This week we do a deep dive into the proposals in crafting the 2023 budget. Over the next few weeks members of the Appropriations Committee will hear from budget committee chairs on what the agencies and other government offices would like for the next budget to include. We are already in the fourth week of this legislative session and there has been so much going on that this is the first column of the year. I continue to serve as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and am a member of the Appropriations Committee and Higher Education Budget Committee.

Kansas Hero and Statesman Laid to Rest

Last week, a beloved Kansan, former U.S. Senator Robert Dole was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. His burial site is on a hill overlooking the U.S. Capitol. Dole was eligible for an Arlington site because of his World War II service as a member of the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division. Kansans had the opportunity to honor and remember Dole on December 11, both in Russell and at the Statehouse. Dole’s political career started in the Kansas House, with his election in 1950. He served a two-year term (1951-52) representing Russell in what was then District 81. At that time in Kansas history, the Legislature met every other year. He was assigned to the Assessment and Taxation, Gas and Oil, Military Affairs, and Soldiers’ Compensation Committees. His seating assignment was seat 124 in that era’s seating arrangement.

Major Economic Development Legislation Considered

Also this past week, the House Committee on Commerce, Labor, and Economic Development heard SB 347, known as the Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion (APEX) Act. APEX would ensure that companies make a minimum investment in Kansas of $1 billion over a five-year-period and in exchange, would grant tax incentives to those companies. The Department of Commerce has announced that Kansas is one of two finalists for a $4 billion, 3 million square foot advanced manufacturing facility that would employ 4,000 people and create 16,000 temporary jobs during construction. SB 347 retools the current Kansas tax incentives in an effort to win this megaproject, as well as attract others in the future.

Republicans are working to incorporate accountability and safeguards into the bill, so that this economic development initiative is not designed solely for one company but is instead designed to drive economic development across the board. The tax giveaways to attract APEX projects should help all Kansas companies – not just one - with a measured corporate tax reduction. Finally, the property tax component of the bill must be addressed to ensure local control so that economic development incentives offered by the state do not place an added tax burden on local residents and local business owners.

Governor Vetoes Fair and Balanced Congressional Map

Last Thursday, Governor Kelly vetoed the Congressional Map, known as Ad Astra 2, that had been passed by an overwhelming majority of the Legislature. Unfortunately, partisan politics tend to emerge when it comes to redistricting. Under federal law, the legislature is tasked with adjusting Congressional district boundary lines every 10 years based on U.S. Census population data. The purpose is to make sure every American has equal representation by having districts with an equal population size.

The Governor has indicated that she does not want Wyandotte and Johnson split into separate Congressional districts. However, population growth in those two counties make it legally impossible for Wyandotte and Johnson to be wholly contained in one Congressional district.

“This isn’t the first time the legislature has had to step up to protect Kansans from Laura Kelly’s partisan agenda,” said House leadership. “It is no coincidence she pulled out the veto pen just hours after the ACLU told her to. It’s clear she is beholden to New York special interests. The legislature is bound to do what is best for Kansans and we won’t back down from that responsibility."

Congressional maps must undergo court review, providing a check and balance for Kansans that the map is drawn fairly and that it does not disenfranchise minority or other voting populations. The Legislature is expected to take up a veto override in order to move the process forward.

House Republicans Propose Plan to Stabilize KPERS

House Republicans have proposed HB 2561 to utilize some of the state’s budget surplus to stabilize the KPERS retirement fund, ensuring it will be there for our teachers, our firefighters, and other public employees when they need it. The plan would appropriate $1 billion to the KPERS Trust Fund, which would:

• Bring KPERS above the 80 percent funded level, a goal in ensuring the stability of retirement systems.

• Lower future costs for taxpayers by reducing the amount needed for the state’s share of employer contributions, saving the taxpayers $82 million in Fiscal Year 2023 and $429 million over the next five years

• Fully fund 2017 and 2019 payments, paying off layering payments, and eliminating the annual $25.8 million payments on delayed employer contributions

HB 2561 will be heard in the House Insurance and Pensions Committee on February 9.

If you would like to contact me: my office is still located in Room: 149-S. My phone number is (785) 296- 7463 and email is: kenn.rahje@house.ks.gov and you can always try my cell number at (785) 302-8416.

Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, is the Kansas state representative of the 110th Dist. House District 110 includes:&nbsp; Norton and Phillips Counties Ellis County: Cities: Catharine, Ellis and Schoenchen;&nbsp;Townships: Big Creek(part), Buckeye, Catherine, Ellis, Herzog(part),&nbsp;Lookout(part) and Wheatland(part) Graham County: City: Hill City;&nbsp;Townships: Hill City(part) and Nicodemus(part) Rooks County: Cities: Damar, Palco, Plainville,&nbsp;Stockton, Woodston and Zurich

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581437228209.jpeg" alt="Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, 110th Dist." />
 <figcaption>Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, 110th Dist.</figcaption>
 </figure>Hello from Topeka. This week we do a deep dive into the proposals in crafting the 2023 budget. Over the next few weeks members of the Appropriations Committee will hear from budget committee chairs on what the agencies and other government offices would like for the next budget to include. We are already in the fourth week of this legislative session and there has been so much going on that this is the first column of the year. I continue to serve as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and am a member of the Appropriations Committee and Higher Education Budget Committee.Kansas Hero and Statesman Laid to RestLast week, a beloved Kansan, former U.S. Senator Robert Dole was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. His burial site is on a hill overlooking the U.S. Capitol. Dole was eligible for an Arlington site because of his World War II service as a member of the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division. Kansans had the opportunity to honor and remember Dole on December 11, both in Russell and at the Statehouse. Dole’s political career started in the Kansas House, with his election in 1950. He served a two-year term (1951-52) representing Russell in what was then District 81. At that time in Kansas history, the Legislature met every other year. He was assigned to the Assessment and Taxation, Gas and Oil, Military Affairs, and Soldiers’ Compensation Committees. His seating assignment was seat 124 in that era’s seating arrangement.Major Economic Development Legislation ConsideredAlso this past week, the House Committee on Commerce, Labor, and Economic Development heard SB 347, known as the Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion (APEX) Act. APEX would ensure that companies make a minimum investment in Kansas of $1 billion over a five-year-period and in exchange, would grant tax incentives to those companies. The Department of Commerce has announced that Kansas is one of two finalists for a $4 billion, 3 million square foot advanced manufacturing facility that would employ 4,000 people and create 16,000 temporary jobs during construction. SB 347 retools the current Kansas tax incentives in an effort to win this megaproject, as well as attract others in the future.Republicans are working to incorporate accountability and safeguards into the bill, so that this economic development initiative is not designed solely for one company but is instead designed to drive economic development across the board. The tax giveaways to attract APEX projects should help all Kansas companies – not just one - with a measured corporate tax reduction. Finally, the property tax component of the bill must be addressed to ensure local control so that economic development incentives offered by the state do not place an added tax burden on local residents and local business owners.Governor Vetoes Fair and Balanced Congressional MapLast Thursday, Governor Kelly vetoed the Congressional Map, known as Ad Astra 2, that had been passed by an overwhelming majority of the Legislature. Unfortunately, partisan politics tend to emerge when it comes to redistricting. Under federal law, the legislature is tasked with adjusting Congressional district boundary lines every 10 years based on U.S. Census population data. The purpose is to make sure every American has equal representation by having districts with an equal population size.The Governor has indicated that she does not want Wyandotte and Johnson split into separate Congressional districts. However, population growth in those two counties make it legally impossible for Wyandotte and Johnson to be wholly contained in one Congressional district.“This isn’t the first time the legislature has had to step up to protect Kansans from Laura Kelly’s partisan agenda,” said House leadership. “It is no coincidence she pulled out the veto pen just hours after the ACLU told her to. It’s clear she is beholden to New York special interests. The legislature is bound to do what is best for Kansans and we won’t back down from that responsibility."Congressional maps must undergo court review, providing a check and balance for Kansans that the map is drawn fairly and that it does not disenfranchise minority or other voting populations. The Legislature is expected to take up a veto override in order to move the process forward.House Republicans Propose Plan to Stabilize KPERSHouse Republicans have proposed HB 2561 to utilize some of the state’s budget surplus to stabilize the KPERS retirement fund, ensuring it will be there for our teachers, our firefighters, and other public employees when they need it. The plan would appropriate $1 billion to the KPERS Trust Fund, which would:• Bring KPERS above the 80 percent funded level, a goal in ensuring the stability of retirement systems.• Lower future costs for taxpayers by reducing the amount needed for the state’s share of employer contributions, saving the taxpayers $82 million in Fiscal Year 2023 and $429 million over the next five years• Fully fund 2017 and 2019 payments, paying off layering payments, and eliminating the annual $25.8 million payments on delayed employer contributionsHB 2561 will be heard in the House Insurance and Pensions Committee on February 9.If you would like to contact me: my office is still located in Room: 149-S. My phone number is (785) 296- 7463 and email is: kenn.rahje@house.ks.gov and you can always try my cell number at (785) 302-8416.It is my honor to serve you.Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, is the Kansas state representative of the 110th Dist. House District 110 includes:&nbsp; Norton and Phillips Counties Ellis County: Cities: Catharine, Ellis and Schoenchen;&nbsp;Townships: Big Creek(part), Buckeye, Catherine, Ellis, Herzog(part),&nbsp;Lookout(part) and Wheatland(part) Graham County: City: Hill City;&nbsp;Townships: Hill City(part) and Nicodemus(part) Rooks County: Cities: Damar, Palco, Plainville,&nbsp;Stockton, Woodston and Zurich

RAHJES REPORT: Feb. 7, 2022

Last week in the House Appropriations Committee we discussed numerous topics affecting the state of Kansas.

On Tuesday, we heard from the Executive Director of the Children’s Cabinet, Melissa Rooker, regarding the funding for children’s needs provided by the settlement from the Master Tobacco Settlement. She discussed how those settlement funds are being distributed and provided an update on the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program that we instituted during the 2021 Legislative Session.

We also had a briefing from the Secretary of Transportation, Julie Lorenz, on the status of the transportation department and the IKE transportation plan.

Due to the inclement weather on Wednesday, we did not have a meeting and reconvened on Thursday. We then had a bill hearing on House Bill 2548 which would implement additional reporting requirements for informational technology projects.

Also on Thursday, we started the budgeting process and deliberated on budgets from two budget committees. From the General Government Budget Committee, we discussed the budgets for the Real Estate Appraisal Board, Real Estate Commission, and the Kansas Insurance Department. The Transportation and Public Safety Committee reported the budgets of the Abstractors Board of Examiners, Board of Technical Professionals, and the Emergency Medical Services Board.

There has been much discussion regarding an economic development bill that is focused on offering a business that is considering a move to Kansas and this business would invest $4 billion and is asking for $1 billion in incentives from the state of Kansas. Senate Bill 347 would allow for these incentives and is referred to as the Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion Act, otherwise referred to as “APEX.” This business, which the identity is held confidential as well at the location that they would move into the state, is estimated to create 4,000 jobs in the state of Kansas. Senate Bill 347 passed the Senate, 32-7, and is continually being debated in the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee.

During the fourth week of the Legislative session, there were many more bills discussed in the House Committees. Listed below are the details of those bills:

There was a scheduled review on one of the bills that I introduced in the 2021 session regarding mortgage financing for rural areas of the state of Kansas. House Bill 2268 would allow for the state of Kansas to guarantee home loans up to 125% of the appraised value of the home in a rural area, which is defined as a county with less than 10,000 in population. This would greatly benefit those in rural areas to secure financing for a mortgage on their home that was either new construction or renovated home.

In the House Transportation Committee, there was a hearing on Senate Bill 101. This bill would approve the operation and use of electric-assisted bicycles. There is also Senate Bill 379 that would permit the use of driverless vehicles for business-to-business use. There was only a hearing in the Senate Committee and has not been discussed in the House.

On Thursday, there was a hearing on House Bill 2540 which would allow for the construction of a memorial for Gold Star families on grounds of the Kansas State Capitol.

As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, there was a hearing on Senate Bill 318 which allows for a sales tax exemption for purchases to reconstruct, repair or replace fencing that was damaged or destroyed by wildfires. This bill passed the Senate and there was an amendment added that would make all fencing material purchases sales tax exempt effective on July 1, 2022.

Anytime that one would like to participate and listen to the developments of committee hearings or discussion on the House floor, one can tune in by listening to the audio footage at www.kslegislature.org.

As always, if you have any concerns, feel free to contact me (785) 296-7672, follow on twitter at @waymaster4house, or email me at troy.waymaster@house.ks.gov. Please contact me regarding any issues and legislation that we are discussing during session.

It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.

Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, is the Kansas House&nbsp;Appropriations Chairman and 109th District state representative which includes:

* Osborne, Russell, and Smith Counties * Barton County: Cities: Albert, Claflin, Galatia, Odin, Olmitz and Susank; Townships: Beaver, Cheyenne, Clarence, Cleveland, Fairview, Grant, Independent, Logan, Union, Walnut and Wheatland * Jewell County: Cities:Burr Oak, Esbon and Mankato; Townships: Athens,Browns Creek, Burr Oak, Calvin, Center,Erving, Esbon, Harrison, Highland, Holmwood, Ionia, Limestone, Odessa,Walnut and White Mound * Lincoln County: Cities: Lincoln Center(part) and Sylvan Grove; Townships: Battle Creek, Beaver(part), Cedron, Elkhorn(part), Golden Belt, Grant, Hanover, Highland, Indiana, Marion, Orange, Pleasant, Valley and Vesper * Rush County: Cities: Bison, Otis, Rush Center and Timken; Townships: Banner,Center,Garfield, Illinois, Lone Star, Pioneer and Pleasantdale

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1621346439026.jpeg" alt="Rep. Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, 109th District" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, 109th District</figcaption>
 </figure>FEBRUARY 7, 2022 TOPEKAHouse Appropriations CommitteeLast week in the House Appropriations Committee we discussed numerous topics affecting the state of Kansas.On Tuesday, we heard from the Executive Director of the Children’s Cabinet, Melissa Rooker, regarding the funding for children’s needs provided by the settlement from the Master Tobacco Settlement. She discussed how those settlement funds are being distributed and provided an update on the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program that we instituted during the 2021 Legislative Session.We also had a briefing from the Secretary of Transportation, Julie Lorenz, on the status of the transportation department and the IKE transportation plan.Due to the inclement weather on Wednesday, we did not have a meeting and reconvened on Thursday. We then had a bill hearing on House Bill 2548 which would implement additional reporting requirements for informational technology projects.Also on Thursday, we started the budgeting process and deliberated on budgets from two budget committees. From the General Government Budget Committee, we discussed the budgets for the Real Estate Appraisal Board, Real Estate Commission, and the Kansas Insurance Department. The Transportation and Public Safety Committee reported the budgets of the Abstractors Board of Examiners, Board of Technical Professionals, and the Emergency Medical Services Board.Economic Development BillThere has been much discussion regarding an economic development bill that is focused on offering a business that is considering a move to Kansas and this business would invest $4 billion and is asking for $1 billion in incentives from the state of Kansas. Senate Bill 347 would allow for these incentives and is referred to as the Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion Act, otherwise referred to as “APEX.” This business, which the identity is held confidential as well at the location that they would move into the state, is estimated to create 4,000 jobs in the state of Kansas. Senate Bill 347 passed the Senate, 32-7, and is continually being debated in the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee.Bill Activity in the HouseDuring the fourth week of the Legislative session, there were many more bills discussed in the House Committees. Listed below are the details of those bills:There was a scheduled review on one of the bills that I introduced in the 2021 session regarding mortgage financing for rural areas of the state of Kansas. House Bill 2268 would allow for the state of Kansas to guarantee home loans up to 125% of the appraised value of the home in a rural area, which is defined as a county with less than 10,000 in population. This would greatly benefit those in rural areas to secure financing for a mortgage on their home that was either new construction or renovated home.In the House Transportation Committee, there was a hearing on Senate Bill 101. This bill would approve the operation and use of electric-assisted bicycles. There is also Senate Bill 379 that would permit the use of driverless vehicles for business-to-business use. There was only a hearing in the Senate Committee and has not been discussed in the House.On Thursday, there was a hearing on House Bill 2540 which would allow for the construction of a memorial for Gold Star families on grounds of the Kansas State Capitol.As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, there was a hearing on Senate Bill 318 which allows for a sales tax exemption for purchases to reconstruct, repair or replace fencing that was damaged or destroyed by wildfires. This bill passed the Senate and there was an amendment added that would make all fencing material purchases sales tax exempt effective on July 1, 2022.Contact InformationAnytime that one would like to participate and listen to the developments of committee hearings or discussion on the House floor, one can tune in by listening to the audio footage at www.kslegislature.org.As always, if you have any concerns, feel free to contact me (785) 296-7672, follow on twitter at @waymaster4house, or email me at troy.waymaster@house.ks.gov. Please contact me regarding any issues and legislation that we are discussing during session.It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, is the Kansas House&nbsp;Appropriations Chairman and 109th District state representative which includes: * Osborne, Russell, and Smith Counties * Barton County: Cities: Albert, Claflin, Galatia, Odin, Olmitz and Susank; Townships: Beaver, Cheyenne, Clarence, Cleveland, Fairview, Grant, Independent, Logan, Union, Walnut and Wheatland * Jewell County: Cities:Burr Oak, Esbon and Mankato; Townships: Athens,Browns Creek, Burr Oak, Calvin, Center,Erving, Esbon, Harrison, Highland, Holmwood, Ionia, Limestone, Odessa,Walnut and White Mound * Lincoln County: Cities: Lincoln Center(part) and Sylvan Grove; Townships: Battle Creek, Beaver(part), Cedron, Elkhorn(part), Golden Belt, Grant, Hanover, Highland, Indiana, Marion, Orange, Pleasant, Valley and Vesper * Rush County: Cities: Bison, Otis, Rush Center and Timken; Townships: Banner,Center,Garfield, Illinois, Lone Star, Pioneer and Pleasantdale

WAYMASTER: From the Dome to Home, Feb. 7

BY RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

“True Grit.” That classic Hollywood western movie was remade in 2010. The characters in the film were equipped with authentic leather holsters, gunbelts and saddles — hand-made by a craftsman located in rural Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

David Carrico is the founder and owner of Carrico Leatherworks, the business that produced these period leather items for the film industry and others. He operates the business from his home place near Edna, where he was born and raised. He is the fourth generation on the family farm. Son Denton, a K-State student, is the fifth.&nbsp;

“My dad made me a leather belt when I was a kid,” David said. He grew up cowboying and working cattle. “I learned to make these things out of leather because I couldn’t afford to buy them,” David said with a smile.&nbsp;

He found he enjoyed making leather goods. People who saw his products would often ask if he could make them one like it, too.&nbsp;

David went to Coffeyville Community College where he took a living history class. He became fascinated by American history, connected with some Civil War re-enactors, and joined in re-enactments himself. He then applied his leather-working skills to make authentic period pieces such as belts, holsters, and saddles that actors could use. He also met and married his wife Deena, a Pittsburg State grad who is now a teacher.&nbsp;

David went on to K-State where he earned a degree in agricultural education. At the time of graduation, there were no teaching jobs open so he decided to continue to do leatherwork.&nbsp;

“I told my wife that, if this didn’t work out, I’d get a real job,” David said. “I haven’t had to get a real job yet.”&nbsp;

David started making more of the authentic Cavalry leather goods. “We used to go around to re-enactments and set up a table to sell our handmade period gear,” David said. “Now, with the Internet, we don’t even have to go to those” because buyers purchase his products online.&nbsp;

David has produced multiple items for the film industry.&nbsp;

For movies set in the Civil War era, Civil War re-enactments make great content for filming because the participants are already authentically dressed. “You have a camera-ready man and a camera-ready horse,” David said. When he participated in those filmed re-enactments, David would visit with the prop crew to get ideas. He also visited Fort Riley’s cavalry museum and the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka to gather authentic designs.&nbsp;

Today, Carrico Leatherworks specializes in authentic Cavalry equipment and old west gear. David makes McLellan and Hope saddles, military belts and holsters, western belts and holsters, and horse and saddle accoutrements. He recently purchased dies, patterns, and saddle components from the famous F.A. Meanea Company of Cheyenne, Wyoming, which made products for Buffalo Bill Cody, Teddy Roosevelt and Charles M. Russell, among others.&nbsp;

“I don’t build modern saddles because I’m so busy with the period stuff,” David said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Some customers are re-enactors, some are Hollywood film producers, and some simply want authentic period cowboy gear. He also rents items for Hollywood movies.&nbsp;

David’s handmade leather goods have been included in films such as&nbsp;News of the World&nbsp;with Tom Hanks;&nbsp;The Son&nbsp;with Pierce Brosnan;&nbsp;The Magnificent Seven&nbsp;with Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt; and the remake of&nbsp;True Grit&nbsp;with Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon.&nbsp;

For the movie&nbsp;Hostiles&nbsp;starring Christian Bale, David was hired as a Cavalry adviser to teach the actors how to ride like Cavalry soldiers. He’s worked with producers Bill Kurtis and Ron Howard. His products were even included in the Japanese-themed movie&nbsp;The Last Samurai&nbsp;with Tom Cruise.&nbsp;

Carrico Leatherworks has shipped products across the U.S. and beyond. It’s an impressive record for a business located in the rural community of Edna, population 442 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

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

“True Grit.” The remake of this classic movie included leather items handmade by this artisan in rural Kansas. We commend David Carrico of Carrico Leatherworks for making a difference with his craftsmanship, from horseback to Hollywood.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643811605800.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development“True Grit.” That classic Hollywood western movie was remade in 2010. The characters in the film were equipped with authentic leather holsters, gunbelts and saddles — hand-made by a craftsman located in rural Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;David Carrico is the founder and owner of Carrico Leatherworks, the business that produced these period leather items for the film industry and others. He operates the business from his home place near Edna, where he was born and raised. He is the fourth generation on the family farm. Son Denton, a K-State student, is the fifth.&nbsp;“My dad made me a leather belt when I was a kid,” David said. He grew up cowboying and working cattle. “I learned to make these things out of leather because I couldn’t afford to buy them,” David said with a smile.&nbsp;He found he enjoyed making leather goods. People who saw his products would often ask if he could make them one like it, too.&nbsp;David went to Coffeyville Community College where he took a living history class. He became fascinated by American history, connected with some Civil War re-enactors, and joined in re-enactments himself. He then applied his leather-working skills to make authentic period pieces such as belts, holsters, and saddles that actors could use. He also met and married his wife Deena, a Pittsburg State grad who is now a teacher.&nbsp;David went on to K-State where he earned a degree in agricultural education. At the time of graduation, there were no teaching jobs open so he decided to continue to do leatherwork.&nbsp;“I told my wife that, if this didn’t work out, I’d get a real job,” David said. “I haven’t had to get a real job yet.”&nbsp;David started making more of the authentic Cavalry leather goods. “We used to go around to re-enactments and set up a table to sell our handmade period gear,” David said. “Now, with the Internet, we don’t even have to go to those” because buyers purchase his products online.&nbsp;David has produced multiple items for the film industry.&nbsp;For movies set in the Civil War era, Civil War re-enactments make great content for filming because the participants are already authentically dressed. “You have a camera-ready man and a camera-ready horse,” David said. When he participated in those filmed re-enactments, David would visit with the prop crew to get ideas. He also visited Fort Riley’s cavalry museum and the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka to gather authentic designs.&nbsp;Today, Carrico Leatherworks specializes in authentic Cavalry equipment and old west gear. David makes McLellan and Hope saddles, military belts and holsters, western belts and holsters, and horse and saddle accoutrements. He recently purchased dies, patterns, and saddle components from the famous F.A. Meanea Company of Cheyenne, Wyoming, which made products for Buffalo Bill Cody, Teddy Roosevelt and Charles M. Russell, among others.&nbsp;“I don’t build modern saddles because I’m so busy with the period stuff,” David said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Some customers are re-enactors, some are Hollywood film producers, and some simply want authentic period cowboy gear. He also rents items for Hollywood movies.&nbsp;David’s handmade leather goods have been included in films such as&nbsp;News of the World&nbsp;with Tom Hanks;&nbsp;The Son&nbsp;with Pierce Brosnan;&nbsp;The Magnificent Seven&nbsp;with Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt; and the remake of&nbsp;True Grit&nbsp;with Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon.&nbsp;For the movie&nbsp;Hostiles&nbsp;starring Christian Bale, David was hired as a Cavalry adviser to teach the actors how to ride like Cavalry soldiers. He’s worked with producers Bill Kurtis and Ron Howard. His products were even included in the Japanese-themed movie&nbsp;The Last Samurai&nbsp;with Tom Cruise.&nbsp;Carrico Leatherworks has shipped products across the U.S. and beyond. It’s an impressive record for a business located in the rural community of Edna, population 442 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;For more information, see&nbsp;<a href="http://www.carricoleather.com/">www.carricoleather.com</a>“True Grit.” The remake of this classic movie included leather items handmade by this artisan in rural Kansas. We commend David Carrico of Carrico Leatherworks for making a difference with his craftsmanship, from horseback to Hollywood.&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural: David Carrico, Carrico Leatherworks 

Conservative politicians across America are promoting state-level legislation aimed at preventing new wind farms from being built in their states.&nbsp;

In Kansas, a conservative legislator from urban Johnson County has proposed three bills that would make it difficult to impossible to expand the Kansas wind industry.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Kansas Association of Counties labeled one of those proposals an “assault on local control.” That legislation places an unfunded mandate on Kansas counties, forcing them to change zoning policies and expand regulation of building projects.&nbsp;

That zoning change would also restrict property rights of Kansas landowners, who would no longer have the freedom to contract their land for wind development without the approval of their neighbors and possibly voters in an election.&nbsp;

This kind of “big government conservatism” that sacrifices local control and property rights plays well with ideological conservative activists, but it poses economic risks for Kansas.&nbsp;

Brian Grimmett at&nbsp;KMUW&nbsp;in Wichita recently documented some essential facts about wind energy in Kansas, compiling data from the United States Geological Survey Wind Turbine Database, the 2021 Land-Based Wind Market Report, and the Annual Economic Impacts of Kansas Wind Energy 2020 report.&nbsp;

Kansas ranks second nationally for the proportion of energy produced in the state coming from wind—over 40 percent of all electricity produced in Kansas in 2020.&nbsp;

Kansas wind turbines can create over 7,000 megawatts, “the 4th highest in the country and enough to power about 1.6 million homes,” per Grimmett’s report.&nbsp;

Kansas has about 3,500 turbines, which generate about $48 million annually in lease payments to Kansas landowners and almost $660 million in lifetime payments to local governments for existing projects. These dollars flow primarily to Kansas’s rural counties, many of which are struggling economically.&nbsp;

In the last two decades, Kansas wind farms have generated about 8,600 construction jobs and 560 jobs related to on-going maintenance and operation. Per the U.S. Department of Energy, those projects have also indirectly generated almost 13,000 jobs, ranging from component manufacturing to the service industry.&nbsp;

Since Kansas has such immense capacity to develop wind, how does anti-wind politics make sense? Let’s ignore the conspiracy theorists who claim that turbines cause cancer, and focus on the three main flavors of anti-wind politics.&nbsp;

Fossil fuel producers see wind as a competitor threatening profits and the roughly $21 billion they receive annually in direct government subsidies, per the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Rather than seeking coexistence with wind, fossil fuel interests pump huge money into politics to oppose it.&nbsp;

Many conservative activists muster various anti-wind arguments, but also see wind as identity politics. For them, wind is a liberal symbol—something to defeat for a cultural win rather than economically exploit.&nbsp;

Some individual wind projects also have local opponents representing the unique backyard politics of their communities.&nbsp;

Whatever the flavor of opposition, you don’t have to be an environmentalist to see that wind means jobs and dollars for Kansas. If Topeka conservatives successfully squash the Kansas wind industry, that economic impact will hit our rural counties hardest.&nbsp;

The politics industry makes money on divisiveness and turning issues that could generate large consensus—like wind—into hyper-divisive fault lines that feed media clicks, donations, and attention. It’s profitable for politics to turn wind into just another culture war symbol, but that politicization will cost the Kansas economy.&nbsp;

Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575644168170.png" alt="Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Conservative politicians across America are promoting state-level legislation aimed at preventing new wind farms from being built in their states.&nbsp;In Kansas, a conservative legislator from urban Johnson County has proposed three bills that would make it difficult to impossible to expand the Kansas wind industry.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Kansas Association of Counties labeled one of those proposals an “assault on local control.” That legislation places an unfunded mandate on Kansas counties, forcing them to change zoning policies and expand regulation of building projects.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>That zoning change would also restrict property rights of Kansas landowners, who would no longer have the freedom to contract their land for wind development without the approval of their neighbors and possibly voters in an election.&nbsp;This kind of “big government conservatism” that sacrifices local control and property rights plays well with ideological conservative activists, but it poses economic risks for Kansas.&nbsp;Brian Grimmett at&nbsp;KMUW&nbsp;in Wichita recently documented some essential facts about wind energy in Kansas, compiling data from the United States Geological Survey Wind Turbine Database, the 2021 Land-Based Wind Market Report, and the Annual Economic Impacts of Kansas Wind Energy 2020 report.&nbsp;Kansas ranks second nationally for the proportion of energy produced in the state coming from wind—over 40 percent of all electricity produced in Kansas in 2020.&nbsp;Kansas wind turbines can create over 7,000 megawatts, “the 4th highest in the country and enough to power about 1.6 million homes,” per Grimmett’s report.&nbsp;Kansas has about 3,500 turbines, which generate about $48 million annually in lease payments to Kansas landowners and almost $660 million in lifetime payments to local governments for existing projects. These dollars flow primarily to Kansas’s rural counties, many of which are struggling economically.&nbsp;In the last two decades, Kansas wind farms have generated about 8,600 construction jobs and 560 jobs related to on-going maintenance and operation. Per the U.S. Department of Energy, those projects have also indirectly generated almost 13,000 jobs, ranging from component manufacturing to the service industry.&nbsp;Since Kansas has such immense capacity to develop wind, how does anti-wind politics make sense? Let’s ignore the conspiracy theorists who claim that turbines cause cancer, and focus on the three main flavors of anti-wind politics.&nbsp;Fossil fuel producers see wind as a competitor threatening profits and the roughly $21 billion they receive annually in direct government subsidies, per the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Rather than seeking coexistence with wind, fossil fuel interests pump huge money into politics to oppose it.&nbsp;Many conservative activists muster various anti-wind arguments, but also see wind as identity politics. For them, wind is a liberal symbol—something to defeat for a cultural win rather than economically exploit.&nbsp;Some individual wind projects also have local opponents representing the unique backyard politics of their communities.&nbsp;Whatever the flavor of opposition, you don’t have to be an environmentalist to see that wind means jobs and dollars for Kansas. If Topeka conservatives successfully squash the Kansas wind industry, that economic impact will hit our rural counties hardest.&nbsp;The politics industry makes money on divisiveness and turning issues that could generate large consensus—like wind—into hyper-divisive fault lines that feed media clicks, donations, and attention. It’s profitable for politics to turn wind into just another culture war symbol, but that politicization will cost the Kansas economy.&nbsp;Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;

INSIGHT KANSAS: Anti-wind politics could cost the Kansas economy 

Ah, the exuberance of youth! A couple years back, I trapped coyotes for a couple weeks before deer firearms season in early December, with the poorest results since I was a beginning trapper. Meanwhile a young lad I mentored the year before continued to send me picture after picture of coyotes and bobcats he was catching. In the 2 ½ weeks I trapped, I caught only 5 coyotes and had to leave 4 properties because the landowners fenced them for grazing or knifed-in nitrogen while I had traps there. I also seemed to enjoy trapping coyotes less that year than I can ever remember because the ground was so terribly hard and dry, making it miserable to get traps anchored in the cement-like soil and making it nearly necessary to extract them from the ground without a crane.&nbsp;

My young friend was evidently doing things correctly while I was not, so I deduced maybe it was time for the teacher to become the student again, so I rode along with him one morning to observe. For starters he was trapping on the outskirts of a major town on properties that have not been trapped for years, if ever, so the predator population was high, plus his exuberance for trapping was almost overwhelming. He didn’t care less that the ground was hard or frozen or about any other roadblocks nature had thrown his way, he just loved to trap!

This all got me thinking about the process of mentoring someone and teaching them what we know about a sport we love, so allow me to offer some observations I’ve collected. Most important by far is to make sure the persons introduction to the sport is a good experience. If a person’s first time fishing is in a pond where they catch no fish, and they get snagged on tree limbs and rocks with every cast, they have good reason not to go again. I remember one morning when I was to go goose hunting with a couple guys. They texted me before I left and asked my opinion about postponing the hunt since it was 11 degrees below zero. I said that was OK with me, but I would still go if they wanted. Then they told me that a young son wanted to go along and they felt it was just too cold for him.&nbsp; Sometimes concessions must be made to help someone enjoy your sport. 

Joyce and I built a nice elevated deer blind a few years back, but I don’t know if I would have built it had she not wanted to hunt too. She sometimes reminds me of the first time I took her deer hunting. It was in southwest KS and she’d decided to sit with me one evening. She had no intention of EVER hunting deer, but decided she would tag along just to be there. We sat in a patch of weeds on a couple small camp chairs overlooking a draw in a pasture. Just before dusk, I told her to watch the top of a certain hill in the distance, and right on cue, mule deer began popping over the top of that hill and heading into the draw below us. She tells me she was dumbfounded that I knew that would happen, and she’s been a deer hunter ever since, harvesting several nice Kansas whitetails. So, making the necessary concessions or arrangements to make a person’s first hunt, fishing trip or campout a good experience for them will go a long way toward ensuring that person will stick with their chosen sport for life.

An important detail to learn about a person you might mentor is how they learn the best. Some of us learn best by doing, some of us learn best by being shown, and some of us learn best by a combination of the two. Making use of the best learning process for the person will make it easiest for them to learn basic skills they’ll need to be successful at the sport you’re teaching them. I learn best by being shown, something a few times before I try it on my own.&nbsp; When teaching my young trapping friend what I knew about trapping, he told me right up front he learned best by doing, so I showed him very little, but talked him through most everything while he actually did it himself. It’s OK to help your protégé prevent mistakes, but missing a shot at a strutting tom turkey because they shot before you recommended, or losing a big fish because they failed to use the net like you suggested is all part of the learning process for them, and they’ll never make that mistake again.

I also feel it’s of utmost importance to talk to people about God’s Creation while you teach them to hunt, fish, and trap or in any way enjoy the outdoors. Tell them about things you see around you, explain how nature works and why the animals they harvest are made like they are or why they do what they do. My wife shakes her head and laughs at me in total disagreement when I tell her I’m not competitive, but if the sport you’re teaching someone involves harvesting game, try to instill in them the enjoyment and appreciation of having the opportunity and freedom to do so, even when they fail to harvest their quarry.&nbsp;

So there, for what it’s worth you have my two cents about mentoring. The only way our outdoor sports will continue to be enjoyed is by passing our love of them down to the next generation. Oh, and one more thing, try to be happy when your protégé out-hunts or out-traps you. It’s easy for me because I’m not competitive, remember? Take someone outdoors with you and help them learn 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>Ah, the exuberance of youth! A couple years back, I trapped coyotes for a couple weeks before deer firearms season in early December, with the poorest results since I was a beginning trapper. Meanwhile a young lad I mentored the year before continued to send me picture after picture of coyotes and bobcats he was catching. In the 2 ½ weeks I trapped, I caught only 5 coyotes and had to leave 4 properties because the landowners fenced them for grazing or knifed-in nitrogen while I had traps there. I also seemed to enjoy trapping coyotes less that year than I can ever remember because the ground was so terribly hard and dry, making it miserable to get traps anchored in the cement-like soil and making it nearly necessary to extract them from the ground without a crane.&nbsp;My young friend was evidently doing things correctly while I was not, so I deduced maybe it was time for the teacher to become the student again, so I rode along with him one morning to observe. For starters he was trapping on the outskirts of a major town on properties that have not been trapped for years, if ever, so the predator population was high, plus his exuberance for trapping was almost overwhelming. He didn’t care less that the ground was hard or frozen or about any other roadblocks nature had thrown his way, he just loved to trap!This all got me thinking about the process of mentoring someone and teaching them what we know about a sport we love, so allow me to offer some observations I’ve collected. Most important by far is to make sure the persons introduction to the sport is a good experience. If a person’s first time fishing is in a pond where they catch no fish, and they get snagged on tree limbs and rocks with every cast, they have good reason not to go again. I remember one morning when I was to go goose hunting with a couple guys. They texted me before I left and asked my opinion about postponing the hunt since it was 11 degrees below zero. I said that was OK with me, but I would still go if they wanted. Then they told me that a young son wanted to go along and they felt it was just too cold for him.&nbsp; Sometimes concessions must be made to help someone enjoy your sport. Joyce and I built a nice elevated deer blind a few years back, but I don’t know if I would have built it had she not wanted to hunt too. She sometimes reminds me of the first time I took her deer hunting. It was in southwest KS and she’d decided to sit with me one evening. She had no intention of EVER hunting deer, but decided she would tag along just to be there. We sat in a patch of weeds on a couple small camp chairs overlooking a draw in a pasture. Just before dusk, I told her to watch the top of a certain hill in the distance, and right on cue, mule deer began popping over the top of that hill and heading into the draw below us. She tells me she was dumbfounded that I knew that would happen, and she’s been a deer hunter ever since, harvesting several nice Kansas whitetails. So, making the necessary concessions or arrangements to make a person’s first hunt, fishing trip or campout a good experience for them will go a long way toward ensuring that person will stick with their chosen sport for life.An important detail to learn about a person you might mentor is how they learn the best. Some of us learn best by doing, some of us learn best by being shown, and some of us learn best by a combination of the two. Making use of the best learning process for the person will make it easiest for them to learn basic skills they’ll need to be successful at the sport you’re teaching them. I learn best by being shown, something a few times before I try it on my own.&nbsp; When teaching my young trapping friend what I knew about trapping, he told me right up front he learned best by doing, so I showed him very little, but talked him through most everything while he actually did it himself. It’s OK to help your protégé prevent mistakes, but missing a shot at a strutting tom turkey because they shot before you recommended, or losing a big fish because they failed to use the net like you suggested is all part of the learning process for them, and they’ll never make that mistake again.I also feel it’s of utmost importance to talk to people about God’s Creation while you teach them to hunt, fish, and trap or in any way enjoy the outdoors. Tell them about things you see around you, explain how nature works and why the animals they harvest are made like they are or why they do what they do. My wife shakes her head and laughs at me in total disagreement when I tell her I’m not competitive, but if the sport you’re teaching someone involves harvesting game, try to instill in them the enjoyment and appreciation of having the opportunity and freedom to do so, even when they fail to harvest their quarry.&nbsp;So there, for what it’s worth you have my two cents about mentoring. The only way our outdoor sports will continue to be enjoyed is by passing our love of them down to the next generation. Oh, and one more thing, try to be happy when your protégé out-hunts or out-traps you. It’s easy for me because I’m not competitive, remember? Take someone outdoors with you and help them learn to Explore Kansas Outdoors!Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: The art of mentoring

This week, I heard the distinctive “pretty, pretty, pretty” spring song of a male cardinal, and Joyce saw her first robin. Usually when you begin to hear those boys singing, and start to see robins braving the cold winds, winter is at least showing us it’s backside as it&nbsp;prepares to&nbsp;take&nbsp;its first steps&nbsp;away from us. I also&nbsp;watched an interesting scenario from our kitchen window.

We have a roof over the deck that&nbsp;is just outside our kitchen. When we added the roof, which consists of metal roofing on 2x6 lumber, we also installed an outdoor ceiling fan beneath the roof by partially “boxing-in” a small area&nbsp;between the 2x6’s&nbsp;to hang the fan. As I looked out the window, a small bird was collecting bits-and-pieces of this-and-that from the yard and flying into the small&nbsp;boxed-in area&nbsp;above the ceiling fan as if preparing a nest.&nbsp;Even stranger was the fact that the little bird&nbsp;with its long, curved beak and upturned tail&nbsp;appeared, for all the world to be a wren. “Surely this can’t be already,” I questioned.&nbsp;I&nbsp;posed my query to Chuck Otte, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent for Geary, County Kansas, and walking encyclopedia for all things backyard-bird related.

Of the half-dozen or so&nbsp;species of&nbsp;wrens in Kansas, Carolina Wrens and House Wrens are the two most likely visitors to our backyards. Carolina Wrens are year-round residents while House Wrens are migratory, leaving in the fall and arriving again mid to late April.&nbsp;Chuck said that from my description, what I saw was likely a Carolina Wren. He went on to say that once the hours of daylight start to noticeably increase in late winter, many of our Kansas resident backyard birds get into “nesting mood,” and&nbsp;you can also hear an increase in&nbsp;birds’&nbsp;songs, even on cold and cloudy mornings like we’ve had.&nbsp;

The males of both Carolina and House Wrens anticipate nesting season by scouting-out several proposed nest sites, then put small amounts of nesting materials in each, readying them for the females viewing, sort of how a realtor stages furniture in a home in preparation for viewing by prospective buyers. Then,&nbsp;they&nbsp;take&nbsp;the females to each proposed site,&nbsp;and if any of the sites are acceptable to her,&nbsp;she chooses the one she likes and they mate. Female Carolina Wrens&nbsp;are known to&nbsp;toss-out most of the&nbsp;nesting material contributed by the male and start from scratch. Female House Wrens usually use at least some of the male’s contribution.&nbsp;

Carolina Wrens often have two broods a year, and egg-laying for the first brood starts mid-March to early April. They are known to choose really odd, out-of-the-way nesting spots like above our ceiling fan, and don’t often use nesting boxes we provide.&nbsp;Male House Wrens typically arrive in late April to begin preparing their nest&nbsp;options to show the females, which arrive a week or two later. House Wrens also often hatch two broods a year, and eggs are laid for the first brood&nbsp;around&nbsp;mid-May.&nbsp;

Chuck says wrens are everywhere and are easily attracted to our yards and gardens for food and&nbsp;for&nbsp;potential nesting sites. They feed primarily on insects, so one good way to keep them around is to use pesticides&nbsp;very&nbsp;sparingly&nbsp;so as&nbsp;to&nbsp;leave&nbsp;them plenty of high protein&nbsp;insects for&nbsp;snacks. Nest boxes are&nbsp;another way to attract them, especially house wrens.&nbsp;Chuck sent me&nbsp;plans of the wren nest box he prefers.&nbsp;It’s a very simply house with one side that opens to clean the&nbsp;box, and can be built with minimum cutting and just a general knowledge of tools and construction. There are numerous different nest box designs that will work, but Chuck emphasized two things; make the entrance hole only 1 inch in diameter, and DO NOT put a perch on the box, which will&nbsp;deter sparrows from trying to use it.

