By EDWARD CROSS Kansas Independent Oil &amp; Gas Association

We all feel the effects of rising energy prices. &nbsp;The Russian invasion of Ukraine only adds to our energy concerns and heightens the importance of the role of U.S. energy policy.

European countries are starting to realize their fears about energy access and affordability with the breakout of conflict in Ukraine. &nbsp;Broadly similar to green new deal style policies, the European Union (EU) has been cutting off their own fossil fuel production and usage without a viable alternative to meet that baseline demand. &nbsp;With their domestic sources waning, Russia stepped in to meet that demand. &nbsp;Now that Russian supply is threatened, renewable sources are not able to meet demand and energy prices continue to increase sharply across the continent.

​The lesson learned from Europe is that renewable energy sources are not ready to meet national energy demand. &nbsp;Over-reliance on renewable energy and Russian gas has been a recipe for disaster for the EU. &nbsp;President Biden should heed this as a warning of what his energy agenda will bring if he continues his war on American oil and gas.

Americans had fairly stable energy prices in 2017-2019, and fairly low ones, in part due to the tremendous increase in energy production in the United States – both oil and natural gas. &nbsp;In 2018, the U.S. produced 95% of its domestic energy requirements, the largest share since 1967. &nbsp;Gas prices, the marker Americans watch almost to the exclusion of everything else, averaged $2.60/gal in 2019, 4% lower than in 2018.

Here’s a key point: &nbsp;when a country becomes the leading producer of&nbsp;oil&nbsp;and&nbsp;natural gas&nbsp;and has reduced&nbsp;CO2&nbsp;emissions by 70% in 10 years, it is clearly doing many things right.

The Biden Administration need look no further than their own actions to find the primary reason energy prices have escalated since he took office. &nbsp;First, a pipeline bringing oil from Canada to the U.S. was quickly cancelled. &nbsp;Then, new leasing for energy development on federal acreage was stopped. &nbsp;Added to that was a batch of proposed punitive, unnecessary, and burdensome regulations on oil and gas operations. &nbsp;These actions have severely hampered American oil and gas companies’ ability to adequately supply the market and have put American Energy Independence at risk. &nbsp;These are short-sighted energy policies that result in higher energy costs that disproportionately harm low-income groups.&nbsp;

U.S.&nbsp;energy&nbsp;policies that restrict domestic production force our country to seek relief from&nbsp;foreign suppliers of energy,&nbsp;undermining our energy independence. &nbsp;The problem is that when certain foreign governments control your energy, they have the power to use it for their own purposes, not yours. &nbsp;America should not be in the position of asking for foreign energy supplies, especially when we have abundant resources produced to standards that are among the highest in the world, right here at home.&nbsp;

Instead, we should be leading. &nbsp;Energy should be a bipartisan priority. &nbsp;Nothing is more essential to economic growth than reliable, affordable and abundant energy. &nbsp;To lose that advantage is not in anybody’s best interest. &nbsp; &nbsp;

John Kerry, President Biden’s Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, is concerned that the war in Ukraine will distract attention away from the ‘climate crisis’. &nbsp;Unserious statements like those coming from Kerry and others in the Biden Administration are creating a geopolitical power vacuum. &nbsp;We might not be serious, but our enemies are ruthlessly so. &nbsp;They raise a toast to our self-inflicted demise. &nbsp;We are left with a simple choice in the U.S.: get serious about our energy policy and preserve our place in the geopolitical order or be forced to stop play-acting as a superpower. &nbsp;

​It is time for President Biden to recognize the strategic importance of American energy production. &nbsp;He should abandon his&nbsp;quixotic&nbsp;energy strategy immediately. &nbsp;Senseless pandering to the green left has helped foster the very conditions that have given Vladimir Putin confidence that his war on Ukraine will be met with little resistance from the U.S.

​While claiming to fight to bring energy prices down, President Biden has made the wrong move at every turn. &nbsp;Nothing less than a total reversal of his approach is necessary. &nbsp;This is the signal that President Biden needs to send to the world to stop the decline of American energy security. &nbsp;Certain times require a re-evaluation of priorities and a reorganization of values. &nbsp;The global crisis that Putin has set in motion is such a moment. &nbsp;

Putin tends to lash out when energy prices are high. &nbsp;Lowering these costs will not be easy. &nbsp;It will take time. &nbsp;And the only effective means of lowering the price of energy is increasing its supply.&nbsp;

President Biden should embrace oil and gas exploration. &nbsp;If the U.S. is energy independent, then we don’t beg people in the Middle East or Russia to help us and Putin would not have the financial reserves to subsidize an invasion. &nbsp;America was energy independent just a few years ago. &nbsp;Biden should do everything&nbsp;he&nbsp;can to make us energy independent again.

​President Biden and all federal and state policymakers should prioritize advancing American energy leadership with policies that encourage development of responsibly produced energy here at home. &nbsp;These policies should recognize the volatile world we live in and the long-term impacts of returning to the days of foreign energy dependency.&nbsp;

