substantially update various articles of the Kansas General Corporation Code.&nbsp; The bill would also amend various provisions concerning Secretary of State business filings, reports, and fees in the Code and the Kansas Revised Limited Liability Company Act; Business Entity Transactions Act; the Business Entity Standard Treatment Act; Kansas Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act; and the Kansas Uniform Partnership Act.&nbsp;&nbsp;House Sub. for SB 244 passed 28-8.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb75/" target="_blank">SB 75</a>&nbsp;would amend law governing the rate of legal interest for civil tort actions where prejudgment interest is awarded.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB 75 passed 38-0.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb189/" target="_blank">SB 189</a>&nbsp;would amend law regarding file and information sharing by law enforcement agencies regarding applicants for employment.&nbsp; The bill would require each applicant who has submitted an application for a law enforcement officer position to execute a written waiver that authorizes disclosure of an applicant’s previous employment records to the hiring agency when such applicant has submitted an application for a law enforcement officer position with another state or local law enforcement agency or governmental agency.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB&nbsp;189 passed 40-0.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb123/" target="_blank">SB 123</a>&nbsp;would create the Kansas Adult Learner Grant Act (Adult Learner Act) and a workforce retention incentive tax credit; establish the Career and Technical Education Credential and Transition Incentive for Employment Success Act; address the residency status of veterans, their spouses, and dependents regarding postsecondary tuition and fees; and amend the Kansas Promise Scholarship Act.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB 123 passed 35-2.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb228/" target="_blank">SB 228</a>&nbsp;would update language in Article 19 of Chapter 19 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated concerning county jails.&nbsp; The bill would also create law concerning reimbursement of costs when a person is confined in a county jail awaiting examination, evaluation, or treatment for competency to stand trial under the Kansas Code of Criminal Procedure.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB 228 passed 33-3.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a></a><a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2060/" target="_blank">Senate Sub. for HB 2060</a>&nbsp;would make various technical changes to statutes, including changes to law relating to the Drivers’ Training School License Act.&nbsp; The bill would also amend law relating to the State Medical Student Loan Program and the Medical Residency Bridging Program (loan programs), and would establish an obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) medical loan repayment program.&nbsp; Additionally, the bill would authorize several items that qualified students must be provided reasonable access to under the AO-K to Work Program.&nbsp; Similarly, the bill would amend law to include individuals who receive a high school equivalency (HSE) credential, or who are pursuing an HSE credential, in the calculation of and subsequent distribution of performance-based payments for community colleges and technical colleges.&nbsp;&nbsp;Senate Sub. for HB 2060 passed 32-3.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2002/" target="_blank">HB 2002</a>&nbsp;would create two sales tax exemptions, authorize additional sales tax authority for Grant and Dickinson counties, make various changes to property tax law, and establish a requirement for filing the release of tax warrants by the Secretary of Revenue.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2002 passed 37-0.&nbsp;&nbsp;I voted yes.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb229/" target="_blank">House Sub. for SB 229</a>&nbsp;addresses this issue by establishing a nine-member Legislative Compensation Commission and requires the Commission to study compensation, salary, and retirement benefits of legislative members; make recommendations on legislator retirement benefits; and set compensation and salary rates for legislators.&nbsp; Also, beginning January 1, 2025, and subject to appropriations, the bill would establish compensation rates for certain state officials, judges, and certain elected district attorneys that would be equal to a percentage of the salaries for a U.S. congressional member, a U.S. district judge, or a district judge.&nbsp;&nbsp;House Sub. for SB 229 passed 25-8. Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

<a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb205/" target="_blank">SB 205</a>&nbsp;would amend law concerning water rights, the establishment of multi-year flex accounts, and participation in a water bank.&nbsp; The bill would require the Chief Engineer, Division of Water Resources, Kansas Department of Agriculture, to approve a complete application for the establishment of a multi-year flex account.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB 205 passed 40-0.&nbsp; Having also passed the House, it heads to the governor.&nbsp; I voted yes.

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

SEARCH FOR UNCLAIMED PROPERTY -&nbsp;Kansas Unclaimed Property Quick Link

Type in or click this link for the instant search entry form-<a href="https://kansascash.ks.gov/up_search.php" target="_blank">https://kansascash.ks.gov/up_search.php</a>

Please email me at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:elaine.bowers@senate.ks.gov" target="_blank">elaine.bowers@senate.ks.gov</a>&nbsp;or call 785-243-3325 at my office in Concordia with questions or concerns during the break.