So,&nbsp;to complete the&nbsp;initial&nbsp;story, what I&nbsp;likely&nbsp;saw the other morning was a male Carolina Wren beginning&nbsp;to prepare nesting site possibilities to offer the ladies when they get here. Not sure I’d put-up with my chosen lady tossing all my&nbsp;stuff out in the snow when she finally chose a spot. Although, I did come home from Junior High one afternoon to find mom had tossed all the stuff out of my bedroom onto the lawn because I hadn’t cleaned my room as “requested” … but that’s a story for another time. Let me know if you want Chuck Otte’s wren house plans and I’ll email them to you. Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>This week, I heard the distinctive “pretty, pretty, pretty” spring song of a male cardinal, and Joyce saw her first robin. Usually when you begin to hear those boys singing, and start to see robins braving the cold winds, winter is at least showing us it’s backside as it&nbsp;prepares to&nbsp;take&nbsp;its first steps&nbsp;away from us. I also&nbsp;watched an interesting scenario from our kitchen window.We have a roof over the deck that&nbsp;is just outside our kitchen. When we added the roof, which consists of metal roofing on 2x6 lumber, we also installed an outdoor ceiling fan beneath the roof by partially “boxing-in” a small area&nbsp;between the 2x6’s&nbsp;to hang the fan. As I looked out the window, a small bird was collecting bits-and-pieces of this-and-that from the yard and flying into the small&nbsp;boxed-in area&nbsp;above the ceiling fan as if preparing a nest.&nbsp;Even stranger was the fact that the little bird&nbsp;with its long, curved beak and upturned tail&nbsp;appeared, for all the world to be a wren. “Surely this can’t be already,” I questioned.&nbsp;I&nbsp;posed my query to Chuck Otte, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent for Geary, County Kansas, and walking encyclopedia for all things backyard-bird related.Of the half-dozen or so&nbsp;species of&nbsp;wrens in Kansas, Carolina Wrens and House Wrens are the two most likely visitors to our backyards. Carolina Wrens are year-round residents while House Wrens are migratory, leaving in the fall and arriving again mid to late April.&nbsp;Chuck said that from my description, what I saw was likely a Carolina Wren. He went on to say that once the hours of daylight start to noticeably increase in late winter, many of our Kansas resident backyard birds get into “nesting mood,” and&nbsp;you can also hear an increase in&nbsp;birds’&nbsp;songs, even on cold and cloudy mornings like we’ve had.&nbsp;The males of both Carolina and House Wrens anticipate nesting season by scouting-out several proposed nest sites, then put small amounts of nesting materials in each, readying them for the females viewing, sort of how a realtor stages furniture in a home in preparation for viewing by prospective buyers. Then,&nbsp;they&nbsp;take&nbsp;the females to each proposed site,&nbsp;and if any of the sites are acceptable to her,&nbsp;she chooses the one she likes and they mate. Female Carolina Wrens&nbsp;are known to&nbsp;toss-out most of the&nbsp;nesting material contributed by the male and start from scratch. Female House Wrens usually use at least some of the male’s contribution.&nbsp;Carolina Wrens often have two broods a year, and egg-laying for the first brood starts mid-March to early April. They are known to choose really odd, out-of-the-way nesting spots like above our ceiling fan, and don’t often use nesting boxes we provide.&nbsp;Male House Wrens typically arrive in late April to begin preparing their nest&nbsp;options to show the females, which arrive a week or two later. House Wrens also often hatch two broods a year, and eggs are laid for the first brood&nbsp;around&nbsp;mid-May.&nbsp;Chuck says wrens are everywhere and are easily attracted to our yards and gardens for food and&nbsp;for&nbsp;potential nesting sites. They feed primarily on insects, so one good way to keep them around is to use pesticides&nbsp;very&nbsp;sparingly&nbsp;so as&nbsp;to&nbsp;leave&nbsp;them plenty of high protein&nbsp;insects for&nbsp;snacks. Nest boxes are&nbsp;another way to attract them, especially house wrens.&nbsp;Chuck sent me&nbsp;plans of the wren nest box he prefers.&nbsp;It’s a very simply house with one side that opens to clean the&nbsp;box, and can be built with minimum cutting and just a general knowledge of tools and construction. There are numerous different nest box designs that will work, but Chuck emphasized two things; make the entrance hole only 1 inch in diameter, and DO NOT put a perch on the box, which will&nbsp;deter sparrows from trying to use it.So,&nbsp;to complete the&nbsp;initial&nbsp;story, what I&nbsp;likely&nbsp;saw the other morning was a male Carolina Wren beginning&nbsp;to prepare nesting site possibilities to offer the ladies when they get here. Not sure I’d put-up with my chosen lady tossing all my&nbsp;stuff out in the snow when she finally chose a spot. Although, I did come home from Junior High one afternoon to find mom had tossed all the stuff out of my bedroom onto the lawn because I hadn’t cleaned my room as “requested” … but that’s a story for another time. Let me know if you want Chuck Otte’s wren house plans and I’ll email them to you. Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: Spring wrens in Kansas

By JOHN WILSON <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/02/by-ending-kansas-sales-tax-on-food-our-state-can-live-up-to-its-ideals-and-help-those-in-need/">Courtesy the Kansas Reflector</a>

This Saturday, we celebrated Kansas 
Day, noting our state’s beginnings and contributions to this nation. We 
have much to be proud of — our fields are rich with wheat, corn and 
soybeans, and our pastures are filled with cattle. The state has ample 
food produced right here in our communities.

But despite Kansas’ food production, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/kansas">1 in 8 Kansans and 1 in 6 Kansas kids go hungry</a>. It’s a staggering statistic, and one we have to address.

The issue isn’t new, but it certainly 
has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, food 
insecurity in Kansas increased from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansasappleseed.org/uploads/2/1/9/2/21929892/covid-19_and_hunger_in_kansas.pdf">12.1% to 14.1% during 2020</a>. That’s an extra 58,000 people in our state who likely don’t know where their next meal may come from.

Right now, we pay the second-highest 
state sales tax on food in the entire nation. This legislative session, 
lawmakers have the opportunity to help these hungry Kansas families put 
food on their tables. Four bills have already been introduced — two in 
the House and two in the Senate — that would eliminate the 6.5% state 
sales tax on food.

The change would save an average 
Kansas family of four approximately $500 each year. For families living 
on low or moderate wages, the effect will be particularly significant, 
helping them stretch their budgets to pay for more nutritious foods and 
other basic necessities.

The proposal has broad bipartisan support, as we captured in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kac.org/coalition_letter_now_is_the_time_to_end_the_state_sales_tax_on_food">letter directed to legislative leadership</a>
 signed by hundreds of organizations and individuals across the state. 
These organizations include food pantries, child care agencies, food 
security groups, faith-based organizations and many others united by a 
single goal: ending the state sales tax on food in Kansas.

Ending this tax will help those in 
large cities pay for historically high housing costs. It will help the 
economies of rural border communities. It will help families feed their 
children. It will help individuals who must live off a single low-wage 
income.

While we may differ in our reasonings 
for supporting this policy, we stand united in our efforts to make this 
change a reality for all Kansans.

Last week, the House Taxation Committee held hearings on two bills — <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2484/">HB 2484</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2487/">HB 2487</a> — that would eliminate this tax. On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Assessment and Taxation held hearings on <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/sb339/">SB 339</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/sb342/">SB 342</a>,
 which are identical to the House bills. We need these lawmakers to 
commit to a straightforward, fiscally responsible bill that will improve
 the lives of all Kansans, and they must not add expensive items that 
will harm the state budget that we have worked so hard to repair over 
the past five years.

The state of Kansas predicts a 
considerable surplus for the coming fiscal year, and we know Kansas can 
afford to completely end this tax and still pay its bills in the long 
term. Lawmakers on these committees must continue to center these bills 
on benefitting every person that lives in Kansas — not as vehicles to 
benefit the wealthy and well-connected.

We’re pleased to note, too, that the 
Legislature is considering two other bills that would directly help 
Kansans in need become eligible for food assistance. HB 2215 would 
remove the ban on individuals with felony-level drug convictions from 
receiving SNAP benefits, helping them focus on integrating into society 
rather than on suffering from a lack of food.

<a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2525/">HB 2525</a>
 would remove the child support cooperation requirement to access food 
and child care assistance, as well as exempt students from the 
20-hour-per-week work requirement. This bill would help remove 
counterproductive barriers so parents can provide for their children, 
concentrate on school or work, and achieve financial stability and 
independence.

These are just three immediate ways 
the Kansas Legislature can help hungry Kansans put food on their tables.
 I’m grateful for how far these bills have come just in the first month 
of the 2022 legislative session. However, the work is just beginning.

I hope the bipartisan support these 
ideas have in the Legislature remains strong this session. Kansas Action
 for Children and our partners from across the state will do all we can 
to see them become law.

John Wilson is president of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kac.org/">Kansas Action for Children</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643832060218.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN WILSON <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/02/by-ending-kansas-sales-tax-on-food-our-state-can-live-up-to-its-ideals-and-help-those-in-need/">Courtesy the Kansas Reflector</a>This Saturday, we celebrated Kansas 
Day, noting our state’s beginnings and contributions to this nation. We 
have much to be proud of — our fields are rich with wheat, corn and 
soybeans, and our pastures are filled with cattle. The state has ample 
food produced right here in our communities.But despite Kansas’ food production, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/kansas">1 in 8 Kansans and 1 in 6 Kansas kids go hungry</a>. It’s a staggering statistic, and one we have to address.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The issue isn’t new, but it certainly 
has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, food 
insecurity in Kansas increased from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansasappleseed.org/uploads/2/1/9/2/21929892/covid-19_and_hunger_in_kansas.pdf">12.1% to 14.1% during 2020</a>. That’s an extra 58,000 people in our state who likely don’t know where their next meal may come from.Right now, we pay the second-highest 
state sales tax on food in the entire nation. This legislative session, 
lawmakers have the opportunity to help these hungry Kansas families put 
food on their tables. Four bills have already been introduced — two in 
the House and two in the Senate — that would eliminate the 6.5% state 
sales tax on food.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643832129973.png" alt="Emily Festch, of Kansas Action for Children, testified about the sales tax on food before a Senate panel Tuesday. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption>Emily Festch, of Kansas Action for Children, testified about the sales tax on food before a Senate panel Tuesday. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure>The change would save an average 
Kansas family of four approximately $500 each year. For families living 
on low or moderate wages, the effect will be particularly significant, 
helping them stretch their budgets to pay for more nutritious foods and 
other basic necessities.The proposal has broad bipartisan support, as we captured in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kac.org/coalition_letter_now_is_the_time_to_end_the_state_sales_tax_on_food">letter directed to legislative leadership</a>
 signed by hundreds of organizations and individuals across the state. 
These organizations include food pantries, child care agencies, food 
security groups, faith-based organizations and many others united by a 
single goal: ending the state sales tax on food in Kansas.Ending this tax will help those in 
large cities pay for historically high housing costs. It will help the 
economies of rural border communities. It will help families feed their 
children. It will help individuals who must live off a single low-wage 
income.While we may differ in our reasonings 
for supporting this policy, we stand united in our efforts to make this 
change a reality for all Kansans.Last week, the House Taxation Committee held hearings on two bills — <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2484/">HB 2484</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2487/">HB 2487</a> — that would eliminate this tax. On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Assessment and Taxation held hearings on <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/sb339/">SB 339</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/sb342/">SB 342</a>,
 which are identical to the House bills. We need these lawmakers to 
commit to a straightforward, fiscally responsible bill that will improve
 the lives of all Kansans, and they must not add expensive items that 
will harm the state budget that we have worked so hard to repair over 
the past five years.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643832151625.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The state of Kansas predicts a 
considerable surplus for the coming fiscal year, and we know Kansas can 
afford to completely end this tax and still pay its bills in the long 
term. Lawmakers on these committees must continue to center these bills 
on benefitting every person that lives in Kansas — not as vehicles to 
benefit the wealthy and well-connected.We’re pleased to note, too, that the 
Legislature is considering two other bills that would directly help 
Kansans in need become eligible for food assistance. HB 2215 would 
remove the ban on individuals with felony-level drug convictions from 
receiving SNAP benefits, helping them focus on integrating into society 
rather than on suffering from a lack of food.<a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2525/">HB 2525</a>
 would remove the child support cooperation requirement to access food 
and child care assistance, as well as exempt students from the 
20-hour-per-week work requirement. This bill would help remove 
counterproductive barriers so parents can provide for their children, 
concentrate on school or work, and achieve financial stability and 
independence.These are just three immediate ways 
the Kansas Legislature can help hungry Kansans put food on their tables.
 I’m grateful for how far these bills have come just in the first month 
of the 2022 legislative session. However, the work is just beginning.I hope the bipartisan support these 
ideas have in the Legislature remains strong this session. Kansas Action
 for Children and our partners from across the state will do all we can 
to see them become law.John Wilson is president of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kac.org/">Kansas Action for Children</a>.