Edward Cross is president of the&nbsp;Kansas Independent Oil &amp; Gas Association.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584027001010.png" alt="Edward Cross is president of the&nbsp;Kansas Independent Oil &amp; Gas Association." />
 <figcaption>Edward Cross is president of the&nbsp;Kansas Independent Oil &amp; Gas Association.</figcaption>
 </figure>By EDWARD CROSS Kansas Independent Oil &amp; Gas AssociationWe all feel the effects of rising energy prices. &nbsp;The Russian invasion of Ukraine only adds to our energy concerns and heightens the importance of the role of U.S. energy policy.European countries are starting to realize their fears about energy access and affordability with the breakout of conflict in Ukraine. &nbsp;Broadly similar to green new deal style policies, the European Union (EU) has been cutting off their own fossil fuel production and usage without a viable alternative to meet that baseline demand. &nbsp;With their domestic sources waning, Russia stepped in to meet that demand. &nbsp;Now that Russian supply is threatened, renewable sources are not able to meet demand and energy prices continue to increase sharply across the continent.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>​The lesson learned from Europe is that renewable energy sources are not ready to meet national energy demand. &nbsp;Over-reliance on renewable energy and Russian gas has been a recipe for disaster for the EU. &nbsp;President Biden should heed this as a warning of what his energy agenda will bring if he continues his war on American oil and gas.Americans had fairly stable energy prices in 2017-2019, and fairly low ones, in part due to the tremendous increase in energy production in the United States – both oil and natural gas. &nbsp;In 2018, the U.S. produced 95% of its domestic energy requirements, the largest share since 1967. &nbsp;Gas prices, the marker Americans watch almost to the exclusion of everything else, averaged $2.60/gal in 2019, 4% lower than in 2018.Here’s a key point: &nbsp;when a country becomes the leading producer of&nbsp;oil&nbsp;and&nbsp;natural gas&nbsp;and has reduced&nbsp;CO2&nbsp;emissions by 70% in 10 years, it is clearly doing many things right.The Biden Administration need look no further than their own actions to find the primary reason energy prices have escalated since he took office. &nbsp;First, a pipeline bringing oil from Canada to the U.S. was quickly cancelled. &nbsp;Then, new leasing for energy development on federal acreage was stopped. &nbsp;Added to that was a batch of proposed punitive, unnecessary, and burdensome regulations on oil and gas operations. &nbsp;These actions have severely hampered American oil and gas companies’ ability to adequately supply the market and have put American Energy Independence at risk. &nbsp;These are short-sighted energy policies that result in higher energy costs that disproportionately harm low-income groups.&nbsp;U.S.&nbsp;energy&nbsp;policies that restrict domestic production force our country to seek relief from&nbsp;foreign suppliers of energy,&nbsp;undermining our energy independence. &nbsp;The problem is that when certain foreign governments control your energy, they have the power to use it for their own purposes, not yours. &nbsp;America should not be in the position of asking for foreign energy supplies, especially when we have abundant resources produced to standards that are among the highest in the world, right here at home.&nbsp;Instead, we should be leading. &nbsp;Energy should be a bipartisan priority. &nbsp;Nothing is more essential to economic growth than reliable, affordable and abundant energy. &nbsp;To lose that advantage is not in anybody’s best interest. &nbsp; &nbsp;John Kerry, President Biden’s Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, is concerned that the war in Ukraine will distract attention away from the ‘climate crisis’. &nbsp;Unserious statements like those coming from Kerry and others in the Biden Administration are creating a geopolitical power vacuum. &nbsp;We might not be serious, but our enemies are ruthlessly so. &nbsp;They raise a toast to our self-inflicted demise. &nbsp;We are left with a simple choice in the U.S.: get serious about our energy policy and preserve our place in the geopolitical order or be forced to stop play-acting as a superpower. &nbsp;​It is time for President Biden to recognize the strategic importance of American energy production. &nbsp;He should abandon his&nbsp;quixotic&nbsp;energy strategy immediately. &nbsp;Senseless pandering to the green left has helped foster the very conditions that have given Vladimir Putin confidence that his war on Ukraine will be met with little resistance from the U.S.​While claiming to fight to bring energy prices down, President Biden has made the wrong move at every turn. &nbsp;Nothing less than a total reversal of his approach is necessary. &nbsp;This is the signal that President Biden needs to send to the world to stop the decline of American energy security. &nbsp;Certain times require a re-evaluation of priorities and a reorganization of values. &nbsp;The global crisis that Putin has set in motion is such a moment. &nbsp;Putin tends to lash out when energy prices are high. &nbsp;Lowering these costs will not be easy. &nbsp;It will take time. &nbsp;And the only effective means of lowering the price of energy is increasing its supply.&nbsp;President Biden should embrace oil and gas exploration. &nbsp;If the U.S. is energy independent, then we don’t beg people in the Middle East or Russia to help us and Putin would not have the financial reserves to subsidize an invasion. &nbsp;America was energy independent just a few years ago. &nbsp;Biden should do everything&nbsp;he&nbsp;can to make us energy independent again.​President Biden and all federal and state policymakers should prioritize advancing American energy leadership with policies that encourage development of responsibly produced energy here at home. &nbsp;These policies should recognize the volatile world we live in and the long-term impacts of returning to the days of foreign energy dependency.&nbsp;Edward Cross is president of the&nbsp;Kansas Independent Oil &amp; Gas Association.

CROSS: U.S. energy policy highlighted by Russian invasion of Ukraine

By JACKIE MUNDT Pratt County farmer and rancher History often repeats itself. This phrase used to seem like a cautionary warning but the last two years have transformed it to have a feeling more like a judgmental, “I told you so.” Events I had only read about in history books like a global pandemic, racial unrest as part of the fight for civil rights and the start of war in Europe are actually happening. Bad things happen in the world every day but this has felt heavier and closer. Six degrees of separation is a theory that any two people on earth can be connected to each other through the network connections of six or fewer people. This theory has been around since the 1920s and has shown up in pop culture as the subject of plays, movies and even a game featuring Kevin Bacon as the speculated most connected person in the entertainment industry. I have often thought that in the agriculture community we could cut the number of degrees in half. Maybe we are friendlier or there are just less of us, but I could give example after example of how small our world is and the interesting places I have meet people with whom I share a first or second social connection. For example, less than six months ago, I was traveling with Kansas Farm Bureau’s Casten Fellows program, learning about how farmers in the Baltic states have worked to build their businesses, infrastructure and knowledge over the last three decades after gaining independence from Russian occupation. Farmers we met on that trip have close family and friends who are in Ukraine and willing to fight for their freedom. That’s two degrees of separation for me. All of the people we met in the Baltics, who are thriving under their own sovereignty, know they will be a future target if the Ukraine falls to Russia. Then it would be just one degree of separation. That is why it feels so close. People I know or that know my connections are fighting a war. Not because they volunteered to help, but because invaders burst into their homes trying to rob them of their independence. Power, greed, hatred, disagreement and control are some of the most unfortunate motivators within human nature because they lead to separation, struggle and conflict. War is a dreadful and often repeated reality brought about by these motivators. With war just a degree or two away, the struggles and conflicts of our everyday lives seem to lessen a little in light of all the things we already have and the ways we universally alike. We all want to be safe, healthy, connected. War does none of these things but making new connections, sharing our lives and being good to each other reduces our degrees of separation and brings us all closer together. The world gets smaller and better with every connection we make. Hold your loved ones closer, reach out to friends and strangers to connect to the world around you, and continue to pray for the families in Ukraine and their connections all over the world.

"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 History often repeats itself. This phrase used to seem like a cautionary warning but the last two years have transformed it to have a feeling more like a judgmental, “I told you so.” Events I had only read about in history books like a global pandemic, racial unrest as part of the fight for civil rights and the start of war in Europe are actually happening. Bad things happen in the world every day but this has felt heavier and closer. Six degrees of separation is a theory that any two people on earth can be connected to each other through the network connections of six or fewer people. This theory has been around since the 1920s and has shown up in pop culture as the subject of plays, movies and even a game featuring Kevin Bacon as the speculated most connected person in the entertainment industry. I have often thought that in the agriculture community we could cut the number of degrees in half. Maybe we are friendlier or there are just less of us, but I could give example after example of how small our world is and the interesting places I have meet people with whom I share a first or second social connection. For example, less than six months ago, I was traveling with Kansas Farm Bureau’s Casten Fellows program, learning about how farmers in the Baltic states have worked to build their businesses, infrastructure and knowledge over the last three decades after gaining independence from Russian occupation. Farmers we met on that trip have close family and friends who are in Ukraine and willing to fight for their freedom. That’s two degrees of separation for me. All of the people we met in the Baltics, who are thriving under their own sovereignty, know they will be a future target if the Ukraine falls to Russia. Then it would be just one degree of separation. That is why it feels so close. People I know or that know my connections are fighting a war. Not because they volunteered to help, but because invaders burst into their homes trying to rob them of their independence. Power, greed, hatred, disagreement and control are some of the most unfortunate motivators within human nature because they lead to separation, struggle and conflict. War is a dreadful and often repeated reality brought about by these motivators. With war just a degree or two away, the struggles and conflicts of our everyday lives seem to lessen a little in light of all the things we already have and the ways we universally alike. We all want to be safe, healthy, connected. War does none of these things but making new connections, sharing our lives and being good to each other reduces our degrees of separation and brings us all closer together. The world gets smaller and better with every connection we make. Hold your loved ones closer, reach out to friends and strangers to connect to the world around you, and continue to pray for the families in Ukraine and their connections all over the world."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: Degrees of separation

