I love getting to highlight all of the different projects that 4-H offers! While livestock is usually the first thing that people think of, I have highlighted eighteen projects over the last few weeks and, while several have been related to agriculture, none have been our livestock projects.

This week I am starting off with the Rabbit project! Rabbits are a great small animal project and help teach animal science and responsibility as well as a multitude of specific features of different breeds, and grooming and showmanship. I had no idea there were so many types of rabbits! Additionally, youth can experience learning to judge rabbits.

Another small species project is poultry. While we generally think of chickens, the poultry project can include turkeys, geese, and ducks. Youth also have the opportunity to learn about other types of poultry, about eggs and candling, and can experience learning to poultry judge.

Nearly everyone has had a pet at some point and learning responsibility for feeding and care is a big deal! The Pet project lets 4-H youth explore different types of pets and how to care for a variety from fish to cats. Youth learn about potential hazards for pets in the home, about nutritional needs, and about diseases and symptoms. This is a great project for kids who want to explore the first steps of veterinary science.

Like any animal, the more that rabbits, poultry, and most pets are handled, the easier it is for youth to showcase their animal and what they have learned while gaining confidence and practicing communication skills in talking to a judge.

If you are interested in learning more about these or other 4-H projects, check out <a href="https://cottonwood.k-state.edu/ellis-county4h/">kansas4-h.org</a> in the <a href="https://cottonwood.k-state.edu/ellis-county4h/ellis_projectResouces.html">Projects</a> section! All projects include communications skills, record keeping, career connections, and opportunities for leadership and community service!

Michelle Beran is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the&nbsp;Cottonwood&nbsp;Extension District. For more information on this article or other 4-H Youth Development resources, email Michelle at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mberan@ksu.edu">mberan@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or call&nbsp;Cottonwood&nbsp;Extension District&nbsp;– Barton&nbsp;Office at&nbsp;620-793-1910.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682675861117.jpeg" alt="Michelle Beran&nbsp;&nbsp;is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District." />
 <figcaption>Michelle Beran&nbsp;&nbsp;is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District.</figcaption>
 </figure>I love getting to highlight all of the different projects that 4-H offers! While livestock is usually the first thing that people think of, I have highlighted eighteen projects over the last few weeks and, while several have been related to agriculture, none have been our livestock projects.This week I am starting off with the Rabbit project! Rabbits are a great small animal project and help teach animal science and responsibility as well as a multitude of specific features of different breeds, and grooming and showmanship. I had no idea there were so many types of rabbits! Additionally, youth can experience learning to judge rabbits.Another small species project is poultry. While we generally think of chickens, the poultry project can include turkeys, geese, and ducks. Youth also have the opportunity to learn about other types of poultry, about eggs and candling, and can experience learning to poultry judge.Nearly everyone has had a pet at some point and learning responsibility for feeding and care is a big deal! The Pet project lets 4-H youth explore different types of pets and how to care for a variety from fish to cats. Youth learn about potential hazards for pets in the home, about nutritional needs, and about diseases and symptoms. This is a great project for kids who want to explore the first steps of veterinary science.Like any animal, the more that rabbits, poultry, and most pets are handled, the easier it is for youth to showcase their animal and what they have learned while gaining confidence and practicing communication skills in talking to a judge.If you are interested in learning more about these or other 4-H projects, check out <a href="https://cottonwood.k-state.edu/ellis-county4h/">kansas4-h.org</a> in the <a href="https://cottonwood.k-state.edu/ellis-county4h/ellis_projectResouces.html">Projects</a> section! All projects include communications skills, record keeping, career connections, and opportunities for leadership and community service!Michelle Beran is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the&nbsp;Cottonwood&nbsp;Extension District. For more information on this article or other 4-H Youth Development resources, email Michelle at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mberan@ksu.edu">mberan@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or call&nbsp;Cottonwood&nbsp;Extension District&nbsp;– Barton&nbsp;Office at&nbsp;620-793-1910.

BERAN: Rabbits, poultry and pet projects for 4-H

By DR. TISA MASON FHSU President

&nbsp;I am constantly reminded of the compassion and spirit of generosity of our Fort Hays State University students. I love hearing the stories of how they are impacting the lives of others every day. Emily Schulte, Hays, is one of those stories. As she sets her sights on a path to medical school after her FHSU graduation, Emily put herself on the patient side of the bone marrow donation process in January.