OPINION: By ending Kan. food tax, our state can live up to its ideals

By JACKIE MUNDT Pratt County farmer and rancher Our household has only one rule about pets. We cannot buy or seek out pets, they must find and choose us. This rule is not my creation, but it is easy to follow because I have always been apathetic to pets. I don’t dislike animals but lack an interest in pets. I am not the person who stops to talk to dogs in the park or asks about someone’s pets with interest beyond friendliness. Owning a pet has always seemed like a chore I want to avoid at all costs. Life rarely goes how we plan. During the polar vortex cold spell last February, my life was transformed by the unlikely arrival of two new pets. At some point in the bitter cold days, we noticed the appearance of a couple of stray cats. We knew these cats needed help surviving the cold spell and put out food, a heated water bowl and some straw bales to keep them dry, warm and full. The cats continued to show up for meals, and we began to learn their personalities. The female tabby had ninja stealth, which she used to get her food. The grey male was more interested being friends with the tabby. He followed her bellowing the most pitiful “hello-oh” in hopes of becoming her friend. She was not impressed. This created hours of entertainment for us as we watched him try to sneak food without alerting her. We later learned he made that sound constantly when he was looking for others. Fittingly, we named him Hello Kitty After a few weeks, milk was added to our meal offerings in an effort to try to get close enough to pet them. In the spring, the 100 pounds of cat food and somewhere between 5 and 10 gallons of milk paid off. Marc was able to pet the tabby, now named KitCat. She soon discovered the joy of a good scratch behind your ears, and it wasn’t long before both cats lined up for scratches. At some point in this long campaign to convince the cats to become our pets, I went from rolling my eyes to a willing and enthusiastic participant. I was even the first person to let them into the house when they showed signs of curiosity. By fall, KitCat was living as a mostly indoor cat with the personality of a mercurial princess who spends her days issuing orders and punishing those who dare ignore her. She is funny and sassy, demanding and sweet, playful and curious. It became clear by the affection, wrath and possessiveness that KitCat chose me to be her human servant. And that fills my heart with joy and peace. It was a surprise to realize I am not apathetic to pets. I let fear and worry about responsibility color my decisions and convince me cats weren’t that great. KitCat reminded me that my capacity to love and serve others will only grow out of necessity. I would not have willingly sought out this responsibility but when it landed on me, the burden was lighter than expected and completely worth it. We all make excuses and rationalize our reasons for not doing the hard things like volunteering to help, building relationships with new people, giving generously or being selfless. Stop letting those excuses and start asking, who needs me?

"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 Our household has only one rule about pets. We cannot buy or seek out pets, they must find and choose us. This rule is not my creation, but it is easy to follow because I have always been apathetic to pets. I don’t dislike animals but lack an interest in pets. I am not the person who stops to talk to dogs in the park or asks about someone’s pets with interest beyond friendliness. Owning a pet has always seemed like a chore I want to avoid at all costs. Life rarely goes how we plan. During the polar vortex cold spell last February, my life was transformed by the unlikely arrival of two new pets. At some point in the bitter cold days, we noticed the appearance of a couple of stray cats. We knew these cats needed help surviving the cold spell and put out food, a heated water bowl and some straw bales to keep them dry, warm and full. The cats continued to show up for meals, and we began to learn their personalities. The female tabby had ninja stealth, which she used to get her food. The grey male was more interested being friends with the tabby. He followed her bellowing the most pitiful “hello-oh” in hopes of becoming her friend. She was not impressed. This created hours of entertainment for us as we watched him try to sneak food without alerting her. We later learned he made that sound constantly when he was looking for others. Fittingly, we named him Hello Kitty After a few weeks, milk was added to our meal offerings in an effort to try to get close enough to pet them. In the spring, the 100 pounds of cat food and somewhere between 5 and 10 gallons of milk paid off. Marc was able to pet the tabby, now named KitCat. She soon discovered the joy of a good scratch behind your ears, and it wasn’t long before both cats lined up for scratches. At some point in this long campaign to convince the cats to become our pets, I went from rolling my eyes to a willing and enthusiastic participant. I was even the first person to let them into the house when they showed signs of curiosity. By fall, KitCat was living as a mostly indoor cat with the personality of a mercurial princess who spends her days issuing orders and punishing those who dare ignore her. She is funny and sassy, demanding and sweet, playful and curious. It became clear by the affection, wrath and possessiveness that KitCat chose me to be her human servant. And that fills my heart with joy and peace. It was a surprise to realize I am not apathetic to pets. I let fear and worry about responsibility color my decisions and convince me cats weren’t that great. KitCat reminded me that my capacity to love and serve others will only grow out of necessity. I would not have willingly sought out this responsibility but when it landed on me, the burden was lighter than expected and completely worth it. We all make excuses and rationalize our reasons for not doing the hard things like volunteering to help, building relationships with new people, giving generously or being selfless. Stop letting those excuses and start asking, who needs me?"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: A cat tale

On Wednesday, January 26, the Appropriations Committee heard that years of legislative oversight and targeted funding is beginning to make a difference in our foster care system. The funding support and collaboration between the Legislature, The Department of Children and Families (DCF), and the Federal Families First initiative is now producing positive results.

The number of children entering foster care has dropped from 4,212 in 2018 to 3,081 in 2021. We learned that the Families First Prevention Services program provides prevention services to keep children and youth from entering foster care. It also provides out-of-home placement through approved evidence-based programs, which provides mental health, substance abuse, parent skill building, along with kinship navigation. 

This program was developed from the federal 2018 Family First Prevention Services Act, which gave states access to money for prevention. Kansas was one of the first states to start a Families First Program.

The 2021 Legislature also provided for a foster care report card. The bill requires the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and DCF collaborate to create an annual foster care report card. This report card would be submitted to the House and Senate committees on education by January 15 each year.

These improvements with the foster care system were addressed by the legislature over the past few years to reduce the number of children in the foster care system in the state of Kansas.

On Tuesday, January 25, the Kansas House of Representatives debated Senate Bill 355. This bill is the first bill to be debated regarding redistricting and focused on the four Congressional districts in Kansas. Due to population shifts in the current Congressional districts, the First and Second Districts losing population and the Third gaining, adjustments must be made for each district to have a population of 734,470. This map has the First District shifting further east to increase the amount of population in the district so we are within the population deviations. As I mentioned prior, this is the first map that we have debated. There were numerous amendments on the House Floor, though all failed, the map passed out of the House Wednesday morning. I voted “yes.”

During the third week of the Legislative session, there were many more bills introduced in the House Chamber. Listed below are the details of those bills.

House Bills 2484 and 2487 had hearings this week in the House Taxation committee and both bills would provide for a zero percent sales tax rate on food. Both bills stipulate cities and counties would still be allowed to levy a sales tax rate. House Bill 2487 also allows for a sales tax exemption on items that were purchased at a Farmer’s Market.

There was also a hearing in the Water committee on House Bill 2480, which amends current statute with projects that are related to the diversion or transportation of water.

House Bill 2528 was introduced in the House Federal and State Affairs committee and would exempt inflatable devices owned or operated by nonprofit organizations from the requirements of the Kansas Amusement Ride Act.

A hearing was held on House Bill 2215 which would allow persons with a felony drug conviction to receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Anytime that one would like to participate and listen to the developments of committee hearings or discussion on the House floor, one can tune in by listening to the&nbsp;

audio footage at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/">www.kslegislature.org</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633970422056.jpeg" alt="Rep. Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, 109th District " />
 <figcaption>Rep. Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, 109th District </figcaption>
 </figure>February 1, 2022 TOPEKA Foster Care in KansasOn Wednesday, January 26, the Appropriations Committee heard that years of legislative oversight and targeted funding is beginning to make a difference in our foster care system. The funding support and collaboration between the Legislature, The Department of Children and Families (DCF), and the Federal Families First initiative is now producing positive results.The number of children entering foster care has dropped from 4,212 in 2018 to 3,081 in 2021. We learned that the Families First Prevention Services program provides prevention services to keep children and youth from entering foster care. It also provides out-of-home placement through approved evidence-based programs, which provides mental health, substance abuse, parent skill building, along with kinship navigation. This program was developed from the federal 2018 Family First Prevention Services Act, which gave states access to money for prevention. Kansas was one of the first states to start a Families First Program.The 2021 Legislature also provided for a foster care report card. The bill requires the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and DCF collaborate to create an annual foster care report card. This report card would be submitted to the House and Senate committees on education by January 15 each year.These improvements with the foster care system were addressed by the legislature over the past few years to reduce the number of children in the foster care system in the state of Kansas.Redistricting and New MapsOn Tuesday, January 25, the Kansas House of Representatives debated Senate Bill 355. This bill is the first bill to be debated regarding redistricting and focused on the four Congressional districts in Kansas. Due to population shifts in the current Congressional districts, the First and Second Districts losing population and the Third gaining, adjustments must be made for each district to have a population of 734,470. This map has the First District shifting further east to increase the amount of population in the district so we are within the population deviations. As I mentioned prior, this is the first map that we have debated. There were numerous amendments on the House Floor, though all failed, the map passed out of the House Wednesday morning. I voted “yes.”Bill Activity in the HouseDuring the third week of the Legislative session, there were many more bills introduced in the House Chamber. Listed below are the details of those bills.House Bills 2484 and 2487 had hearings this week in the House Taxation committee and both bills would provide for a zero percent sales tax rate on food. Both bills stipulate cities and counties would still be allowed to levy a sales tax rate. House Bill 2487 also allows for a sales tax exemption on items that were purchased at a Farmer’s Market.There was also a hearing in the Water committee on House Bill 2480, which amends current statute with projects that are related to the diversion or transportation of water.House Bill 2528 was introduced in the House Federal and State Affairs committee and would exempt inflatable devices owned or operated by nonprofit organizations from the requirements of the Kansas Amusement Ride Act.A hearing was held on House Bill 2215 which would allow persons with a felony drug conviction to receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).Contact InformationAnytime that one would like to participate and listen to the developments of committee hearings or discussion on the House floor, one can tune in by listening to the&nbsp;

audio footage at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/">www.kslegislature.org</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;As always, if you have any concerns, feel free to contact me (785) 296-7672, follow on twitter at @waymaster4house, or email me at troy.waymaster@house.ks.gov. Please contact me regarding any issues and legislation that we are discussing during session.It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, is the Kansas House&nbsp;Appropriations Chairman and 109th District state representative which includes: * Osborne, Russell, and Smith Counties * Barton County: Cities: Albert, Claflin, Galatia, Odin, Olmitz and Susank; Townships: Beaver, Cheyenne, Clarence, Cleveland, Fairview, Grant, Independent, Logan, Union, Walnut and Wheatland * Jewell County: Cities:Burr Oak, Esbon and Mankato; Townships: Athens,Browns Creek, Burr Oak, Calvin, Center,Erving, Esbon, Harrison, Highland, Holmwood, Ionia, Limestone, Odessa,Walnut and White Mound * Lincoln County: Cities: Lincoln Center(part) and Sylvan Grove; Townships: Battle Creek, Beaver(part), Cedron, Elkhorn(part), Golden Belt, Grant, Hanover, Highland, Indiana, Marion, Orange, Pleasant, Valley and Vesper * Rush County: Cities: Bison, Otis, Rush Center and Timken; Townships: Banner,Center,Garfield, Illinois, Lone Star, Pioneer and Pleasantdale

WAYMASTER: From the Dome to Home, Feb. 1, 2022

TOPEKA - Hello from Topeka. We are already in the fourth week of this legislative session and there has been so much going on that this is the first column of the year. I continue to serve as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and am a member of the Appropriations Committee and Higher Education Budget Committee.

Legislature extends protections to keep hospitals, adult care homes staffed

Early in the session, the House acted swiftly to send HB 2477 to the governor. The legislation came in response to staffing shortages and the added stresses being placed on our healthcare workers. HB 2477 temporarily suspends some of the rules and regulations for health care providers and adult care homes so they can continue to navigate staffing issues related to COVID-19. The House initially approved the bill, 115-6, with all provisions set to expire on May 15, 2022. The Senate amended the expiration date to January 20, 2023. The House agreed to those amendments, with a vote of 96-4, sending the bill to the Governor. Bottom Line: HB 2477 temporarily eases regulations on hospitals and nursing homes, increasing the number of frontline healthcare workers to help curb staffing shortages and adequately address the healthcare needs of Kansans.

Over the past almost two years, many Kansans have been struggling to make ends meet and looked to unemployment as a lifeline to help them and their families. Unfortunately, using the claims process through the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) has been a nightmare. The system was slow and not easily accessed. Phone calls for information were left unanswered. Instead of getting money into the hands of Kansans, nearly $700 million went to fraudsters. 

The 2021 Legislature worked diligently to address concerns regarding the KDOL claims system and responded with 2021 HB 2196. The bill created the Unemployment Compensation Modernization and Improvement Council, which has provided necessary oversight of the unemployment system. 

Last week, the House Committee on Commerce, Labor, and Economic Development requested that the Secretary of KDOL appear and provide an update on the unemployment system. She did not show up. This week, the General Government Budget Committee received an update from the KDOL Secretary on modernization efforts. The agency indicates that it is in Step 8 of the modernization process, Agency completes RFP Process (Working). The remaining steps are Step 9 Agency completes detailed project plan with vendor (Early 2022); Step 10 CITO approves detailed project plan (Spring 2022); Step 11 Agency Begins Project (ASAP following completion of contract negotiation.

On Saturday, we celebrated Kansas Day and the 161st birthday of our state. Additionally, Kansas Tourism has launched a website, To the Stars, which is dedicated to honoring Kansas Day and our great state. The site has merchandise with the new tourism campaign, including accessories and apparel. The Kansas State Historical Society has created a webpage full of classroom resources, including a read-along&nbsp;for "S is for Sunflower: A Kansas Alphabet." There are also videos on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/kansashistorical">KSHS’s YouTube Channel</a>. This year also marks the 150th anniversary of the Home on the Range cabin and song. The cabin was built on July 4, 1872. A celebration will be held July 2-4.

Legislature Approves Congressional Map

This past week, both the Senate and House passed SB 355, the “Ad Astra 2” Congressional map. Ad Astra 2 is a product of the redistricting process that started with over 20 town hall meetings and reflects the review of 2020 Census data. 2020 Census data showed that district boundary lines had to be shifted to accommodate changes in population and ensure that each district has the same number of residents. For example, the First Congressional District in Western Kansas no longer has enough people in it, while the Third District in Johnson and Wyandotte Counties has too many. Congressional maps are governed by federal law and are required to have equal population in each congressional district. Ad Astra 2 meets this requirement. Following the Senate’s vote of 26-9, the House Committee on Redistricting met to consider Ad Astra 2 and advanced its version of the bill, HB 2522. A total of eight Congressional maps were brought to the House for consideration, but those amendments failed. The House voted 79-37 to advance Ad Astra 2 to the Governor for her consideration.