By DARRELL EHRLICK <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/02/28/making-the-simple-impossible-we-dont-want-to-admit-the-real-worker-shortage-problem-opinion/">Courtesy Missouri Independent</a>

A week ago, I was talking to an 
educator whose job it is to run training programs for students and 
adults in higher education. She told me that around a dozen different 
companies and groups were sponsoring training courses for things like 
nursing assistants, medical workers, electricians and truck driving.

All of the courses were being underwritten by businesses and 
organizations in hopes of finding workers for jobs that are – and have 
been open – for some time. Classrooms were available. Instructors were 
ready. But only one class had enough students to hold the class.

Of all the things COVID-19 has taken from us – freedom to travel, a 
feeling of safety when going to the store – one of the most profound has
 been the change in workforce.

I asked, “So where are all those students and workers?”

“You’re the journalist. You tell me,” she replied.

The workers and students that seemed more plentiful before 2020 have 
disappeared. We could speculate that they’ve wandered off to other 
states, other areas, but we know other towns and states are struggling 
with the same workforce shortage. And the demand for housing has rarely 
been greater.

While the statistics look good on paper, the hidden truth behind 
those numbers is that those surveys include people who are actively 
looking for jobs or are in the workforce presently. What it doesn’t 
quite capture is the one statistic we need most: How many of the people 
have dropped out?

There are certainly a lot of practical questions that 
“non-participating” workers raise: How are they living? Where are they 
living? And what would make them come back?

Those aren’t the topic of this column, instead they are at the front 
of what journalists are trying to solve, discover and report.

Instead, I wonder if we’re overthinking the issue a bit.

The workforce shortage issue is being framed as an economic problem –
 employers can’t find enough workers and wages don’t seem to entice 
them.

Yet, maybe there are drivers of this wave of joblessness that we all 
know, but don’t really want to tackle. Maybe we just don’t like what the
 workforce shortage is telling us, and so we search for other more 
complex, nuanced interpretations.

As an observer and reporter, I think maybe the answer to the workforce shortage is a combination of time and fatigue.

American productivity, an actual calculation maintained by the government, shows that Americans have consistently been working&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/productivity#:~:text=Productivity%20in%20the%20United%20States,the%20first%20quarter%20of%201950.">harder and putting in more hours</a>&nbsp;while wages have&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/wage-stagnation-in-america#:~:text=U.S.%20workers%20have%20grappled%20with,compared%20to%20overall%20economic%20productivity.">remained stagnant</a>.
 In some cases, workers have been above 100 percent capacity, meaning 
they’re putting in more work and longer hours above what is expected in 
an effort to simply keep pace. In an effort to cling to good jobs, 
workers have been pushing themselves hard. In short, the economy was, to
 borrow a phrase, punching above its weight.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-prices-inflation-c1bfd93ed1719cf0135420f4fd0270f9">inflation</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dailymontanan.com/2021/08/30/housing-prices-continue-climbing-in-urban-rural-montana/">housing prices</a>&nbsp;have
 continued to escalate faster than wages, meaning those already 
overworked workers are doing more, falling farther behind. And no one 
wants to worker harder to find themselves deeper in a hole.

And that leads me to time: While it seems like COVID has been one 
long episode of “Groundhog Day,” it’s now been more than two years since
 the disease has impacted the American economy and the country. While 
not an expansive amount of time, it’s enough for workers to change their
 habits, expectations and start over.

Maybe – just maybe – workers have downsized, found a new path, or 
readjusted to what they can or should expect. They’ve had plenty of time
 to think about working 40 to 80 hours per week and still not being able
 to afford housing or food. They may have decided: It’s just not worth 
it. Whether that means living with family or friends, living in a much 
smaller place, or finding a new career, people are fatigued and not 
going to back to how it was.

This also seems to be a crisis of mental health, hidden by the 
extreme consequences of COVID itself. We keep tabs on the 
hospitalizations and deaths, but calculating mental health problems is 
more nebulous. I suspect part of the key to the where-are-the-workers 
mystery could likely be told by mental health professionals. I would 
wager they’re seeing depression, burnout and anxiety from folks that 
might have otherwise never seen a counselor. One of the hidden costs of 
the virus has been the toll the disease has taken on the already 
frazzled worker.

Maybe we’re just making this whole situation too complex – as if 
there’s some undiscovered enclave of workers playing hide-and-seek. That
 would be an easy sort of problem to wrap your mind around.

Instead, after several years of reporting what is happening, a 
different narrative may be emerging, and it’s even more scary than the 
prospect of COVID itself. It’s what happens when the notion of the 
American Dream – a home, a career, a retirement – starts to evaporate.

When the American Dream ceases to become a vision that can be realized, people simply quit dreaming.

And if there’s nothing to work for, nothing to build toward, it would
 certainly stand to reason that there’d be a lot of empty classroom 
seats and a lot more “Help Wanted” signs.