Emily is soft-spoken and known for her humble nature. As a biology major and student employee of FHSU’s Health and Wellness Services, Emily made the decision as a freshman to become a bone marrow donor when she worked at a Be the Match bone marrow drive on the FHSU campus.

During the drive, a DNA sample was swabbed from Emily’s cheek, sent to Be the Match, and then added to a national registry list. After waiting three years, Emily was notified last fall that she was a potential match for someone in need of a transplant.

“A large part of what motivated me was to be able to say that I gave someone the gift of life,” Emily said. “Also, to understand the donor process and know what donors go through.”

“For me, I didn’t have any doubts about doing it. I got called (from Be the Match) and knew that whatever I had to do, I was going to do it.”

Be the Match flew Emily and her mother to Chicago in January, where her bone marrow donation, which she described as similar to a lengthy blood donation, took about 4 ½ hours. Prior to the donation, filgrastim injections were performed to stimulate stem cell production, enabling Emily’s donation to have an above-average stem cell quantity.

As a student preparing for a medical career, Emily did some of the preparation work for the donation on her own. Her coworkers at FHSU’s Health and Wellness Services assisted her in the process.

“I definitely also had a really good support system, from both my coworkers and Be the Match during the preparation process,” Emily said.

Be the Match funded the flight, transportation, meals, and lodging for her and her mother during the trip. From their flight to Chicago to their flight back to Hays, the trip took the pair three days. The whirlwind travel and donation process were physically exhausting for Emily.

“Honestly, I felt like I got hit by a bus. But within two to three days after the donation, I felt pretty much back to normal,” she said. “They (the medical staff) want you to hydrate and rest and take care of yourself. I didn’t have any bad side effects after or before.”

Emily received a text saying her donation had been sent to the patient’s hospital within a day of her donation. She will be allowed to contact the recipient anonymously if she chooses. After a year, though, she and the recipient can exchange contact information. She hopes to meet the recipient with whom she shares this special connection.

Emily inspires those around her to consider donating bone marrow or contributing to an organization that provides that service.

“I would tell them that despite any doubts you might have, go through with it,” she said. “It is a really unique opportunity. The best gift you can give someone is a second chance at life.”

This is exactly why Fort Hays State is such a special place. Our students who are willing to step out of their comfort zones to ensure a future for others give me tremendous hope for the future. Thank you to Emily and all those who choose to make second chances possible.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575301942236.jpeg" alt="Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president</figcaption>
 </figure>By DR. TISA MASON FHSU President&nbsp;I am constantly reminded of the compassion and spirit of generosity of our Fort Hays State University students. I love hearing the stories of how they are impacting the lives of others every day. Emily Schulte, Hays, is one of those stories. As she sets her sights on a path to medical school after her FHSU graduation, Emily put herself on the patient side of the bone marrow donation process in January.Emily is soft-spoken and known for her humble nature. As a biology major and student employee of FHSU’s Health and Wellness Services, Emily made the decision as a freshman to become a bone marrow donor when she worked at a Be the Match bone marrow drive on the FHSU campus.During the drive, a DNA sample was swabbed from Emily’s cheek, sent to Be the Match, and then added to a national registry list. After waiting three years, Emily was notified last fall that she was a potential match for someone in need of a transplant.“A large part of what motivated me was to be able to say that I gave someone the gift of life,” Emily said. “Also, to understand the donor process and know what donors go through.”“For me, I didn’t have any doubts about doing it. I got called (from Be the Match) and knew that whatever I had to do, I was going to do it.”Be the Match flew Emily and her mother to Chicago in January, where her bone marrow donation, which she described as similar to a lengthy blood donation, took about 4 ½ hours. Prior to the donation, filgrastim injections were performed to stimulate stem cell production, enabling Emily’s donation to have an above-average stem cell quantity.As a student preparing for a medical career, Emily did some of the preparation work for the donation on her own. Her coworkers at FHSU’s Health and Wellness Services assisted her in the process.“I definitely also had a really good support system, from both my coworkers and Be the Match during the preparation process,” Emily said.Be the Match funded the flight, transportation, meals, and lodging for her and her mother during the trip. From their flight to Chicago to their flight back to Hays, the trip took the pair three days. The whirlwind travel and donation process were physically exhausting for Emily.“Honestly, I felt like I got hit by a bus. But within two to three days after the donation, I felt pretty much back to normal,” she said. “They (the medical staff) want you to hydrate and rest and take care of yourself. I didn’t have any bad side effects after or before.”Emily received a text saying her donation had been sent to the patient’s hospital within a day of her donation. She will be allowed to contact the recipient anonymously if she chooses. After a year, though, she and the recipient can exchange contact information. She hopes to meet the recipient with whom she shares this special connection.Emily inspires those around her to consider donating bone marrow or contributing to an organization that provides that service.“I would tell them that despite any doubts you might have, go through with it,” she said. “It is a really unique opportunity. The best gift you can give someone is a second chance at life.”This is exactly why Fort Hays State is such a special place. Our students who are willing to step out of their comfort zones to ensure a future for others give me tremendous hope for the future. Thank you to Emily and all those who choose to make second chances possible.