It is great to have visitors back in Topeka, so far we visited with area sheriffs, county clerks, and county appraisers along with several county commissioners and city officials, members of the local Farm Bureaus, Nex-Tech, Prairie Land Electric, Western Electric, Sunflower Electric and Midwest Energy, all are members of Kansas Rural Electric Cooperative along with members of grain and feed cooperatives.

Like I said, it has been a busy start to the 2022 session. If you have a youngster that would like to ne a page for a day during the legislative session, let me or my office assistant Terry know right away, as space is limited. if you would like to contact me: my office is still located in Room: 149-S. My phone number is (785) 296- 7463 and email is: kenn.rahje@house.ks.gov and you can always try my cell number at (785) 302-8416.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581437076322.jpeg" alt="Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, 110th Dist." />
 <figcaption>Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, 110th Dist.</figcaption>
 </figure>01-31-22TOPEKA - Hello from Topeka. We are already in the fourth week of this legislative session and there has been so much going on that this is the first column of the year. I continue to serve as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and am a member of the Appropriations Committee and Higher Education Budget Committee.Legislature extends protections to keep hospitals, adult care homes staffedEarly in the session, the House acted swiftly to send HB 2477 to the governor. The legislation came in response to staffing shortages and the added stresses being placed on our healthcare workers. HB 2477 temporarily suspends some of the rules and regulations for health care providers and adult care homes so they can continue to navigate staffing issues related to COVID-19. The House initially approved the bill, 115-6, with all provisions set to expire on May 15, 2022. The Senate amended the expiration date to January 20, 2023. The House agreed to those amendments, with a vote of 96-4, sending the bill to the Governor. Bottom Line: HB 2477 temporarily eases regulations on hospitals and nursing homes, increasing the number of frontline healthcare workers to help curb staffing shortages and adequately address the healthcare needs of Kansans.Unemployment RevisitedOver the past almost two years, many Kansans have been struggling to make ends meet and looked to unemployment as a lifeline to help them and their families. Unfortunately, using the claims process through the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) has been a nightmare. The system was slow and not easily accessed. Phone calls for information were left unanswered. Instead of getting money into the hands of Kansans, nearly $700 million went to fraudsters. The 2021 Legislature worked diligently to address concerns regarding the KDOL claims system and responded with 2021 HB 2196. The bill created the Unemployment Compensation Modernization and Improvement Council, which has provided necessary oversight of the unemployment system. Last week, the House Committee on Commerce, Labor, and Economic Development requested that the Secretary of KDOL appear and provide an update on the unemployment system. She did not show up. This week, the General Government Budget Committee received an update from the KDOL Secretary on modernization efforts. The agency indicates that it is in Step 8 of the modernization process, Agency completes RFP Process (Working). The remaining steps are Step 9 Agency completes detailed project plan with vendor (Early 2022); Step 10 CITO approves detailed project plan (Spring 2022); Step 11 Agency Begins Project (ASAP following completion of contract negotiation.Happy Birthday, Kansas!On Saturday, we celebrated Kansas Day and the 161st birthday of our state. Additionally, Kansas Tourism has launched a website, To the Stars, which is dedicated to honoring Kansas Day and our great state. The site has merchandise with the new tourism campaign, including accessories and apparel. The Kansas State Historical Society has created a webpage full of classroom resources, including a read-along&nbsp;for "S is for Sunflower: A Kansas Alphabet." There are also videos on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/kansashistorical">KSHS’s YouTube Channel</a>. This year also marks the 150th anniversary of the Home on the Range cabin and song. The cabin was built on July 4, 1872. A celebration will be held July 2-4.Legislature Approves Congressional MapThis past week, both the Senate and House passed SB 355, the “Ad Astra 2” Congressional map. Ad Astra 2 is a product of the redistricting process that started with over 20 town hall meetings and reflects the review of 2020 Census data. 2020 Census data showed that district boundary lines had to be shifted to accommodate changes in population and ensure that each district has the same number of residents. For example, the First Congressional District in Western Kansas no longer has enough people in it, while the Third District in Johnson and Wyandotte Counties has too many. Congressional maps are governed by federal law and are required to have equal population in each congressional district. Ad Astra 2 meets this requirement. Following the Senate’s vote of 26-9, the House Committee on Redistricting met to consider Ad Astra 2 and advanced its version of the bill, HB 2522. A total of eight Congressional maps were brought to the House for consideration, but those amendments failed. The House voted 79-37 to advance Ad Astra 2 to the Governor for her consideration.It is great to have visitors back in Topeka, so far we visited with area sheriffs, county clerks, and county appraisers along with several county commissioners and city officials, members of the local Farm Bureaus, Nex-Tech, Prairie Land Electric, Western Electric, Sunflower Electric and Midwest Energy, all are members of Kansas Rural Electric Cooperative along with members of grain and feed cooperatives.Like I said, it has been a busy start to the 2022 session. If you have a youngster that would like to ne a page for a day during the legislative session, let me or my office assistant Terry know right away, as space is limited. if you would like to contact me: my office is still located in Room: 149-S. My phone number is (785) 296- 7463 and email is: kenn.rahje@house.ks.gov and you can always try my cell number at (785) 302-8416.It is my honor to serve you.Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, is the Kansas state representative of the 110th Dist. House District 110 includes:&nbsp; Norton and Phillips Counties Ellis County: Cities: Catharine, Ellis and Schoenchen;&nbsp;Townships: Big Creek(part), Buckeye, Catherine, Ellis, Herzog(part),&nbsp;Lookout(part) and Wheatland(part) Graham County: City: Hill City;&nbsp;Townships: Hill City(part) and Nicodemus(part) Rooks County: Cities: Damar, Palco, Plainville,&nbsp;Stockton, Woodston and Zurich

RAHJES REPORT: Jan. 31, 2022

This week, the senate standing committees continued to hold hearings and bring forward legislation. The Ways and Means Committee is starting to work the budget bill with subcommittee meetings to report to the full committee in a few weeks. The senate will be returning to general orders where we will see the first committee bills to have a vote from the entire Senate.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The senate confirmed 16 appointees nominated by the governor. State law in Kansas requires that certain appointments by the governor or other state officials be confirmed by the senate prior to the appointee exercising any power, duty, or function of the office.

<a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb146/" target="_blank">SB 146</a>&nbsp; - SB146 would transfer oversight of state certification of ignition interlock device (IID) manufacturers and service providers from the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR) to the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP).&nbsp;SB 146 passed 39-0.

<a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb337/" target="_blank">SB 337</a>&nbsp;– SB 337 would amend provisions pertaining to the pilot program established within the Technology-Enabled Fiduciary Financial Institutions (TEFFI) Act to clarify and retroactively codify the intended date for the issuance of a full charter to the Beneficent Company.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB 337 passed 39-0.

<a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2087/" target="_blank">HB 2087</a>&nbsp;– HB2087 would amend law related to the order of review of administrative rules and regulations, as well as specifics in the area of economic impact statements.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2087 passed 39-0.

SB 347&nbsp;–&nbsp;SB 347 is a bill&nbsp;concerning economic development; enacting the attracting&nbsp;powerful economic expansion act; relating to tax and other incentives for projects in&nbsp;specified industries or for a national corporate headquarters with specified capital&nbsp;investment requirements of at least $1,000,000,000.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB 347 passed 32-7.&nbsp;

Senate Bill 347 is also known as the Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion Act, or APEX Act. It would establish new economic development incentives targeted at specific industries that agree to invest at least $1.0 billion within the state of Kansas. The APEX Act also targets incentives at the suppliers involved in the APEX project.&nbsp; The APEX program would be under the purview of the secretary of commerce for the purpose of attracting large capital investments in new facilities and operations by businesses engaged in specified industries and encouraging the development of Kansas-based supply chains.

 To help drive taxes down for all who do business in Kansas, an important provision of the bill would lower the corporate income tax the year after a qualified firm or supplier receives benefits under the law.&nbsp; 

Qualified firms under the bill would be for-profit businesses subject to state income, sales, or property tax that are engaged in one or more industries such advanced as determined by the secretary of commerce:&nbsp; advanced manufacturing, aerospace, distribution, logistics, transportation, food and agriculture or professional and technical services.&nbsp; 

To ensure oversight occurs in the short-term, a sunset of March 31, 2023 was added, to ensure that the full legislature reviews the provisions of the APEX Act in just one year.

January 29 of 2022 marked the 161th&nbsp;anniversary of President James Buchanan signing a bill to make Kansas the 34th&nbsp;state of the United States of America.&nbsp; Kansas is full of rich history, beautiful scenes of nature, and notable landmarks.&nbsp; In Kansas Senate District 36, we have remarkable landmarks such as the Nazareth Motherhouse in Concordia, Rock City outside of Minneapolis, and the “Home on the Range Cabin” in Smith County, birthplace of our state song.&nbsp; “Home on the Range” was adopted by the Kansas State Legislature as the official state song on June 30, 1947.&nbsp; Along with our state song, Kansas has not one, but TWO official state marches, “The Kansas March” and “Here’s Kansas.”&nbsp; But while the marches are grand, nothing brings as much pride into the hearts of the residents of the Sunflower State as that of seeing our great flag dancing in the breeze.&nbsp; The flag was designed by Hazel Avery of Lincoln County in 1925.&nbsp; Directly in the center on the field of blue is the Great Seal of the State of Kansas with our motto arching near the top: “Ad Astra Per Aspera” to the stars through difficulties. The flag was modified in 1961 by a bill introduced by Senator Ross Doyen of Concordia to add the word “KANSAS”.

VISIT THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF KANSAS -&nbsp;<a href="https://portal.kansas.gov/">www.kansas.gov</a>

You can find a wealth of information at this well-designed website which focuses on Kansas with topics of business, education, government, residents and services with links to agencies and staff to help answer any question you might have.&nbsp; Webfile will take you directly to the Department of Revenue to file your taxes; Form finder will take you to the Secretary of State’s office for all types of forms for businesses; Learning Quest will direct you to the State Treasurer’s Office; the three branches of Government; and Plan your Trip to Kansas will open to the Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas residents can access information on legislation, legislative procedure, state government, public policy issues and more by calling 1-800-432-3924.&nbsp; Calls are answered by experienced reference/research librarians at the State Library of Kansas and kept confidential.&nbsp; Lines are open weekdays 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.&nbsp; Callers can also leave brief messages to be delivered to legislators as well as request copies of bills, journals, and other legislative documents.&nbsp; Questions can also be left at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:infodesk@ks.gov" target="_blank">infodesk@ks.gov</a>&nbsp;on weekends and evenings.&nbsp; Kansans can now chat with a librarian in real-time through the library’s Ask A Librarian service found at <a href="https://kslib.info/ask">kslib.info/ask</a>. You will have the option of installing a mobile app connecting users to all the state library’s services, including chat, texting and email.&nbsp; Text questions to 785 256-0733.&nbsp; The state library is located on the third floor, north wing of the capitol.&nbsp;

Senator Elaine Bowers Kansas State Capitol Building Room 223-E 300 SW 10th St. <a href="mailto:elaine.bowers@senate.ks.gov" target="_blank">elaine.bowers@senate.ks.gov</a> 785-296-7389 <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,&nbsp;Smith and Washington Counties * Marshall County: Cities: Blue Rapids, Marysville, Oketo and Waterville;&nbsp;Townships: Blue Rapids, Blue Rapids City, Cottage Hill, Elm Creek,&nbsp;Herkimer, Logan, Marysville, Oketo, Walnut and Waterville * Phillips County: Cities: Agra, Glade, Kirwin and Phillipsburg;&nbsp;Townships: Arcade, Bow Creek, Crystal Deer Creek, Freedom,&nbsp;Glenwood, Greenwood, Kirwin, Phillipsburg, Plum,&nbsp;Rushville, Solomon(part), Sumner,&nbsp;Valley and Walnut