Darrell Ehrlick is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Montanan, after leading his native state’s largest paper, The Billings Gazette. He is an award-winning journalist, author, historian and teacher, whose career has taken him to North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Utah, and Wyoming.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1646064416499.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By DARRELL EHRLICK <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/02/28/making-the-simple-impossible-we-dont-want-to-admit-the-real-worker-shortage-problem-opinion/">Courtesy Missouri Independent</a>A week ago, I was talking to an 
educator whose job it is to run training programs for students and 
adults in higher education. She told me that around a dozen different 
companies and groups were sponsoring training courses for things like 
nursing assistants, medical workers, electricians and truck driving.All of the courses were being underwritten by businesses and 
organizations in hopes of finding workers for jobs that are – and have 
been open – for some time. Classrooms were available. Instructors were 
ready. But only one class had enough students to hold the class.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Of all the things COVID-19 has taken from us – freedom to travel, a 
feeling of safety when going to the store – one of the most profound has
 been the change in workforce.I asked, “So where are all those students and workers?”“You’re the journalist. You tell me,” she replied.The workers and students that seemed more plentiful before 2020 have 
disappeared. We could speculate that they’ve wandered off to other 
states, other areas, but we know other towns and states are struggling 
with the same workforce shortage. And the demand for housing has rarely 
been greater.While the statistics look good on paper, the hidden truth behind 
those numbers is that those surveys include people who are actively 
looking for jobs or are in the workforce presently. What it doesn’t 
quite capture is the one statistic we need most: How many of the people 
have dropped out?There are certainly a lot of practical questions that 
“non-participating” workers raise: How are they living? Where are they 
living? And what would make them come back?Those aren’t the topic of this column, instead they are at the front 
of what journalists are trying to solve, discover and report.Instead, I wonder if we’re overthinking the issue a bit.The workforce shortage issue is being framed as an economic problem –
 employers can’t find enough workers and wages don’t seem to entice 
them.Yet, maybe there are drivers of this wave of joblessness that we all 
know, but don’t really want to tackle. Maybe we just don’t like what the
 workforce shortage is telling us, and so we search for other more 
complex, nuanced interpretations.As an observer and reporter, I think maybe the answer to the workforce shortage is a combination of time and fatigue.American productivity, an actual calculation maintained by the government, shows that Americans have consistently been working&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/productivity#:~:text=Productivity%20in%20the%20United%20States,the%20first%20quarter%20of%201950.">harder and putting in more hours</a>&nbsp;while wages have&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/wage-stagnation-in-america#:~:text=U.S.%20workers%20have%20grappled%20with,compared%20to%20overall%20economic%20productivity.">remained stagnant</a>.
 In some cases, workers have been above 100 percent capacity, meaning 
they’re putting in more work and longer hours above what is expected in 
an effort to simply keep pace. In an effort to cling to good jobs, 
workers have been pushing themselves hard. In short, the economy was, to
 borrow a phrase, punching above its weight.Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-prices-inflation-c1bfd93ed1719cf0135420f4fd0270f9">inflation</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dailymontanan.com/2021/08/30/housing-prices-continue-climbing-in-urban-rural-montana/">housing prices</a>&nbsp;have
 continued to escalate faster than wages, meaning those already 
overworked workers are doing more, falling farther behind. And no one 
wants to worker harder to find themselves deeper in a hole.And that leads me to time: While it seems like COVID has been one 
long episode of “Groundhog Day,” it’s now been more than two years since
 the disease has impacted the American economy and the country. While 
not an expansive amount of time, it’s enough for workers to change their
 habits, expectations and start over.Maybe – just maybe – workers have downsized, found a new path, or 
readjusted to what they can or should expect. They’ve had plenty of time
 to think about working 40 to 80 hours per week and still not being able
 to afford housing or food. They may have decided: It’s just not worth 
it. Whether that means living with family or friends, living in a much 
smaller place, or finding a new career, people are fatigued and not 
going to back to how it was.This also seems to be a crisis of mental health, hidden by the 
extreme consequences of COVID itself. We keep tabs on the 
hospitalizations and deaths, but calculating mental health problems is 
more nebulous. I suspect part of the key to the where-are-the-workers 
mystery could likely be told by mental health professionals. I would 
wager they’re seeing depression, burnout and anxiety from folks that 
might have otherwise never seen a counselor. One of the hidden costs of 
the virus has been the toll the disease has taken on the already 
frazzled worker.Maybe we’re just making this whole situation too complex – as if 
there’s some undiscovered enclave of workers playing hide-and-seek. That
 would be an easy sort of problem to wrap your mind around.Instead, after several years of reporting what is happening, a 
different narrative may be emerging, and it’s even more scary than the 
prospect of COVID itself. It’s what happens when the notion of the 
American Dream – a home, a career, a retirement – starts to evaporate.When the American Dream ceases to become a vision that can be realized, people simply quit dreaming.And if there’s nothing to work for, nothing to build toward, it would
 certainly stand to reason that there’d be a lot of empty classroom 
seats and a lot more “Help Wanted” signs.Darrell Ehrlick is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Montanan, after leading his native state’s largest paper, The Billings Gazette. He is an award-winning journalist, author, historian and teacher, whose career has taken him to North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Utah, and Wyoming.

OPINION: We don’t want to admit the real worker shortage problem

Friday marked a critical deadline known as “turnaround,” marking the official halfway point for the 2022 Legislative session. It was a busy week for the Senate, as we spent two full days debating and voting on and passing out over 30 bills ahead of the Turnaround deadline. After being on the floor all day Tuesday and Wednesday, the Legislature will break until March 1st to give clerical staff time to process the significant amount of paperwork resulting from this week. By “turnaround,” a bill, with few exceptions, must have passed its Chamber of origin in order to be considered by the other Chamber before session is over for the year. When the Senate returns on Tuesday, the legislature is scheduled to meet for another month before our April recess. We would then return for a brief period to consider any vetoes prior to final adjournment. The focus for the next month will be to consider bills passed by the House Chamber and bills exempt from the Turnaround deadline. Under legislative rules, most bills must be adopted by one chamber in order to be considered by the other chamber. The major items we must complete prior to adjournment are passing the budget as well as adoption of maps for the Kansas Legislature.