Heart of a Tiger: Giving the gift of life

I’ve used this space many times over the years to provide some defense of the political powers and interests of the cities that over 75% of Kansans live in. I did last month in response to a bill in Topeka—which thankfully died in committee—that would have forbidden cities from exercising almost any kind of local control over the businesses which their residents interact with. This month I’m looking at another bill, one that isn’t as egregious a violation of Home Rule on its face, but in the long run might turn out to be just as bad, or worse.

The bill in question is an omnibus bill, containing a large huge number of proposed changes to Kansas tax laws. There is much in it that Kansans of many different political orientations might either criticize or praise, but its “government competition” section deserves special criticism.

As written, it would mean that any restaurant, child-care center, or heath club which operates within five miles of any similar entity which can be defined, on the basis of its tax status, as “owned or operated by a governmental entity,” would be exempt from paying property taxes.

That this provision of the bill is an attempt (the latest of several) by the owners of Genesis Health Clubs to get state legislators to guarantee them the same property-tax exemption which non-profit YMCAs enjoy has been exposed by multiple journalists.&nbsp;It is worth taking a moment, though, to be clear on why a provision like this can get this far.

It’s not simply because of the influence of wealthy constituents and donors. Sure, that’s what philosophers might call the efficient cause of the provision—the part that actually acted to make it happen. But what of its material cause—that is, the substance or context out of which the provision was made or was enabled to come to be, when the efficient cause went to work?

Here I think one can only point to the pervasive disrespect too many in our state government have for the responsibility of the cities and counties to make governing decisions in response to the needs and demands of their own residents.

If we believe in local government, then those local governments obviously need revenue to be able to do the collective work which the citizens who live in those cities and counties ask them to do, particularly when it comes to providing the quality-of-life improvements which many non-profits make available at no (or at least comparatively low) cost to Kansas communities. If this provision becomes law, it could greatly harm the ability of Kansas municipalities to collect property taxes, as it may allow restaurants and gyms operating miles from not just from YMCAs, but from anything as small as a limited-hours deli, or an on-site day-care center, operating inside a city hall or a court house or other public facility, to no longer contribute any property tax to the cities which provide them with fire and police protection and much more. Which would only help undermine the whole point of local democracy in the first place.

With any luck, Governor Kelly will use her line-item veto power to strike out this provision, thus making certain Kansas cities and counties can continue to take responsibility for those things which the Home Rule provision of the state constitution says they should be able to. But as for striking out the disregard too many have the right of municipalities to govern themselves—well, the evidence suggests that will take a lot longer.

Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583339056495.jpeg" alt="Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita." />
 <figcaption>Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita.</figcaption>
 </figure>I’ve used this space many times over the years to provide some defense of the political powers and interests of the cities that over 75% of Kansans live in. I did last month in response to a bill in Topeka—which thankfully died in committee—that would have forbidden cities from exercising almost any kind of local control over the businesses which their residents interact with. This month I’m looking at another bill, one that isn’t as egregious a violation of Home Rule on its face, but in the long run might turn out to be just as bad, or worse.The bill in question is an omnibus bill, containing a large huge number of proposed changes to Kansas tax laws. There is much in it that Kansans of many different political orientations might either criticize or praise, but its “government competition” section deserves special criticism.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>As written, it would mean that any restaurant, child-care center, or heath club which operates within five miles of any similar entity which can be defined, on the basis of its tax status, as “owned or operated by a governmental entity,” would be exempt from paying property taxes.That this provision of the bill is an attempt (the latest of several) by the owners of Genesis Health Clubs to get state legislators to guarantee them the same property-tax exemption which non-profit YMCAs enjoy has been exposed by multiple journalists.&nbsp;It is worth taking a moment, though, to be clear on why a provision like this can get this far.It’s not simply because of the influence of wealthy constituents and donors. Sure, that’s what philosophers might call the efficient cause of the provision—the part that actually acted to make it happen. But what of its material cause—that is, the substance or context out of which the provision was made or was enabled to come to be, when the efficient cause went to work?Here I think one can only point to the pervasive disrespect too many in our state government have for the responsibility of the cities and counties to make governing decisions in response to the needs and demands of their own residents.If we believe in local government, then those local governments obviously need revenue to be able to do the collective work which the citizens who live in those cities and counties ask them to do, particularly when it comes to providing the quality-of-life improvements which many non-profits make available at no (or at least comparatively low) cost to Kansas communities. If this provision becomes law, it could greatly harm the ability of Kansas municipalities to collect property taxes, as it may allow restaurants and gyms operating miles from not just from YMCAs, but from anything as small as a limited-hours deli, or an on-site day-care center, operating inside a city hall or a court house or other public facility, to no longer contribute any property tax to the cities which provide them with fire and police protection and much more. Which would only help undermine the whole point of local democracy in the first place.With any luck, Governor Kelly will use her line-item veto power to strike out this provision, thus making certain Kansas cities and counties can continue to take responsibility for those things which the Home Rule provision of the state constitution says they should be able to. But as for striking out the disregard too many have the right of municipalities to govern themselves—well, the evidence suggests that will take a lot longer.Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Limiting Kansas cities in the name of 'competition'