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: Senate Scene Week 13

Over the last month, the Kansas legislature pushed through anti-trans woman bills HB180 and HB2238. HB180 establishes a&nbsp;“women's bill of rights to provide a meaning of biological sex for purposes of statutory construction.” In other words, the committee outlines terminology to establish a definition of sex in order to address legal discrimination against those assigned female at birth. The second legislation, HB2238, operates to “create fairness in women’s sports” by excluding women assigned male at birth.&nbsp;

Both bills purport to configure parameters for protecting women’s rights. However, the design is less a protection for women, and more an attempt to deny recognition of trans women.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Women assigned female at birth face particular forms of discrimination different from trans women. Similarly, black women assigned female at birth face unique forms of discrimination based on racial and gender dynamics that distinguishes their experiences from white women assigned female. Thus, women’s intersectional identities can impact the methods and forms of discrimination they face based on class, race, age, and original gender identification. However, the Kansas legislature has not embraced the complexity of women or the myriad of discriminations that impact them.&nbsp;&nbsp;

For example, the legislature has an opportunity to pass a bill addressing domestic violence. Domestic violence homicides are a trend that continues to run high in Kansas, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. District Judge and former Republican state senator Phil Journey’s exposure to these violent cases in his court prompted him to develop legislative reform bills to curve domestic violence. These bills, however, have not flown through the legislature like HB180 and HB2238. Journey noted in the&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/06/sedgwick-county-judge-offers-kansas-legislators-package-of-bills-to-stem-domestic-violence/">Kansas Reflector</a>&nbsp;that,&nbsp;“convincing the minimum 63 of 125 representatives, 21 of 40 senators and Gov. Laura Kelly to transform a piece of legislation into law wasn’t easy.”&nbsp;

Ironically, the current state statistics ignores how trans women also experience domestic violence. As&nbsp;<a href="https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/ncvs-trans-press-release/">UCLA School of Law</a>&nbsp;confirmed,&nbsp;“Transgender people are over four times more likely than cisgender [those whose gender identity aligns to the gender assigned at birth] experience violent victimization, including rape, sexual assault, and aggravated or simple assault, according to a new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

These contradictions about who needs protection lie at the heart of both bills. Neither legislation addresses the violence&nbsp;all&nbsp;women (Trans and assigned female at birth) face, nor provides the real protection that all women need. The result is not new laws which protect women, but legislation that denies trans identity and civil rights by posing “women’s” rights as oppositional.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Indeed, this strategy of contradictory rights is a regular tool in conservative politics. The tactic has its roots in the latter 1960s when southern conservatives attempted to avoid school desegregation by claiming private Christian schools were a religious right. In its current form, these “counter rights” arguments have taken shape to turn back the clock on women’s reproductive rights, avoid teaching black history, and deny queer rights.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansans need genuine discussions about the needs of all women, no matter their birth assignment, race, age, or class. Many individuals are suffering from abusive violence, and our elected officials have the capacity to protect all Kansan women. The first step is to drop the pretense, and support actual protections for all women.&nbsp;