February 21st-23rd <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb421/">SB 421</a> legislation that would transfer $253.9 million from the State General Fund (SGF) directly to the Kansas Public Employees System (KPERS) Trust Fund to pay off outstanding accounts. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb443/">SB 443</a> which would appropriate $332.2 million from the State General Fund (SGF) to the Department of Administration in FY 2022 to pay off the remaining balance of two series of callable bonds ahead of the final maturity dates in FY 2035. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb368/">SB 368</a> which would amend the definition of “sexually violent crime” in the Kansas Offender Registration Act (KORA) to include the crimes of internet trading in child pornography and aggravated internet trading in child pornography. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb385/">SB 385</a> would amend the definition of “sex offender” in the Kansas Offender Registration Act to include any person who is convicted of breach of privacy by: Installing or using a concealed camcorder, motion picture camera, or photographic camera of any type to secretly videotape, film, photograph, or record, by electronic or other means. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb395/">SB 395</a> would prohibit KDWP employees who are authorized to enforce the laws of the State from conducting surveillance on private property unless authorized pursuant to a lawfully-issued warrant, court order, or subpoena, the U.S. Constitution, or an exception to the search warrant requirement. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb366/">SB 366 </a>would amend the definition of the crime of burglary by expanding the locations in which a person may not, without authority, enter or remain within any locked or secured portion of any dwelling or building. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb408/">SB 408</a> would amend the definition of the crime of theft to make theft of property that is mail of the value of less than $1,500 from three separate locations within a period of 72 hours. This bill is directed at “porch pirates” – stolen boxes delivered to your home. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb382/">SB 382</a> would amend the Real Estate Brokers’ and Salespersons’ License Act by requiring individuals and organizations dealing in assignable contracts for the purchase, sale, or option on real estate to be licensed by the Kansas Real Estate Commission. The Commission would also be authorized to issue cease and desist orders. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb150/">SB 150</a> addresses this by preserving free speech while defining and prohibiting certain deceptive lawsuit advertising practices and restricting the use or disclosure of protected health information to solicit individuals for legal services. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb493/">SB 493</a> which would prohibit municipalities from adopting or enforcing an ordinance, resolution, or regulation that restricts, taxes, prohibits, or regulates the use of auxiliary containers. The bill would define “auxiliary container” as a bag, cup, package, container, bottle, device, or other packaging. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb161/">SB 161</a> authorizes personal delivery devices to operate on any sidewalk, crosswalk, or public highway of any municipality. Operation on highways would be limited to gaining or regaining access to a sidewalk or crosswalk. SB 441 addresses when an accident occurs at a biological laboratory by enacting the Biological Laboratory Accident Transparency Act. The bill would require institutions and organizations to publicly report, in a summary format, any laboratory accident or near-miss event that occurs in any high-risk biological laboratory. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb446/">SB 446</a> would designate each of three bridges in Cherokee County as Veterans Memorial Bridges. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb451/">SB 451</a> would remove a requirement for which a Kansas resident must provide satisfactory proof that the person is at least 1/16 Indian by blood for purposes of receiving a free, permanent license to hunt, fish, and fur harvest. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb336/">SB 336</a> would amend certain investment limitation requirements to increase the permissible investment options in equity interests and preferred stock for Kansas-domiciled life insurance companies. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb348/">SB 348 </a>would exempt threading from the definition of cosmetology in law related to the licensure of cosmetologists. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb367/">SB 367</a> would require officers to file copies of receipts with the court when property is seized under a search warrant and providing requirements and procedures for destruction or disposition of dangerous drugs and return or disposition of weapons. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb373/">SB 373</a> would appropriate $500,000 from the State General Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 2022, to the University of Kansas Medical Center for use at the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb399/">SB 399</a> would amend the Health Care Provider Insurance Availability Act by adding maternity center to the definition of a health care provider. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb400/">Sub for SB 400</a> would amend the Kansas Uniform Trust Code to add to the list of trust matters that could be resolved by a nonjudicial settlement agreement, to increase the limit on the total value of a trust before a trustee could seek to terminate such trust as being non-economic, and to amend the definition of a “resident trust.” <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb405/">SB 405</a> would authorize and direct Kansas Historical Society (KSHS) to convey by quitclaim deed, a 0.52-acre parcel of land in Johnson County to the Shawnee Tribe. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb417/">SB 417</a> would establish new permit renewal fee limitations for solid waste disposal areas and solid waste processing facilities that are regulated by the federal standards for the disposal of coal combustion residuals. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb419/">SB 419</a> would allow the Secretary of Corrections, with the consent of the Director of Police Training of the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) to designate an employee of KDOC to attend KLETC. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb425/">SB 425 </a>would amend a law governing access, exchange, and disclosure of information in the Revised Kansas Code for Care of Children to require the Secretary for Children and Families to disclose confidential agency records to the law enforcement agency investigating the alleged or substantiated report or investigation of abuse or neglect. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb434/">SB 434</a> would amend a statute in the Kansas Open Records Act governing procedures for obtaining access to public records to require requests for records that contain captured license plate data. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb435/">SB 435</a> would expand law enforcement officers' jurisdiction to include situations when an illegal act is observed that the officer reasonably believes will jeopardize the safety of any person without immediate action. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb440/">SB 440</a> would authorize occupational therapists to provide limited services to patients without referral from a health care provider and amend the Occupational Therapy Practice Act. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb448/">SB 448</a> would amend the state Unfair Trade Practice Law to exempt additional practices from those practices considered to be unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the business of insurance that relate to unfair discrimination and rebates. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb450/">Sub for SB 450</a> would enact law and amend law relating to the sale of certain state real property, particularly in the area of state educational institutions under the Kansas Board of Regents and the disposition of proceeds from the sale of surplus real estate of state agencies. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb453/">SB 453</a> would amend statute concerning training for certified aides to work in adult care homes to allow licensed practical nurses to teach certain training courses. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb313/">SB 313</a> designates a portion of U.S. Highway 69 as the Senator Tom R. Van Sickle Memorial Highway. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb483/">SB 483</a> would increase criminal penalties for theft and criminal damage to property involving remote service units such as automated cash dispensing machines and automated teller machines. SB 215 would transfer the authority for postsecondary driver's education programs and driver training schools from the State Board of Regents to the Department of Revenue. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb457/">SB 457</a> would require a waiver of extradition proceedings as a condition of bond. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb141/">SB 141</a> would enact the Kansas Uniform Directed Trust Act (UDTA) to allow for the creation of directed trusts and amend provisions in the Kansas Uniform Trust Code (UTC) to reflect the enactment of the UDTA. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb362/">SB 362</a> would require local school boards to annually review state academic assessments and utilize such assessments and the school district’s building needs assessment when reviewing and approving the school district’s budget. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb34/">Sub for SB 34</a> promotes the principle of limited government by requiring all rules and regulations adopted under the Rules and Regulations Filing Act to be reviewed by agencies every five years, would establish reporting requirements for agencies.

A full description of each bill can be found at <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/">www.kslegislature.org</a> as well as the Final Action vote on each measure.

The State of Kansas has over $400 million dollars in unclaimed property waiting for the rightful owner to find and claim. These holdings at the Treasurer’s office include bank accounts, cash, stocks, bonds, refunds (utilities), royalties, insurance proceeds and even safe deposit box contents. To search for your name, visit <a href="https://www.kansasstatetreasurer.com/up_search.php">www.kansasstatetreasurer.com</a> and enter your name or business name to see if your name is on this list. Senate District #36 has over 1,000 entries in the 13 counties it covers. If you would like more personal assistance, call 800-432-0386 or 785-296-4165.

Thank you for all of your calls, emails, and letters regarding your thoughts and concerns about happenings in Kansas. I always encourage you to stay informed of the issues under consideration by the Kansas Legislature. 

Committee schedules, bills, and other helpful information can be easily accessed through the legislature’s website at <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/">www.kslegislature.org</a>. For those who want to pursue a more in-depth analysis of bills, go to and pull up “Bills &amp; Laws,” then “Senate Bills,” before scrolling to the desired number and hitting “SN” (Supplemental Notes) for a general explanation which is written by the Legislative research and reviser staff. You are also able to ‘listen in live’ at this website.