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1580853658061.jpeg" alt="Sen. Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, 36th Dist.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, 36th Dist.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>SENATE HAPPENINGSThis week, the senate standing committees continued to hold hearings and bring forward legislation. The Ways and Means Committee is starting to work the budget bill with subcommittee meetings to report to the full committee in a few weeks. The senate will be returning to general orders where we will see the first committee bills to have a vote from the entire Senate.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;SENATE FLOOR ACTIONThe senate confirmed 16 appointees nominated by the governor. State law in Kansas requires that certain appointments by the governor or other state officials be confirmed by the senate prior to the appointee exercising any power, duty, or function of the office.<a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb146/" target="_blank">SB 146</a>&nbsp; - SB146 would transfer oversight of state certification of ignition interlock device (IID) manufacturers and service providers from the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR) to the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP).&nbsp;SB 146 passed 39-0.<a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb337/" target="_blank">SB 337</a>&nbsp;– SB 337 would amend provisions pertaining to the pilot program established within the Technology-Enabled Fiduciary Financial Institutions (TEFFI) Act to clarify and retroactively codify the intended date for the issuance of a full charter to the Beneficent Company.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB 337 passed 39-0.<a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2087/" target="_blank">HB 2087</a>&nbsp;– HB2087 would amend law related to the order of review of administrative rules and regulations, as well as specifics in the area of economic impact statements.&nbsp;&nbsp;HB 2087 passed 39-0.SB 347&nbsp;–&nbsp;SB 347 is a bill&nbsp;concerning economic development; enacting the attracting&nbsp;powerful economic expansion act; relating to tax and other incentives for projects in&nbsp;specified industries or for a national corporate headquarters with specified capital&nbsp;investment requirements of at least $1,000,000,000.&nbsp;&nbsp;SB 347 passed 32-7.&nbsp; Senate Bill 347 is also known as the Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion Act, or APEX Act. It would establish new economic development incentives targeted at specific industries that agree to invest at least $1.0 billion within the state of Kansas. The APEX Act also targets incentives at the suppliers involved in the APEX project.&nbsp; The APEX program would be under the purview of the secretary of commerce for the purpose of attracting large capital investments in new facilities and operations by businesses engaged in specified industries and encouraging the development of Kansas-based supply chains. To help drive taxes down for all who do business in Kansas, an important provision of the bill would lower the corporate income tax the year after a qualified firm or supplier receives benefits under the law.&nbsp; Qualified firms under the bill would be for-profit businesses subject to state income, sales, or property tax that are engaged in one or more industries such advanced as determined by the secretary of commerce:&nbsp; advanced manufacturing, aerospace, distribution, logistics, transportation, food and agriculture or professional and technical services.&nbsp; To ensure oversight occurs in the short-term, a sunset of March 31, 2023 was added, to ensure that the full legislature reviews the provisions of the APEX Act in just one year. KANSAS DAYJanuary 29 of 2022 marked the 161th&nbsp;anniversary of President James Buchanan signing a bill to make Kansas the 34th&nbsp;state of the United States of America.&nbsp; Kansas is full of rich history, beautiful scenes of nature, and notable landmarks.&nbsp; In Kansas Senate District 36, we have remarkable landmarks such as the Nazareth Motherhouse in Concordia, Rock City outside of Minneapolis, and the “Home on the Range Cabin” in Smith County, birthplace of our state song.&nbsp; “Home on the Range” was adopted by the Kansas State Legislature as the official state song on June 30, 1947.&nbsp; Along with our state song, Kansas has not one, but TWO official state marches, “The Kansas March” and “Here’s Kansas.”&nbsp; But while the marches are grand, nothing brings as much pride into the hearts of the residents of the Sunflower State as that of seeing our great flag dancing in the breeze.&nbsp; The flag was designed by Hazel Avery of Lincoln County in 1925.&nbsp; Directly in the center on the field of blue is the Great Seal of the State of Kansas with our motto arching near the top: “Ad Astra Per Aspera” to the stars through difficulties. The flag was modified in 1961 by a bill introduced by Senator Ross Doyen of Concordia to add the word “KANSAS”.VISIT THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF KANSAS -&nbsp;<a href="https://portal.kansas.gov/">www.kansas.gov</a>You can find a wealth of information at this well-designed website which focuses on Kansas with topics of business, education, government, residents and services with links to agencies and staff to help answer any question you might have.&nbsp; Webfile will take you directly to the Department of Revenue to file your taxes; Form finder will take you to the Secretary of State’s office for all types of forms for businesses; Learning Quest will direct you to the State Treasurer’s Office; the three branches of Government; and Plan your Trip to Kansas will open to the Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.&nbsp;&nbsp;TOLL-FREE LEGISLATIVE HOTLINEKansas residents can access information on legislation, legislative procedure, state government, public policy issues and more by calling 1-800-432-3924.&nbsp; Calls are answered by experienced reference/research librarians at the State Library of Kansas and kept confidential.&nbsp; Lines are open weekdays 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.&nbsp; Callers can also leave brief messages to be delivered to legislators as well as request copies of bills, journals, and other legislative documents.&nbsp; Questions can also be left at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:infodesk@ks.gov" target="_blank">infodesk@ks.gov</a>&nbsp;on weekends and evenings.&nbsp; Kansans can now chat with a librarian in real-time through the library’s Ask A Librarian service found at <a href="https://kslib.info/ask">kslib.info/ask</a>. You will have the option of installing a mobile app connecting users to all the state library’s services, including chat, texting and email.&nbsp; Text questions to 785 256-0733.&nbsp; The state library is located on the third floor, north wing of the capitol.&nbsp;Thank you for the honor of serving you!Senator Elaine Bowers Kansas State Capitol Building Room 223-E 300 SW 10th St. <a href="mailto:elaine.bowers@senate.ks.gov" target="_blank">elaine.bowers@senate.ks.gov</a> 785-296-7389 <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,&nbsp;Smith and Washington Counties * Marshall County: Cities: Blue Rapids, Marysville, Oketo and Waterville;&nbsp;Townships: Blue Rapids, Blue Rapids City, Cottage Hill, Elm Creek,&nbsp;Herkimer, Logan, Marysville, Oketo, Walnut and Waterville * Phillips County: Cities: Agra, Glade, Kirwin and Phillipsburg;&nbsp;Townships: Arcade, Bow Creek, Crystal Deer Creek, Freedom,&nbsp;Glenwood, Greenwood, Kirwin, Phillipsburg, Plum,&nbsp;Rushville, Solomon(part), Sumner,&nbsp;Valley and Walnut

BOWERS: 2022 Senate Scene, Week 3

TOPEKA - First off, I would like to thank everyone who braved the cold for the Rally for Life and march held last week on the capitol steps. It was great to see so many people at this rally especially the people from the 40th District in western Kansas even when the road conditions were snow and ice. We would like to remind the voters of a very important date, August 2, 2022, the Value Them Both Constitutional Amendment will be on the ballot. You can protect the most vulnerable by voting YES on the Value Them Both Amendment.

Every ten years the legislature is required to redraw the congressional, senate and house district maps according to the growth in each district. In preparation for the congressional map our committee held 20 town hall meetings along with many opportunities to participate virtually. Much of the growth in the State of Kansas was in Wyandotte and Johnson counties. These two counties saw the largest growth in residents. By law congressional districts require the same number of residents in each district;&nbsp; therefore, Johnson and Wyandotte county could not remain in the same district. It was decided after much testimony from the people in Johnson County that Johnson County should remain whole and Wyandotte county would be split as it has been numerous times in past maps. The dividing line in Wyandotte county is along I-70 west and east to the Kansas river. The bedroom communities of Miami, Franklin, and Anderson Counties joined Johnson County in the 3rd District. With this map District 3, Congresswoman Sharica Davis, would have still won this district as would have President Biden and Governor Kelly. 

The only district that needed little or no change was District 4 which included Wichita and surrounding counties. The balance of Wyandotte County joined District 2 which it had been part of in past maps. The Second District includes several military installations, including Ft. Riley, Ft. Leavenworth, Forbes Field, and the Kansas National Guard. 

The First District needed an increase in population which required moving east to get the required number. The new map goes east and includes Lawrence, KS, the University of Kansas, Kansas State and Fort Hays State University in the 1st District. 

The challenge in redistricting is a math problem that requires that we have the same number of residents in each district.

On Thursday, the Kansas Senate adopted legislation which includes a substantial development incentive for the purpose of spurring large economic development investment in Kansas. The initial target of the incentive package is a $4.0 billion manufacturing project that would employee over 4,000 people and is one of the most significant private sector investments in Kansas history. The package, as it passed the Senate on Thursday, is known as the Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion Act or APEX Act. APEX would establish new economic development incentives targeted at specific industries that agree to invest at least $1.0 billion within the state of Kansas. The APEX Act also targets incentives at the suppliers involved in the APEX project. The APEX Program would be under the purview of the Secretary of Commerce for the purpose of attracting large capital investments in new facilities and operations by businesses engaged in specified industries and encouraging the development of Kansas based supply chains.&nbsp;

To help drive taxes down for all who do business in Kansas, an important provision of the bill would lower the corporate income tax the year after a qualified firm or supplier receives benefits under the law. Qualified firms under the bill would be for-profit businesses subject to state income, sales, or property tax that are engaged in one or more of the following industries as determined by the Secretary of Commerce: advanced manufacturing, aerospace, distribution, logistics and transportation, food and agriculture, professional and technical services. The bill provides exceptions to the definition by stating that a for-profit business establishment in any industry is eligible as a “qualified firm” if it is seeking benefits to relocate or establish its national corporate headquarters within the state. 

Additionally, a project would need to be completed within five years. 

Incentives available under the bill would include: investment’s tax credits, reimbursement of percentage of total payroll, reimbursement of a percentage of eligible employee training and education expenses, partial real property tax exemption, sales tax exemption for construction costs of the qualified business facilities. 

Qualified firms and suppliers would not be eligible to participate in other economic development programs currently in existence, and they would be required to cooperate with any audit undertaken by the Department of Revenue. 

To ensure proper oversight, the firms and suppliers would be required to provide information required for publication in the Economic Development Incentive Database, as well as reports required to be submitted to the governor and the legislature, among other provisions to ensure property transparency and accountability. To ensure oversight occurs in the short-term, a sunset of March 31, 2023 was added to ensure that the legislature reviews the provisions of the APEX Act in just one year. The bill was rushed through the process in order the allow commerce enough time to negotiate their offer to the prospective company. I believe Kansas needs to be careful when making huge concessions to attract new businesses.

If you are interested in following the legislature you can connect to the following links:

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_0NO-Pb96CFABvxDwXAq8A">Kansas Legislature YouTube</a>&nbsp;- Here you can follow the legislature live as it happens, or access archives of past sessions and committee meetings.

<a href="http://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00287/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20220124/-1/14088?viewMode=1#handoutFile_">Kansas Legislature Audio</a>&nbsp;- Here you can listen in on session or committees when they are in session, or access prior committee meetings.

Kansas Legislature website-&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org-/" target="_blank">www.kslegislature.org</a>&nbsp;has extensive information on legislators, committees, bills and past sessions.

Middle school (12 years of age or older) and high school students are invited to come to our Kansas State Capitol, to be my sponsored Senate Page for a day. The dates available are February 7 and 21 as well as March 7 and 14. There are openings for 4 pages on each day. Please contact my office, if you know a student who may have an interest in being a Senate Page.

I am honored and grateful to represent the 40th&nbsp;Senate District in Kansas. Please do not hesitate to contact by email: rick.billinger@senate.ks.gov or call me with your questions and concerns, my office number is 785-296-7399 or my cell is 785-899-4700. If you are in Topeka stop by my office at 545-S.

Rick Billingr, R-Goodland, is the 40th district senator which includes:

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610490291573.jpeg" alt="Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, 40th Dist.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, 40th Dist.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>January 31, 2022TOPEKA - First off, I would like to thank everyone who braved the cold for the Rally for Life and march held last week on the capitol steps. It was great to see so many people at this rally especially the people from the 40th District in western Kansas even when the road conditions were snow and ice. We would like to remind the voters of a very important date, August 2, 2022, the Value Them Both Constitutional Amendment will be on the ballot. You can protect the most vulnerable by voting YES on the Value Them Both Amendment.Every ten years the legislature is required to redraw the congressional, senate and house district maps according to the growth in each district. In preparation for the congressional map our committee held 20 town hall meetings along with many opportunities to participate virtually. Much of the growth in the State of Kansas was in Wyandotte and Johnson counties. These two counties saw the largest growth in residents. By law congressional districts require the same number of residents in each district;&nbsp; therefore, Johnson and Wyandotte county could not remain in the same district. It was decided after much testimony from the people in Johnson County that Johnson County should remain whole and Wyandotte county would be split as it has been numerous times in past maps. The dividing line in Wyandotte county is along I-70 west and east to the Kansas river. The bedroom communities of Miami, Franklin, and Anderson Counties joined Johnson County in the 3rd District. With this map District 3, Congresswoman Sharica Davis, would have still won this district as would have President Biden and Governor Kelly. The only district that needed little or no change was District 4 which included Wichita and surrounding counties. The balance of Wyandotte County joined District 2 which it had been part of in past maps. The Second District includes several military installations, including Ft. Riley, Ft. Leavenworth, Forbes Field, and the Kansas National Guard. The First District needed an increase in population which required moving east to get the required number. The new map goes east and includes Lawrence, KS, the University of Kansas, Kansas State and Fort Hays State University in the 1st District. The challenge in redistricting is a math problem that requires that we have the same number of residents in each district.On Thursday, the Kansas Senate adopted legislation which includes a substantial development incentive for the purpose of spurring large economic development investment in Kansas. The initial target of the incentive package is a $4.0 billion manufacturing project that would employee over 4,000 people and is one of the most significant private sector investments in Kansas history. The package, as it passed the Senate on Thursday, is known as the Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion Act or APEX Act. APEX would establish new economic development incentives targeted at specific industries that agree to invest at least $1.0 billion within the state of Kansas. The APEX Act also targets incentives at the suppliers involved in the APEX project. The APEX Program would be under the purview of the Secretary of Commerce for the purpose of attracting large capital investments in new facilities and operations by businesses engaged in specified industries and encouraging the development of Kansas based supply chains.&nbsp;To help drive taxes down for all who do business in Kansas, an important provision of the bill would lower the corporate income tax the year after a qualified firm or supplier receives benefits under the law. Qualified firms under the bill would be for-profit businesses subject to state income, sales, or property tax that are engaged in one or more of the following industries as determined by the Secretary of Commerce: advanced manufacturing, aerospace, distribution, logistics and transportation, food and agriculture, professional and technical services. The bill provides exceptions to the definition by stating that a for-profit business establishment in any industry is eligible as a “qualified firm” if it is seeking benefits to relocate or establish its national corporate headquarters within the state. Additionally, a project would need to be completed within five years. Incentives available under the bill would include: investment’s tax credits, reimbursement of percentage of total payroll, reimbursement of a percentage of eligible employee training and education expenses, partial real property tax exemption, sales tax exemption for construction costs of the qualified business facilities. Qualified firms and suppliers would not be eligible to participate in other economic development programs currently in existence, and they would be required to cooperate with any audit undertaken by the Department of Revenue. To ensure proper oversight, the firms and suppliers would be required to provide information required for publication in the Economic Development Incentive Database, as well as reports required to be submitted to the governor and the legislature, among other provisions to ensure property transparency and accountability. To ensure oversight occurs in the short-term, a sunset of March 31, 2023 was added to ensure that the legislature reviews the provisions of the APEX Act in just one year. The bill was rushed through the process in order the allow commerce enough time to negotiate their offer to the prospective company. I believe Kansas needs to be careful when making huge concessions to attract new businesses.If you are interested in following the legislature you can connect to the following links:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_0NO-Pb96CFABvxDwXAq8A">Kansas Legislature YouTube</a>&nbsp;- Here you can follow the legislature live as it happens, or access archives of past sessions and committee meetings.<a href="http://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00287/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20220124/-1/14088?viewMode=1#handoutFile_">Kansas Legislature Audio</a>&nbsp;- Here you can listen in on session or committees when they are in session, or access prior committee meetings.Kansas Legislature website-&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org-/" target="_blank">www.kslegislature.org</a>&nbsp;has extensive information on legislators, committees, bills and past sessions.Middle school (12 years of age or older) and high school students are invited to come to our Kansas State Capitol, to be my sponsored Senate Page for a day. The dates available are February 7 and 21 as well as March 7 and 14. There are openings for 4 pages on each day. Please contact my office, if you know a student who may have an interest in being a Senate Page.I am honored and grateful to represent the 40th&nbsp;Senate District in Kansas. Please do not hesitate to contact by email: rick.billinger@senate.ks.gov or call me with your questions and concerns, my office number is 785-296-7399 or my cell is 785-899-4700. If you are in Topeka stop by my office at 545-S.Rick Billingr, R-Goodland, is the 40th district senator which includes:* Cheyenne, Decatur, Ellis, Gove, Graham, Logan, Norton, Rawlins, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, Trego and Wallace Counties *Phillips County: Cities: Logan, Long Island, Prairie View, Speed; Townships: Beaver, Belmont, Dayton, Granite, Logan, Long Island, Mound, Plainview, Prairie View, Solomon(part) and Towanda&nbsp;

BILLINGER: Senate Update, Jan. 31, 2022

A couple winters ago, I was given the opportunity to do some nuisance beaver trapping at Turkey Creek Golf Course in McPherson. I’d been helping a local lad, Jared Austin learn the do’s and don’ts, and the in’s and out’s of trapping as I knew them, and he became a constant companion as the very first morning we caught what I hoped was the only beaver left there on the golf course. But, as is usually the case, more damage appeared in the form of chewed trees and shrubs, so our quest was not over.