Nishani Frazier is Associate Professor of History and American Studies at the University of Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1675191230725.jpeg" alt="Nishani Frazier is Associate Professor of History and American Studies at the University of Kansas. " />
 <figcaption>Nishani Frazier is Associate Professor of History and American Studies at the University of Kansas. </figcaption>
 </figure>Over the last month, the Kansas legislature pushed through anti-trans woman bills HB180 and HB2238. HB180 establishes a&nbsp;“women's bill of rights to provide a meaning of biological sex for purposes of statutory construction.” In other words, the committee outlines terminology to establish a definition of sex in order to address legal discrimination against those assigned female at birth. The second legislation, HB2238, operates to “create fairness in women’s sports” by excluding women assigned male at birth.&nbsp;Both bills purport to configure parameters for protecting women’s rights. However, the design is less a protection for women, and more an attempt to deny recognition of trans women.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Women assigned female at birth face particular forms of discrimination different from trans women. Similarly, black women assigned female at birth face unique forms of discrimination based on racial and gender dynamics that distinguishes their experiences from white women assigned female. Thus, women’s intersectional identities can impact the methods and forms of discrimination they face based on class, race, age, and original gender identification. However, the Kansas legislature has not embraced the complexity of women or the myriad of discriminations that impact them.&nbsp;&nbsp;For example, the legislature has an opportunity to pass a bill addressing domestic violence. Domestic violence homicides are a trend that continues to run high in Kansas, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. District Judge and former Republican state senator Phil Journey’s exposure to these violent cases in his court prompted him to develop legislative reform bills to curve domestic violence. These bills, however, have not flown through the legislature like HB180 and HB2238. Journey noted in the&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/06/sedgwick-county-judge-offers-kansas-legislators-package-of-bills-to-stem-domestic-violence/">Kansas Reflector</a>&nbsp;that,&nbsp;“convincing the minimum 63 of 125 representatives, 21 of 40 senators and Gov. Laura Kelly to transform a piece of legislation into law wasn’t easy.”&nbsp;Ironically, the current state statistics ignores how trans women also experience domestic violence. As&nbsp;<a href="https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/ncvs-trans-press-release/">UCLA School of Law</a>&nbsp;confirmed,&nbsp;“Transgender people are over four times more likely than cisgender [those whose gender identity aligns to the gender assigned at birth] experience violent victimization, including rape, sexual assault, and aggravated or simple assault, according to a new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law.”&nbsp;&nbsp;These contradictions about who needs protection lie at the heart of both bills. Neither legislation addresses the violence&nbsp;all&nbsp;women (Trans and assigned female at birth) face, nor provides the real protection that all women need. The result is not new laws which protect women, but legislation that denies trans identity and civil rights by posing “women’s” rights as oppositional.&nbsp;&nbsp;Indeed, this strategy of contradictory rights is a regular tool in conservative politics. The tactic has its roots in the latter 1960s when southern conservatives attempted to avoid school desegregation by claiming private Christian schools were a religious right. In its current form, these “counter rights” arguments have taken shape to turn back the clock on women’s reproductive rights, avoid teaching black history, and deny queer rights.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansans need genuine discussions about the needs of all women, no matter their birth assignment, race, age, or class. Many individuals are suffering from abusive violence, and our elected officials have the capacity to protect all Kansan women. The first step is to drop the pretense, and support actual protections for all women.&nbsp;Nishani Frazier is Associate Professor of History and American Studies at the University of Kansas.

INSIGHT KANSAS: What does it mean to protect women? 

In a previous column on engaged students, I introduced Grace McCord and Madison Albers, two&nbsp;Fort Hays State University&nbsp;freshmen Student Government senators who meticulously researched, wrote a case for support, and then worked through several approval processes to gain support for moving a polling place on campus.&nbsp;Regardless of the&nbsp;pending&nbsp;campus polling place&nbsp;decision, I&nbsp;admire&nbsp;their resilience and passion to engage in civic life. I am&nbsp;encouraged&nbsp;to see these two remarkable students fully embrace&nbsp;active learning&nbsp;in pursuit of this goal.&nbsp;

Grace has lived her entire&nbsp;life&nbsp;in Hays, Kansas. Her parents raised her to be very involved in our community. “I was always playing sports, going to Girl Scouts, Youth Group, 4-H meetings, and all kinds of other community events. I assumed leadership roles in many of these organizations,” Grace said.&nbsp;When&nbsp;she&nbsp;aged out of the Hays Rec sports programs,&nbsp;she&nbsp;started coaching&nbsp;youth&nbsp;softball teams&nbsp;during&nbsp;the summers.&nbsp;Grace&nbsp;also served on the&nbsp;local&nbsp;Girls Scout Advisory Council and volunteered at many church events.

Madison hails from Goodland, Kansas. “I&nbsp;loved growing up in a close-knit community with so many kind people,”&nbsp;Madison said.&nbsp;Like Grace, Madison&nbsp;spent&nbsp;much&nbsp;of her youth serving her community through Kiwanis, organizing&nbsp;senior&nbsp;citizens dinners&nbsp;at Christmas, volunteering for a multitude of service projects, and singing&nbsp;at&nbsp;community gatherings.&nbsp;

Although from different communities, both Madison and Grace share a heartfelt commitment&nbsp;to&nbsp;service. During their college search, both Madison and Grace believed FHSU was a place they could thrive,&nbsp;given the small classes, tight-knit community, and the ethic&nbsp;of&nbsp;care embraced by our faculty and staff.&nbsp;“It is easy to make friends here,” shared Grace.