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/2022/2/1644853578448.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, 36th Dist." />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, 36th Dist.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA Feb. 28, 2022 SENATE HIGHLIGHTSFriday marked a critical deadline known as “turnaround,” marking the official halfway point for the 2022 Legislative session. It was a busy week for the Senate, as we spent two full days debating and voting on and passing out over 30 bills ahead of the Turnaround deadline. After being on the floor all day Tuesday and Wednesday, the Legislature will break until March 1st to give clerical staff time to process the significant amount of paperwork resulting from this week. By “turnaround,” a bill, with few exceptions, must have passed its Chamber of origin in order to be considered by the other Chamber before session is over for the year. When the Senate returns on Tuesday, the legislature is scheduled to meet for another month before our April recess. We would then return for a brief period to consider any vetoes prior to final adjournment. The focus for the next month will be to consider bills passed by the House Chamber and bills exempt from the Turnaround deadline. Under legislative rules, most bills must be adopted by one chamber in order to be considered by the other chamber. The major items we must complete prior to adjournment are passing the budget as well as adoption of maps for the Kansas Legislature.FLOOR ACTION LAST WEEKFebruary 21st-23rd <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb421/">SB 421</a> legislation that would transfer $253.9 million from the State General Fund (SGF) directly to the Kansas Public Employees System (KPERS) Trust Fund to pay off outstanding accounts. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb443/">SB 443</a> which would appropriate $332.2 million from the State General Fund (SGF) to the Department of Administration in FY 2022 to pay off the remaining balance of two series of callable bonds ahead of the final maturity dates in FY 2035. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb368/">SB 368</a> which would amend the definition of “sexually violent crime” in the Kansas Offender Registration Act (KORA) to include the crimes of internet trading in child pornography and aggravated internet trading in child pornography. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb385/">SB 385</a> would amend the definition of “sex offender” in the Kansas Offender Registration Act to include any person who is convicted of breach of privacy by: Installing or using a concealed camcorder, motion picture camera, or photographic camera of any type to secretly videotape, film, photograph, or record, by electronic or other means. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb395/">SB 395</a> would prohibit KDWP employees who are authorized to enforce the laws of the State from conducting surveillance on private property unless authorized pursuant to a lawfully-issued warrant, court order, or subpoena, the U.S. Constitution, or an exception to the search warrant requirement. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb366/">SB 366 </a>would amend the definition of the crime of burglary by expanding the locations in which a person may not, without authority, enter or remain within any locked or secured portion of any dwelling or building. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb408/">SB 408</a> would amend the definition of the crime of theft to make theft of property that is mail of the value of less than $1,500 from three separate locations within a period of 72 hours. This bill is directed at “porch pirates” – stolen boxes delivered to your home. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb382/">SB 382</a> would amend the Real Estate Brokers’ and Salespersons’ License Act by requiring individuals and organizations dealing in assignable contracts for the purchase, sale, or option on real estate to be licensed by the Kansas Real Estate Commission. The Commission would also be authorized to issue cease and desist orders. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb150/">SB 150</a> addresses this by preserving free speech while defining and prohibiting certain deceptive lawsuit advertising practices and restricting the use or disclosure of protected health information to solicit individuals for legal services. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb493/">SB 493</a> which would prohibit municipalities from adopting or enforcing an ordinance, resolution, or regulation that restricts, taxes, prohibits, or regulates the use of auxiliary containers. The bill would define “auxiliary container” as a bag, cup, package, container, bottle, device, or other packaging. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb161/">SB 161</a> authorizes personal delivery devices to operate on any sidewalk, crosswalk, or public highway of any municipality. Operation on highways would be limited to gaining or regaining access to a sidewalk or crosswalk. SB 441 addresses when an accident occurs at a biological laboratory by enacting the Biological Laboratory Accident Transparency Act. The bill would require institutions and organizations to publicly report, in a summary format, any laboratory accident or near-miss event that occurs in any high-risk biological laboratory. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb446/">SB 446</a> would designate each of three bridges in Cherokee County as Veterans Memorial Bridges. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb451/">SB 451</a> would remove a requirement for which a Kansas resident must provide satisfactory proof that the person is at least 1/16 Indian by blood for purposes of receiving a free, permanent license to hunt, fish, and fur harvest. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb336/">SB 336</a> would amend certain investment limitation requirements to increase the permissible investment options in equity interests and preferred stock for Kansas-domiciled life insurance companies. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb348/">SB 348 </a>would exempt threading from the definition of cosmetology in law related to the licensure of cosmetologists. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb367/">SB 367</a> would require officers to file copies of receipts with the court when property is seized under a search warrant and providing requirements and procedures for destruction or disposition of dangerous drugs and return or disposition of weapons. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb373/">SB 373</a> would appropriate $500,000 from the State General Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 2022, to the University of Kansas Medical Center for use at the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb399/">SB 399</a> would amend the Health Care Provider Insurance Availability Act by adding maternity center to the definition of a health care provider. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb400/">Sub for SB 400</a> would amend the Kansas Uniform Trust Code to add to the list of trust matters that could be resolved by a nonjudicial settlement agreement, to increase the limit on the total value of a trust before a trustee could seek to terminate such trust as being non-economic, and to amend the definition of a “resident trust.” <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb405/">SB 405</a> would authorize and direct Kansas Historical Society (KSHS) to convey by quitclaim deed, a 0.52-acre parcel of land in Johnson County to the Shawnee Tribe. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb417/">SB 417</a> would establish new permit renewal fee limitations for solid waste disposal areas and solid waste processing facilities that are regulated by the federal standards for the disposal of coal combustion residuals. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb419/">SB 419</a> would allow the Secretary of Corrections, with the consent of the Director of Police Training of the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) to designate an employee of KDOC to attend KLETC. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb425/">SB 425 </a>would amend a law governing access, exchange, and disclosure of information in the Revised Kansas Code for Care of Children to require the Secretary for Children and Families to disclose confidential agency records to the law enforcement agency investigating the alleged or substantiated report or investigation of abuse or neglect. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb434/">SB 434</a> would amend a statute in the Kansas Open Records Act governing procedures for obtaining access to public records to require requests for records that contain captured license plate data. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb435/">SB 435</a> would expand law enforcement officers' jurisdiction to include situations when an illegal act is observed that the officer reasonably believes will jeopardize the safety of any person without immediate action. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb440/">SB 440</a> would authorize occupational therapists to provide limited services to patients without referral from a health care provider and amend the Occupational Therapy Practice Act. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb448/">SB 448</a> would amend the state Unfair Trade Practice Law to exempt additional practices from those practices considered to be unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the business of insurance that relate to unfair discrimination and rebates. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb450/">Sub for SB 450</a> would enact law and amend law relating to the sale of certain state real property, particularly in the area of state educational institutions under the Kansas Board of Regents and the disposition of proceeds from the sale of surplus real estate of state agencies. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb453/">SB 453</a> would amend statute concerning training for certified aides to work in adult care homes to allow licensed practical nurses to teach certain training courses. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb313/">SB 313</a> designates a portion of U.S. Highway 69 as the Senator Tom R. Van Sickle Memorial Highway. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb483/">SB 483</a> would increase criminal penalties for theft and criminal damage to property involving remote service units such as automated cash dispensing machines and automated teller machines. SB 215 would transfer the authority for postsecondary driver's education programs and driver training schools from the State Board of Regents to the Department of Revenue. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb457/">SB 457</a> would require a waiver of extradition proceedings as a condition of bond. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb141/">SB 141</a> would enact the Kansas Uniform Directed Trust Act (UDTA) to allow for the creation of directed trusts and amend provisions in the Kansas Uniform Trust Code (UTC) to reflect the enactment of the UDTA. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb362/">SB 362</a> would require local school boards to annually review state academic assessments and utilize such assessments and the school district’s building needs assessment when reviewing and approving the school district’s budget. <a href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb34/">Sub for SB 34</a> promotes the principle of limited government by requiring all rules and regulations adopted under the Rules and Regulations Filing Act to be reviewed by agencies every five years, would establish reporting requirements for agencies.A full description of each bill can be found at <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/">www.kslegislature.org</a> as well as the Final Action vote on each measure.UNCLAIMED PROPERTY IN KANSASThe State of Kansas has over $400 million dollars in unclaimed property waiting for the rightful owner to find and claim. These holdings at the Treasurer’s office include bank accounts, cash, stocks, bonds, refunds (utilities), royalties, insurance proceeds and even safe deposit box contents. To search for your name, visit <a href="https://www.kansasstatetreasurer.com/up_search.php">www.kansasstatetreasurer.com</a> and enter your name or business name to see if your name is on this list. Senate District #36 has over 1,000 entries in the 13 counties it covers. If you would like more personal assistance, call 800-432-0386 or 785-296-4165.THANK YOU FOR ENGAGINGThank you for all of your calls, emails, and letters regarding your thoughts and concerns about happenings in Kansas. I always encourage you to stay informed of the issues under consideration by the Kansas Legislature. Committee schedules, bills, and other helpful information can be easily accessed through the legislature’s website at <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/">www.kslegislature.org</a>. For those who want to pursue a more in-depth analysis of bills, go to and pull up “Bills &amp; Laws,” then “Senate Bills,” before scrolling to the desired number and hitting “SN” (Supplemental Notes) for a general explanation which is written by the Legislative research and reviser staff. You are also able to ‘listen in live’ at this website.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: Senate Scene Week Seven