For starters, it’s difficult enough to catch every single beaver on any given property, and when the water source is a stream or a river that obviously runs for miles, it’s nearly impossible. Turkey Creek Golf Course is named for Turkey Creek which runs completely through the course and for miles in each direction, plus the grounds also sports several acres of pond water to boot, so there can theoretically be a constant supply of predators and beavers. &nbsp;

The new chewing was on the opposite end of the creek from where our first beaver was caught, so we began by scouting there. Most beaver dwellings in our part of the country are dens in the bank of a pond, river or stream, and are often hard to spot because beavers attempt to conceal openings to their dens by placing them where they’ll be under water except during very dry times. We walked the creek bank for a time but spotted no den openings, so a couple traps were placed at points where the creek narrowed down, theorizing the beavers would encounter the traps as they cruised up and down through their neighborhood. Jared lived just a hop, skip and a jump from the golf course, so he checked the traps each morning, saving me lots of time and miles. After a week of checking empty traps, he was on the phone with me one afternoon as he had donned waders and was in the creek checking under every tree stump and looking under every single wad of overhanging grass, searching for a beaver den entrance (I vaguely remember when I still had that kind of exuberance.) Catching your quarry the first day like we had that first beaver is great, especially for building enthusiasm in a youthful apprentice like it had in Jared. But it also offers a teaching moment for the mentor to impress upon their apprentice how success in hunting, fishing and trapping is often not immediate. He found a couple likely looking locations, and although I silently thought them “iffy” at best, I encouraged him to move traps there and see what happened (yet another learning opportunity.) The next couple days he caught raccoons but no beavers, then a rain and ice storm raised the water level in the creek too high to find the traps for a day or so. The following Thursday morning I set several traps around the biggest pond on the golf course and the two of us made plans to meet early Friday to check them all.

I remember Friday morning was foggy with a light mist falling as we commandeered a golf cart to make our rounds. Our first stop was where he had moved traps a few days prior, and we parked the cart beside a chewed-up tree the beaver had cut completely down. I think the cart was still moving when Jared dove out and all-but-sprinted down the bank. I was still stumbling around trying to wipe the mist and fog from my glasses when I heard him splashing across the creek, followed by hoots of “Got one, alright, finally!” The traps we use kill a beaver very quickly, so with my glasses still foggy and propped onto my nose, I blundered across the creek to find a kid with a smile on his face the size of a crescent moon holding up a gigantic old beaver. I estimated the old monster to weigh 45 – 50 pounds with immense front incisor teeth an inch long and as wide as my thumb nails. No wonder it had caused so much damage and was capable of completely toppling trees. Who knows how long that old rascal had lived there and how many of the problem beavers we were after it had apprenticed itself. We continued on, checking traps I had set around the pond and were rewarded with one more average sized beaver. I explained to Jared why I’d put each trap where I had, and he helped me set a couple more. He also got to sense my frustration with not catching as many as I’d hoped in the traps I had set.&nbsp;

Beavers are amazing critters that get themselves in trouble just doin’ what God created them to do. Beaver colonies cutting down trees to dam up streams in mountain meadows somewhere create ponds that actually do Nature a favor by providing homes for trout, ducks and other wildlife. But here in Midwestern farm country, beavers damming up streams and rivers that flood productive farm land, or chewing and cutting down trees on the local pristine golf course are not going to be tolerated. It’s kind of ironic that my apprentice’s first beaver was so big, as the first beaver I ever caught was just as large and required my wife and I hauling it up a steep river bank, through a briar patch and a couple hundred yards to the waiting pickup. I don’t know the average life span of a Kansas beaver, but thanks to the exuberance of my young friend, that one won’t be cluttering the golf course any more. Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>A couple winters ago, I was given the opportunity to do some nuisance beaver trapping at Turkey Creek Golf Course in McPherson. I’d been helping a local lad, Jared Austin learn the do’s and don’ts, and the in’s and out’s of trapping as I knew them, and he became a constant companion as the very first morning we caught what I hoped was the only beaver left there on the golf course. But, as is usually the case, more damage appeared in the form of chewed trees and shrubs, so our quest was not over.For starters, it’s difficult enough to catch every single beaver on any given property, and when the water source is a stream or a river that obviously runs for miles, it’s nearly impossible. Turkey Creek Golf Course is named for Turkey Creek which runs completely through the course and for miles in each direction, plus the grounds also sports several acres of pond water to boot, so there can theoretically be a constant supply of predators and beavers. &nbsp;The new chewing was on the opposite end of the creek from where our first beaver was caught, so we began by scouting there. Most beaver dwellings in our part of the country are dens in the bank of a pond, river or stream, and are often hard to spot because beavers attempt to conceal openings to their dens by placing them where they’ll be under water except during very dry times. We walked the creek bank for a time but spotted no den openings, so a couple traps were placed at points where the creek narrowed down, theorizing the beavers would encounter the traps as they cruised up and down through their neighborhood. Jared lived just a hop, skip and a jump from the golf course, so he checked the traps each morning, saving me lots of time and miles. After a week of checking empty traps, he was on the phone with me one afternoon as he had donned waders and was in the creek checking under every tree stump and looking under every single wad of overhanging grass, searching for a beaver den entrance (I vaguely remember when I still had that kind of exuberance.) Catching your quarry the first day like we had that first beaver is great, especially for building enthusiasm in a youthful apprentice like it had in Jared. But it also offers a teaching moment for the mentor to impress upon their apprentice how success in hunting, fishing and trapping is often not immediate. He found a couple likely looking locations, and although I silently thought them “iffy” at best, I encouraged him to move traps there and see what happened (yet another learning opportunity.) The next couple days he caught raccoons but no beavers, then a rain and ice storm raised the water level in the creek too high to find the traps for a day or so. The following Thursday morning I set several traps around the biggest pond on the golf course and the two of us made plans to meet early Friday to check them all.I remember Friday morning was foggy with a light mist falling as we commandeered a golf cart to make our rounds. Our first stop was where he had moved traps a few days prior, and we parked the cart beside a chewed-up tree the beaver had cut completely down. I think the cart was still moving when Jared dove out and all-but-sprinted down the bank. I was still stumbling around trying to wipe the mist and fog from my glasses when I heard him splashing across the creek, followed by hoots of “Got one, alright, finally!” The traps we use kill a beaver very quickly, so with my glasses still foggy and propped onto my nose, I blundered across the creek to find a kid with a smile on his face the size of a crescent moon holding up a gigantic old beaver. I estimated the old monster to weigh 45 – 50 pounds with immense front incisor teeth an inch long and as wide as my thumb nails. No wonder it had caused so much damage and was capable of completely toppling trees. Who knows how long that old rascal had lived there and how many of the problem beavers we were after it had apprenticed itself. We continued on, checking traps I had set around the pond and were rewarded with one more average sized beaver. I explained to Jared why I’d put each trap where I had, and he helped me set a couple more. He also got to sense my frustration with not catching as many as I’d hoped in the traps I had set.&nbsp;Beavers are amazing critters that get themselves in trouble just doin’ what God created them to do. Beaver colonies cutting down trees to dam up streams in mountain meadows somewhere create ponds that actually do Nature a favor by providing homes for trout, ducks and other wildlife. But here in Midwestern farm country, beavers damming up streams and rivers that flood productive farm land, or chewing and cutting down trees on the local pristine golf course are not going to be tolerated. It’s kind of ironic that my apprentice’s first beaver was so big, as the first beaver I ever caught was just as large and required my wife and I hauling it up a steep river bank, through a briar patch and a couple hundred yards to the waiting pickup. I don’t know the average life span of a Kansas beaver, but thanks to the exuberance of my young friend, that one won’t be cluttering the golf course any more. Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: Oh, for the exuberance of youth

The state Legislature has passed a new congressional district map reflecting population changes, as they must every 10 years. While a veto by Governor Kelly, further tweaking in the legislature, and lawsuits over racial representation are all likely, the general outlines of this proposed map are likely to stick, which makes some things frustratingly clear, especially for Democrats.

The proposed map splits Wyandotte County, taking the northern half from the Third District and putting it in the Second, which now twists like a contorted “S” from the northern state border to the south. And it extends the First District all the way east to Douglas County, dipping south just far enough to grab Lawrence, meaning both K-State and KU, home of some of the state’s most liberal voters, would be politically counted as part of conservative western Kansas.

This may still change, of course. But if you’re a Republican who applauded when former Senate President Susan Wagle promised in 2020 that, with a super-majority, the Republicans could draw a map that would make impossible the re-election of Sharice Davids, the Third District’s Democratic representative, these changes probably make you happy. If you’re a Democrat, they don’t.

This kind of gerrymandering — drawing borders to include more voters of one party than the other — is an American tradition, however much it is attacked. Except in those few states that have made the redistricting process non-partisan, it has become predictable, with political and legal moves well practiced. Hence, it has also reached the point of diminishing returns.

Yes, Representative Davis will likely have a harder race this November, but not dramatically so; gerrymanders which completely change electoral outcomes are rare these days. Redistricting is governed by a host of rules rooted in the principle of “one person, one vote,” and while there are some ways around those rules, the requirement that the districts are drawn to provide relatively equal representation forces even the most aggressive partisans to deal with hard population realities. In a state with slow growth like Kansas, those realities are particularly stark.&nbsp;

American elections are of the “single-member plurality” type — we carve up the country (or state, county, city, etc.) into sections, and elect whichever single person gets the most votes within those borders. There are more proportional election systems, but so long as we use this one, the advantage will be on the side of voters that are spread out, occupying a lot of sectional space.

Over the past century, likely Democratic voters (racial and sexual minorities, immigrants, college students, etc.) have usually clustered in urban areas. Those urban votes add up — Kelly’s state-wide majority came from winning only nine of Kansas’s 105 counties, all of them more urbanized, and also the only parts of Kansas growing in population. But because those voters are densely clustered, they often find themselves easily packed into sections where their numbers are more than balanced out by Republican voters spread out over rural and suburban space.

Thus, aside from states with sprawling urban agglomerations like New York City or Chicago, redistricting usually fails to serve Democratic voters well. Kansas Democrats will rightly fight this structural bias, perhaps successfully. But our system just wasn’t built with urban living patterns in mind, a reality that even Democrats in a slow-growth, mostly rural state like Kansas can’t avoid.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583339056495.jpeg" alt="Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics in Wichita." />
 <figcaption>Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics in Wichita.</figcaption>
 </figure>The state Legislature has passed a new congressional district map reflecting population changes, as they must every 10 years. While a veto by Governor Kelly, further tweaking in the legislature, and lawsuits over racial representation are all likely, the general outlines of this proposed map are likely to stick, which makes some things frustratingly clear, especially for Democrats.The proposed map splits Wyandotte County, taking the northern half from the Third District and putting it in the Second, which now twists like a contorted “S” from the northern state border to the south. And it extends the First District all the way east to Douglas County, dipping south just far enough to grab Lawrence, meaning both K-State and KU, home of some of the state’s most liberal voters, would be politically counted as part of conservative western Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>This may still change, of course. But if you’re a Republican who applauded when former Senate President Susan Wagle promised in 2020 that, with a super-majority, the Republicans could draw a map that would make impossible the re-election of Sharice Davids, the Third District’s Democratic representative, these changes probably make you happy. If you’re a Democrat, they don’t.This kind of gerrymandering — drawing borders to include more voters of one party than the other — is an American tradition, however much it is attacked. Except in those few states that have made the redistricting process non-partisan, it has become predictable, with political and legal moves well practiced. Hence, it has also reached the point of diminishing returns.Yes, Representative Davis will likely have a harder race this November, but not dramatically so; gerrymanders which completely change electoral outcomes are rare these days. Redistricting is governed by a host of rules rooted in the principle of “one person, one vote,” and while there are some ways around those rules, the requirement that the districts are drawn to provide relatively equal representation forces even the most aggressive partisans to deal with hard population realities. In a state with slow growth like Kansas, those realities are particularly stark.&nbsp;American elections are of the “single-member plurality” type — we carve up the country (or state, county, city, etc.) into sections, and elect whichever single person gets the most votes within those borders. There are more proportional election systems, but so long as we use this one, the advantage will be on the side of voters that are spread out, occupying a lot of sectional space.Over the past century, likely Democratic voters (racial and sexual minorities, immigrants, college students, etc.) have usually clustered in urban areas. Those urban votes add up — Kelly’s state-wide majority came from winning only nine of Kansas’s 105 counties, all of them more urbanized, and also the only parts of Kansas growing in population. But because those voters are densely clustered, they often find themselves easily packed into sections where their numbers are more than balanced out by Republican voters spread out over rural and suburban space.Thus, aside from states with sprawling urban agglomerations like New York City or Chicago, redistricting usually fails to serve Democratic voters well. Kansas Democrats will rightly fight this structural bias, perhaps successfully. But our system just wasn’t built with urban living patterns in mind, a reality that even Democrats in a slow-growth, mostly rural state like Kansas can’t avoid.Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics in Wichita.

Opinion