What started as two independent paths, Madison and Grace would soon meet and become close friends. Both declared political science as their majors, joined the same learning community&nbsp;and&nbsp;sorority, and both were hired as student staff&nbsp;with&nbsp;the American Democracy Project.&nbsp;

The American Democracy Project (ADP) is a university-wide initiative designed to prepare the next generation of informed, engaged citizens for our democracy. The goal of ADP is to produce university graduates who are committed to being active citizens in their communities with civic knowledge, skills, and values. This initiative provides numerous civic and political engagement activities that challenge and encourage students to find their place and make a difference.

What a perfect way for Grace and Madison to grow their friendship, serve their community,&nbsp;and&nbsp;earn a bachelor’s degree&nbsp;–&nbsp;all while learning about who they are as individuals and servant leaders.

Through&nbsp;their&nbsp;work&nbsp;with&nbsp;the ADP,&nbsp;Grace and&nbsp;Madison have been&nbsp;focused&nbsp;on&nbsp;bringing&nbsp;a polling place to campus so students can more easily&nbsp;participate in our democracy at the&nbsp;local, state, and national&nbsp;levels.&nbsp;“We believe it is so important for FHSU students to be civically active because the more involved students are, the more say they have in the world around them,”&nbsp;Grace&nbsp;said.

Madison explained that a big part of having a civically-engaged student body is working to raise our voting rate by making&nbsp;the&nbsp;voting&nbsp;process more&nbsp;accessible and understandable to all students.&nbsp;

Where to start? They wanted to understand the current state of affairs, which led them to focus on the National Study of Learning,&nbsp;Voting and Engagement. This report examines student and institutional-level data on voting.&nbsp;

What did they learn?&nbsp;Namely that&nbsp;FHSU was falling behind the national college student voting average, and from this experience, a&nbsp;mission was born: improving&nbsp;FHSU student voting rates.

Next, they reached out&nbsp;to&nbsp;civic engagement centers&nbsp;at other universities&nbsp;for information about what they were doing to get their students to vote. They learned that all of the colleges&nbsp;that posted&nbsp;higher student voter turnouts&nbsp;had an on-campus polling location. Wichita State University, for example, had an almost 20&nbsp;percent college&nbsp;student&nbsp;voter rate&nbsp;increase&nbsp;when the on-campus polling location&nbsp;opened.

They did more research,&nbsp;listened,&nbsp;took notes,&nbsp;identified&nbsp;key&nbsp;challenges,&nbsp;and&nbsp;devised&nbsp;solutions.

The pair next addressed&nbsp;safety and parking&nbsp;issues in a conversation&nbsp;with&nbsp;FHSU University Police.&nbsp;They&nbsp;also worked with student organizations for support and wrote a resolution for SGA to pledge senators as poll workers.&nbsp;Finally, they reached out to&nbsp;other organizations&nbsp;on campus&nbsp;for help,&nbsp;including the&nbsp;Staff Senate, Faculty Senate,&nbsp;and&nbsp;building managers. The cost issue was perhaps the most formidable challenge Grace and Madison faced, but that too didn’t set them back .&nbsp;“We resolved the cost issue by proposing to move an existing polling place,” shared Madison.

Grace and Madison knew they had one key asset on their side-engaged FHSU students.&nbsp;Grace&nbsp;shared&nbsp;that&nbsp;there is so much student support on campus,&nbsp;they knew they would&nbsp;have&nbsp;more than&nbsp;enough students to work the polls. They were also convinced that they&nbsp;could even send poll workers to other polling locations around Hays.&nbsp;

Throughout this process,&nbsp;Grace and Madison&nbsp;have learned networking skills&nbsp;as well as how to gather, evaluate, and present information persuasively. They also learned&nbsp;that there are many ways to accomplish a task, but the hardest part is choosing the right path.&nbsp;The pair’s&nbsp;biggest&nbsp;takeaways&nbsp;were learning to&nbsp;prepare&nbsp;for&nbsp;possible&nbsp;failure,&nbsp;the value in&nbsp;pushing through difficulties, and&nbsp;embracing the need to&nbsp;return to the drawing board&nbsp;to&nbsp;rework&nbsp;their plans as&nbsp;necessary.&nbsp;“We used pushback to make our initiative better and better every time,”&nbsp;Madison said.