We have reached the halfway point of the 2022 legislative session. I apologize for missing last week, it has been a very busy and I ran out of time before publication deadline. There has been a lot of speculation and discussion about HB 2531, the bill that deals with the use of country road right of ways for agricultural purposes. The bill did not get worked as more work is being done to add more clarification and is being sent back to committee then taken up by the full House. While there has been a lot of attention locally, the issue has statewide implications. 

Here as some of the things that happened last week:

Giving Power to the People, Not Unelected Bureaucrats

This past week the House reconsidered its action on HCR 5014. HCR 5014 places a constitutional amendment on the November 2022 ballot. The constitutional amendment will ensure legislative oversight of administrative rules and regulations. Following a bill becoming a law, often there are rules and regulations to be developed by state agencies. Unfortunately, executive branch bureaucrats often use the rules and regs process to essentially create their own law or circumvent the intent of the law that was passed. Passing a constitutional amendment would allow the Legislature to establish a procedure for revoking or suspending rules and regulations that are adopted by these agencies that do not meet with the intent of the law. The House approved the resolution with a two-thirds vote, 85-39. The resolution now goes to the Senate, where if two-thirds of their members adopt the resolution, it shall be placed on the November general election ballot.

Giving Power to the People in the Selection of County Sheriffs

The House passed HCR 5022, which is a constitutional amendment requiring that a sheriff be elected in each county. The resolution exempts a county if they abolished the office of sheriff prior to January 11, 2022. HCR 5022 also addresses how a sheriff is removed. Involuntary removal would only be through a recall election or a writ of quo warranto initiated by the Attorney General. The resolution met the two-thirds vote threshold, with a vote of 97-24, and now heads to the Senate for its consideration. If two-thirds of the Senate adopt the resolution, it will appear on the November general election ballot.

Looking ahead—The Second Half of the Session

With turnaround reached, House committees will begin working bills passed by the Senate. Budget committees are wrapping up recommendations to the Appropriations Committee, so it may finalize a budget bill by mid-March. Other big issues awaiting House action are stabilizing the KPERS system and addressing a comprehensive tax plan.

The redistricting process picks up after turnaround as well. The House will adopt a map of House districts to accommodate population changes and the Senate will do likewise. Both chambers will have the opportunity to review and approve the other chamber’s map. In addition, both chambers will approve a State Board of Education (SBOE) map, reflecting the changes approved in the Senate map, as each SBOE district will contain four Senate districts.

A couple of other bills of interest include HB 2456--establishing the Kansas kids lifetime combination hunting and fishing license. The bill passed 117-4. HB 2483--providing for the Daughters of the American Revolution distinctive license plate. The bill passed 105-16. HB 2567--increasing certain registration and title fees on vehicles for services performed by county treasurers and the division of vehicles and decreasing certain fees related to administrative costs and disposition of such fees. The bill passed 114-6-1.

In the agriculture committee: HB 2559--creating the Kansas cotton boll weevil program and requiring the program to levy an assessment upon Kansas produced cotton and monitor and mitigate the risk of boll weevils. The bill passed 83-37. HB 2563--concerning the Kansas seed law and the commercial industrial hemp act; relating to labeling; seeds treated with certain substances; definitions; labeling; unlawful actions; certain registrations; inspections; live plant dealers; and testing services. The bill passed 113-8. HB 2605--increasing the rural population requirement maximum for the veterinary training program for rural Kansas and creating a food animal percentage requirement that may be fulfilled in lieu thereof. The bill passed 115-6.