​As&nbsp;calendar pages flipped closer to a new century,&nbsp;Ellis and&nbsp;surrounding&nbsp;communities&nbsp;grew&nbsp;and prospered.&nbsp;Schools reflected that prosperity in the number of students and the days of attendance.&nbsp;

​In 1889, Professor Whelan introduced a three-term school year. The first&nbsp;2 terms consisted of&nbsp;3 months&nbsp;while&nbsp;the last&nbsp;totaled&nbsp;2 months. To improve school quality, he&nbsp;stated&nbsp;“No students could enroll after the first week of each term.”&nbsp;He intended&nbsp;to&nbsp;strengthen&nbsp;instructional integrity for all Ellis students.&nbsp;A total of&nbsp;222 youngsters enrolled that first term. The board approved the 8-month school and funded it with a 12-mill levy (Ellis Review&nbsp;Headlight&nbsp;7-30-1889).

​As Ellis&nbsp;evolved from&nbsp;frontier outpost&nbsp;to thriving town,&nbsp;board and administrative decisions&nbsp;increasingly&nbsp;reflected state educational policy. The State Superintendent of Schools mandated all schools in his jurisdiction fly the United States&nbsp;flag. To meet this requirement, pupils and&nbsp;residents&nbsp;organized&nbsp;socials to raise $30.10 to purchase a 12 x18 foot flag and pole (ERH12-31-1889). To celebrate&nbsp;reaching&nbsp;their goal, they commemorated the flag and flew it for the first time at Kansas Day Ceremonies on January 29, 1890 (ERH 1-14-1890).

​April saw even more improvements. The board&nbsp;planted&nbsp;numerous&nbsp;trees on school grounds (ERH 4-25-1890). To finish the year, students, teachers, and townspeople&nbsp;planned&nbsp;a school exhibition that earned $44.60 to buy books for the school library. Sources estimated this amount would buy 75-80 volumes for the&nbsp;library shelves (ERH 5-2-90). One can imagine the community’s satisfaction with its educational system as it&nbsp;worked through&nbsp;the final decade of the century.

​By 1891, the Ellis school system had earned a fine reputation. The President of the Agricultural College sent a note published in the Ellis Review Headlight, February 6, 1891, stating that “Pupils who complete our course of study as far as the eighth grade will be admitted to the college on certificate of that fact without further examination.” That same year, the system boasted 5 teachers: Miss Peters, Miss Kingsley, Miss Courts, Miss Frost, and Miss Holman.

​The following year, 1892, offered a grand opportunity to celebrate education in Ellis. Although the school had operated for 19 years, no one had graduated. That changed when two girls and boy received diplomas from Ellis High School (Langley, 1990).&nbsp;

​The August 6, 1970, Centennial Edition of the Ellis Review shared former student Emma Kastner’s memories of early school practices. She recalled&nbsp;the janitor rang the bell at 8:30 each morning. The final bell rang at 9:00 a.m. Students lined up and marched up the stairs to a tune&nbsp;a teacher played on a triangle. Faculty marked students tardy if they failed to make the line before the door closed. First through fourth grades remained on the 1st&nbsp;floor of the building. Fifth and sixth graders studied in the basement, and high school&nbsp;classes met&nbsp;upstairs where courses included algebra, geometry, history, and rhetoric (now known as English). In addition to academic subjects, teachers instructed character, culture, and citizenship “as rigidly as the three R’s.”