“We have had so much help along the way and couldn't have achieved nearly as much without the help&nbsp;of&nbsp;many&nbsp;people,”&nbsp;Grace&nbsp;said.&nbsp;In particular&nbsp;they said they&nbsp;are very grateful&nbsp;for the support of their political science faculty.

After FHSU, Madison plans to attend law school. She plans&nbsp;to focus&nbsp;on immigration law. She wants&nbsp;to give back and lift others up – or&nbsp;“pay it forward,” as&nbsp;the saying goes.

As for Grace,&nbsp;“FHSU has already taught me so much, especially that helping others is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to be able to continue helping&nbsp;my community during my time at FHSU, so staying involved with all the organizations that I am currently a part of is important to me, but finding new causes to dedicate my time to is important to me as well. After college, I hope to go into advocacy work and continue to help others.”&nbsp;

These&nbsp;best friends&nbsp;are&nbsp;learning and working together,&nbsp;focused on serving as a force for greater good.&nbsp;Their story&nbsp;is the essence of an&nbsp;FHSU education unfolding, our mission in action, and our hope for the future.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575302014229.png" alt="Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president</figcaption>
 </figure>In a previous column on engaged students, I introduced Grace McCord and Madison Albers, two&nbsp;Fort Hays State University&nbsp;freshmen Student Government senators who meticulously researched, wrote a case for support, and then worked through several approval processes to gain support for moving a polling place on campus.&nbsp;Regardless of the&nbsp;pending&nbsp;campus polling place&nbsp;decision, I&nbsp;admire&nbsp;their resilience and passion to engage in civic life. I am&nbsp;encouraged&nbsp;to see these two remarkable students fully embrace&nbsp;active learning&nbsp;in pursuit of this goal.&nbsp;Grace has lived her entire&nbsp;life&nbsp;in Hays, Kansas. Her parents raised her to be very involved in our community. “I was always playing sports, going to Girl Scouts, Youth Group, 4-H meetings, and all kinds of other community events. I assumed leadership roles in many of these organizations,” Grace said.&nbsp;When&nbsp;she&nbsp;aged out of the Hays Rec sports programs,&nbsp;she&nbsp;started coaching&nbsp;youth&nbsp;softball teams&nbsp;during&nbsp;the summers.&nbsp;Grace&nbsp;also served on the&nbsp;local&nbsp;Girls Scout Advisory Council and volunteered at many church events.Madison hails from Goodland, Kansas. “I&nbsp;loved growing up in a close-knit community with so many kind people,”&nbsp;Madison said.&nbsp;Like Grace, Madison&nbsp;spent&nbsp;much&nbsp;of her youth serving her community through Kiwanis, organizing&nbsp;senior&nbsp;citizens dinners&nbsp;at Christmas, volunteering for a multitude of service projects, and singing&nbsp;at&nbsp;community gatherings.&nbsp;Although from different communities, both Madison and Grace share a heartfelt commitment&nbsp;to&nbsp;service. During their college search, both Madison and Grace believed FHSU was a place they could thrive,&nbsp;given the small classes, tight-knit community, and the ethic&nbsp;of&nbsp;care embraced by our faculty and staff.&nbsp;“It is easy to make friends here,” shared Grace.What started as two independent paths, Madison and Grace would soon meet and become close friends. Both declared political science as their majors, joined the same learning community&nbsp;and&nbsp;sorority, and both were hired as student staff&nbsp;with&nbsp;the American Democracy Project.&nbsp;The American Democracy Project (ADP) is a university-wide initiative designed to prepare the next generation of informed, engaged citizens for our democracy. The goal of ADP is to produce university graduates who are committed to being active citizens in their communities with civic knowledge, skills, and values. This initiative provides numerous civic and political engagement activities that challenge and encourage students to find their place and make a difference.What a perfect way for Grace and Madison to grow their friendship, serve their community,&nbsp;and&nbsp;earn a bachelor’s degree&nbsp;–&nbsp;all while learning about who they are as individuals and servant leaders.Through&nbsp;their&nbsp;work&nbsp;with&nbsp;the ADP,&nbsp;Grace and&nbsp;Madison have been&nbsp;focused&nbsp;on&nbsp;bringing&nbsp;a polling place to campus so students can more easily&nbsp;participate in our democracy at the&nbsp;local, state, and national&nbsp;levels.