​&nbsp;Under the watchful eyes of their&nbsp;community, students succeeded&nbsp;in their&nbsp;educational efforts.&nbsp;Imagine their&nbsp;joy saluting that first flag, filling those library shelves, and celebrating that first graduation. The&nbsp;stone&nbsp;school&nbsp;continued to build&nbsp;Ellis one youngster at a time.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682015927926.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By KAREN MADORIN​As&nbsp;calendar pages flipped closer to a new century,&nbsp;Ellis and&nbsp;surrounding&nbsp;communities&nbsp;grew&nbsp;and prospered.&nbsp;Schools reflected that prosperity in the number of students and the days of attendance.&nbsp;​In 1889, Professor Whelan introduced a three-term school year. The first&nbsp;2 terms consisted of&nbsp;3 months&nbsp;while&nbsp;the last&nbsp;totaled&nbsp;2 months. To improve school quality, he&nbsp;stated&nbsp;“No students could enroll after the first week of each term.”&nbsp;He intended&nbsp;to&nbsp;strengthen&nbsp;instructional integrity for all Ellis students.&nbsp;A total of&nbsp;222 youngsters enrolled that first term. The board approved the 8-month school and funded it with a 12-mill levy (Ellis Review&nbsp;Headlight&nbsp;7-30-1889).​As Ellis&nbsp;evolved from&nbsp;frontier outpost&nbsp;to thriving town,&nbsp;board and administrative decisions&nbsp;increasingly&nbsp;reflected state educational policy. The State Superintendent of Schools mandated all schools in his jurisdiction fly the United States&nbsp;flag. To meet this requirement, pupils and&nbsp;residents&nbsp;organized&nbsp;socials to raise $30.10 to purchase a 12 x18 foot flag and pole (ERH12-31-1889). To celebrate&nbsp;reaching&nbsp;their goal, they commemorated the flag and flew it for the first time at Kansas Day Ceremonies on January 29, 1890 (ERH 1-14-1890).<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658158605319.jpeg" alt="Karen Madorin" />
 <figcaption>Karen Madorin</figcaption>
 </figure>​April saw even more improvements. The board&nbsp;planted&nbsp;numerous&nbsp;trees on school grounds (ERH 4-25-1890). To finish the year, students, teachers, and townspeople&nbsp;planned&nbsp;a school exhibition that earned $44.60 to buy books for the school library. Sources estimated this amount would buy 75-80 volumes for the&nbsp;library shelves (ERH 5-2-90). One can imagine the community’s satisfaction with its educational system as it&nbsp;worked through&nbsp;the final decade of the century.​By 1891, the Ellis school system had earned a fine reputation. The President of the Agricultural College sent a note published in the Ellis Review Headlight, February 6, 1891, stating that “Pupils who complete our course of study as far as the eighth grade will be admitted to the college on certificate of that fact without further examination.” That same year, the system boasted 5 teachers: Miss Peters, Miss Kingsley, Miss Courts, Miss Frost, and Miss Holman.​The following year, 1892, offered a grand opportunity to celebrate education in Ellis. Although the school had operated for 19 years, no one had graduated. That changed when two girls and boy received diplomas from Ellis High School (Langley, 1990).&nbsp;​The August 6, 1970, Centennial Edition of the Ellis Review shared former student Emma Kastner’s memories of early school practices. She recalled&nbsp;the janitor rang the bell at 8:30 each morning. The final bell rang at 9:00 a.m. Students lined up and marched up the stairs to a tune&nbsp;a teacher played on a triangle. Faculty marked students tardy if they failed to make the line before the door closed. First through fourth grades remained on the 1st&nbsp;floor of the building. Fifth and sixth graders studied in the basement, and high school&nbsp;classes met&nbsp;upstairs where courses included algebra, geometry, history, and rhetoric (now known as English). In addition to academic subjects, teachers instructed character, culture, and citizenship “as rigidly as the three R’s.”​&nbsp;Under the watchful eyes of their&nbsp;community, students succeeded&nbsp;in their&nbsp;educational efforts.&nbsp;Imagine their&nbsp;joy saluting that first flag, filling those library shelves, and celebrating that first graduation. The&nbsp;stone&nbsp;school&nbsp;continued to build&nbsp;Ellis one youngster at a time.&nbsp;

MADORIN: History of Ellis schools, Part 5

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;

<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.

Opinion