&nbsp;“We believe it is so important for FHSU students to be civically active because the more involved students are, the more say they have in the world around them,”&nbsp;Grace&nbsp;said.Madison explained that a big part of having a civically-engaged student body is working to raise our voting rate by making&nbsp;the&nbsp;voting&nbsp;process more&nbsp;accessible and understandable to all students.&nbsp;Where to start? They wanted to understand the current state of affairs, which led them to focus on the National Study of Learning,&nbsp;Voting and Engagement. This report examines student and institutional-level data on voting.&nbsp;What did they learn?&nbsp;Namely that&nbsp;FHSU was falling behind the national college student voting average, and from this experience, a&nbsp;mission was born: improving&nbsp;FHSU student voting rates.Next, they reached out&nbsp;to&nbsp;civic engagement centers&nbsp;at other universities&nbsp;for information about what they were doing to get their students to vote. They learned that all of the colleges&nbsp;that posted&nbsp;higher student voter turnouts&nbsp;had an on-campus polling location. Wichita State University, for example, had an almost 20&nbsp;percent college&nbsp;student&nbsp;voter rate&nbsp;increase&nbsp;when the on-campus polling location&nbsp;opened.They did more research,&nbsp;listened,&nbsp;took notes,&nbsp;identified&nbsp;key&nbsp;challenges,&nbsp;and&nbsp;devised&nbsp;solutions.The pair next addressed&nbsp;safety and parking&nbsp;issues in a conversation&nbsp;with&nbsp;FHSU University Police.&nbsp;They&nbsp;also worked with student organizations for support and wrote a resolution for SGA to pledge senators as poll workers.&nbsp;Finally, they reached out to&nbsp;other organizations&nbsp;on campus&nbsp;for help,&nbsp;including the&nbsp;Staff Senate, Faculty Senate,&nbsp;and&nbsp;building managers. The cost issue was perhaps the most formidable challenge Grace and Madison faced, but that too didn’t set them back .&nbsp;“We resolved the cost issue by proposing to move an existing polling place,” shared Madison.Grace and Madison knew they had one key asset on their side-engaged FHSU students.&nbsp;Grace&nbsp;shared&nbsp;that&nbsp;there is so much student support on campus,&nbsp;they knew they would&nbsp;have&nbsp;more than&nbsp;enough students to work the polls. They were also convinced that they&nbsp;could even send poll workers to other polling locations around Hays.&nbsp;Throughout this process,&nbsp;Grace and Madison&nbsp;have learned networking skills&nbsp;as well as how to gather, evaluate, and present information persuasively. They also learned&nbsp;that there are many ways to accomplish a task, but the hardest part is choosing the right path.&nbsp;The pair’s&nbsp;biggest&nbsp;takeaways&nbsp;were learning to&nbsp;prepare&nbsp;for&nbsp;possible&nbsp;failure,&nbsp;the value in&nbsp;pushing through difficulties, and&nbsp;embracing the need to&nbsp;return to the drawing board&nbsp;to&nbsp;rework&nbsp;their plans as&nbsp;necessary.&nbsp;“We used pushback to make our initiative better and better every time,”&nbsp;Madison said.“We have had so much help along the way and couldn't have achieved nearly as much without the help&nbsp;of&nbsp;many&nbsp;people,”&nbsp;Grace&nbsp;said.&nbsp;In particular&nbsp;they said they&nbsp;are very grateful&nbsp;for the support of their political science faculty.After FHSU, Madison plans to attend law school. She plans&nbsp;to focus&nbsp;on immigration law. She wants&nbsp;to give back and lift others up – or&nbsp;“pay it forward,” as&nbsp;the saying goes.As for Grace,&nbsp;“FHSU has already taught me so much, especially that helping others is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to be able to continue helping&nbsp;my community during my time at FHSU, so staying involved with all the organizations that I am currently a part of is important to me, but finding new causes to dedicate my time to is important to me as well. After college, I hope to go into advocacy work and continue to help others.”&nbsp;These&nbsp;best friends&nbsp;are&nbsp;learning and working together,&nbsp;focused on serving as a force for greater good.&nbsp;Their story&nbsp;is the essence of an&nbsp;FHSU education unfolding, our mission in action, and our hope for the future.

Heart of a Tiger: Get out the Vote!

By KIM BALDWIN McPherson County farmer and rancher Spring has sprung on our central Kansas farm. The daffodils and apricot trees are in full bloom and being visited by the honeybees. The small flock of sheep we’ve been caring for all winter have now more than doubled as all of the ewes have lambed. Now the pasture is full of little white lambs frolicking and bouncing all around as their mothers keep watch. Our machine shop has also transitioned from housing a winter basketball court to housing a planter being prepped and bags of corn seed stacked high as we await our season of spring planting. Like any spring, the Kansas weather has fluctuated from cold to warm and from cold to hot. I’ve experienced many recent days where I’ve had my son change out of the athletic shorts he planned to wear to school and instead have made him get some pants on. There’s also been days where I’ve told the kids to leave their coats at home only to regret that decision when the temperatures drop a bit too much by the time they get off the afternoon bus.&nbsp; It’s definitely the time of the year where major fluctuations in weather still occur. It’s also the time of the year where some serious countdowns have begun.&nbsp; While state assessments are about to begin for my children, school will actually wrap up and the kids will be on summer break in less than 30 days. We’ve made it past the holiday celebrations, the winter concerts, the days of indoor recesses, and the mornings of waiting for the school bus in the dark. Daylight is noticeably getting longer, talk of the end-of-year field day has begun and summer camp forms are being sent home. I can assure you, the kids have already started their final countdown. With that final countdown to summer break, there is also an elevated level of anticipation as we get closer and closer to the return of my son’s cattle from their winter pastures. They will be worked in the coming days and then brought home to pasture over the summer months in the pastures nearest our house. I can’t wait to see the cows grazing nearby while I look out my front windows. While we prepare the fencing and the water sources, we know the clock continues to tick for the herd’s arrival home for the summer. The countdown carries over as we also prepare to get the machines in the fields to begin spring planting. While we’ve been making final adjustments to the planter, we’ve also been anxiously awaiting a good spring rain before planting the seeds into the ground. While it seems we aren’t in as big of a hurry as previous years to start planting, mostly due to the dry conditions, the countdown has clearly begun and we wait and watch to determine when we will give ourselves the greenlight to begin. Yes, spring has definitely sprung! And with it, all of the final countdowns have also begun. "Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573617414005.jpeg" alt="Kim Baldwin" />
 <figcaption>Kim Baldwin</figcaption>
 </figure>By KIM BALDWIN McPherson County farmer and rancher Spring has sprung on our central Kansas farm. The daffodils and apricot trees are in full bloom and being visited by the honeybees. The small flock of sheep we’ve been caring for all winter have now more than doubled as all of the ewes have lambed. Now the pasture is full of little white lambs frolicking and bouncing all around as their mothers keep watch. Our machine shop has also transitioned from housing a winter basketball court to housing a planter being prepped and bags of corn seed stacked high as we await our season of spring planting. Like any spring, the Kansas weather has fluctuated from cold to warm and from cold to hot. I’ve experienced many recent days where I’ve had my son change out of the athletic shorts he planned to wear to school and instead have made him get some pants on. There’s also been days where I’ve told the kids to leave their coats at home only to regret that decision when the temperatures drop a bit too much by the time they get off the afternoon bus.&nbsp; It’s definitely the time of the year where major fluctuations in weather still occur. It’s also the time of the year where some serious countdowns have begun.&nbsp; While state assessments are about to begin for my children, school will actually wrap up and the kids will be on summer break in less than 30 days. We’ve made it past the holiday celebrations, the winter concerts, the days of indoor recesses, and the mornings of waiting for the school bus in the dark. Daylight is noticeably getting longer, talk of the end-of-year field day has begun and summer camp forms are being sent home. I can assure you, the kids have already started their final countdown. With that final countdown to summer break, there is also an elevated level of anticipation as we get closer and closer to the return of my son’s cattle from their winter pastures. They will be worked in the coming days and then brought home to pasture over the summer months in the pastures nearest our house. I can’t wait to see the cows grazing nearby while I look out my front windows. While we prepare the fencing and the water sources, we know the clock continues to tick for the herd’s arrival home for the summer. The countdown carries over as we also prepare to get the machines in the fields to begin spring planting. While we’ve been making final adjustments to the planter, we’ve also been anxiously awaiting a good spring rain before planting the seeds into the ground. While it seems we aren’t in as big of a hurry as previous years to start planting, mostly due to the dry conditions, the countdown has clearly begun and we wait and watch to determine when we will give ourselves the greenlight to begin. Yes, spring has definitely sprung! And with it, all of the final countdowns have also begun. "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: The final countdown

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;

<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;

Opinion