You can follow along on happenings in the legislature online at kslegislature.org and you can watch committee meetings and when the House and Senate are on the floor on the Kansas Legislature’s YouTube channel. If you would like to contact me: my office is still located in Room: 149-S. My statehouse phone number is (785) 296-7463 and email is: ken.rahjes@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/2022/2/1644854972078.jpeg" alt="State Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, 110th Dist." />
 <figcaption>State Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, 110th Dist.</figcaption>
 </figure>Hello from Agra. We have reached the halfway point of the 2022 legislative session. I apologize for missing last week, it has been a very busy and I ran out of time before publication deadline. There has been a lot of speculation and discussion about HB 2531, the bill that deals with the use of country road right of ways for agricultural purposes. The bill did not get worked as more work is being done to add more clarification and is being sent back to committee then taken up by the full House. While there has been a lot of attention locally, the issue has statewide implications. Here as some of the things that happened last week:Giving Power to the People, Not Unelected BureaucratsThis past week the House reconsidered its action on HCR 5014. HCR 5014 places a constitutional amendment on the November 2022 ballot. The constitutional amendment will ensure legislative oversight of administrative rules and regulations. Following a bill becoming a law, often there are rules and regulations to be developed by state agencies. Unfortunately, executive branch bureaucrats often use the rules and regs process to essentially create their own law or circumvent the intent of the law that was passed. Passing a constitutional amendment would allow the Legislature to establish a procedure for revoking or suspending rules and regulations that are adopted by these agencies that do not meet with the intent of the law. The House approved the resolution with a two-thirds vote, 85-39. The resolution now goes to the Senate, where if two-thirds of their members adopt the resolution, it shall be placed on the November general election ballot.Giving Power to the People in the Selection of County SheriffsThe House passed HCR 5022, which is a constitutional amendment requiring that a sheriff be elected in each county. The resolution exempts a county if they abolished the office of sheriff prior to January 11, 2022. HCR 5022 also addresses how a sheriff is removed. Involuntary removal would only be through a recall election or a writ of quo warranto initiated by the Attorney General. The resolution met the two-thirds vote threshold, with a vote of 97-24, and now heads to the Senate for its consideration. If two-thirds of the Senate adopt the resolution, it will appear on the November general election ballot.Looking ahead—The Second Half of the SessionWith turnaround reached, House committees will begin working bills passed by the Senate. Budget committees are wrapping up recommendations to the Appropriations Committee, so it may finalize a budget bill by mid-March. Other big issues awaiting House action are stabilizing the KPERS system and addressing a comprehensive tax plan.The redistricting process picks up after turnaround as well. The House will adopt a map of House districts to accommodate population changes and the Senate will do likewise. Both chambers will have the opportunity to review and approve the other chamber’s map. In addition, both chambers will approve a State Board of Education (SBOE) map, reflecting the changes approved in the Senate map, as each SBOE district will contain four Senate districts.A couple of other bills of interest include HB 2456--establishing the Kansas kids lifetime combination hunting and fishing license. The bill passed 117-4. HB 2483--providing for the Daughters of the American Revolution distinctive license plate. The bill passed 105-16. HB 2567--increasing certain registration and title fees on vehicles for services performed by county treasurers and the division of vehicles and decreasing certain fees related to administrative costs and disposition of such fees. The bill passed 114-6-1.In the agriculture committee: HB 2559--creating the Kansas cotton boll weevil program and requiring the program to levy an assessment upon Kansas produced cotton and monitor and mitigate the risk of boll weevils. The bill passed 83-37. HB 2563--concerning the Kansas seed law and the commercial industrial hemp act; relating to labeling; seeds treated with certain substances; definitions; labeling; unlawful actions; certain registrations; inspections; live plant dealers; and testing services. The bill passed 113-8. HB 2605--increasing the rural population requirement maximum for the veterinary training program for rural Kansas and creating a food animal percentage requirement that may be fulfilled in lieu thereof. The bill passed 115-6.You can follow along on happenings in the legislature online at kslegislature.org and you can watch committee meetings and when the House and Senate are on the floor on the Kansas Legislature’s YouTube channel. If you would like to contact me: my office is still located in Room: 149-S. My statehouse phone number is (785) 296-7463 and email is: ken.rahjes@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. 28, 2022

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

“Moving heaven and earth.” That’s a saying to describe doing everything possible to make something happen.&nbsp;

Today we’ll meet a Kansas company which literally follows that philosophy. This company is an earth-moving business and much more.&nbsp;

Max Jantz founded Max Jantz Excavating in 1974 with a John Deere tractor, one pull-type earth scraper, and what he called “a love of the land.” The first work headquarters for the company was the old barn on the family place north of Montezuma, Kan.&nbsp;

Max primarily did dirt work for commercial and municipal projects. He sought opportunities throughout the Midwest to grow the operation by expanding his skills, crews and equipment fleet.&nbsp;

By 2001, Max had gone from a one-man operation to managing a staff of more than 40 employees and an equipment fleet of more than 130. At that time, a strategic decision was made to focus on the development of turn-key dairy and beef cattle feedyard facilities. The company also underwent a name change and became the more inclusive MJE LLC.&nbsp;

As the business continued to grow, Max’s son and daughter joined the company.&nbsp;&nbsp;Today, son Aaron Jantz is chief executive officer and daughter Heather Jantz is chief operating officer.&nbsp;

Aaron and his wife have two children, as do Heather and her husband Aaron Albers who is a project manager with the company. Megan Elsey is director of public relations.&nbsp;

The expertise that company employees gained in designing, building and installing livestock equipment created an opportunity to serve others as well. In 2018, MJE expanded into a second line of business, called MJE Livestock Equipment.&nbsp;&nbsp;]Having long ago outgrown the original barn, MJE constructed a multi-million dollar production facility in Montezuma.&nbsp;

One of MJE’s customers had experienced a bad situation when a storm came through and damaged multiple calf hutches, which are small shelters for young calves. In response, the MJE staff designed a calf hutch latch and tethering system that would win them an award.&nbsp;

In addition to the calf hutch latch system, MJE Livestock Equipment produces fencing panels, gates, feeders, waterers, mineral feeders, livestock handling equipment, and more. These products are manufactured at the company facility in Montezuma.&nbsp;

Heather and Aaron are very committed to their hometown of Montezuma. “They’re super community-driven,” Megan said. MJE staff helped initiate a Chamber of Commerce in Montezuma, and Megan Elsey is the chamber president. MJE helps sponsor various worthy projects, including the Young Guns Rodeo for children and youth up to 18 years old.&nbsp;

MJE also seeks to develop homegrown talent and create opportunities for local employment.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We bring out schools for tours,” Megan said. “We can arrange for (potential workers) to job shadow, and we’ll train on the job. We’re always looking for welders, fabricators, and truck drivers.”&nbsp;

Today, MJE LLC has grown to include more than 200 employees and more than 350 pieces of equipment. “We try to work within a 500-mile radius,” Megan said.&nbsp;

However, in 2010, Max and Heather traveled to China to help with feedyard construction. MJE’s expertise has helped design a feedyard in California, and the company was recently studied by another business in Argentina. MJE Livestock Equipment products have gone as far away as Italy.&nbsp;

One of the company’s very large earth-moving projects was the construction of HorseThief Reservoir in 2010.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

It’s an impressive record for a business in a rural community such as Montezuma, population 975 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

For more information on MJE, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mjellc.net/">www.mjellc.net</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;For information on the livestock equipment line, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mjelivestockequipment.com/">www.mjelivestockequipment.com</a>.&nbsp;

Moving heaven and earth. That saying means doing everything possible to make something happen. It applies to MJE LLC and the company’s philosophy of responding to customer needs.&nbsp;

We commend Max, Aaron and Heather Jantz and all the people of MJE for making a difference with their community service, entrepreneurship, and family-oriented business.&nbsp;&nbsp;From what I’ve seen, if there’s a project to be completed, MJE will move heaven and earth to get it done.&nbsp;

And there’s more.&nbsp;&nbsp;emember HorseThief Reservoir? We’ll learn more about that next week.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645627616720.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;“Moving heaven and earth.” That’s a saying to describe doing everything possible to make something happen.&nbsp;Today we’ll meet a Kansas company which literally follows that philosophy. This company is an earth-moving business and much more.&nbsp;Max Jantz founded Max Jantz Excavating in 1974 with a John Deere tractor, one pull-type earth scraper, and what he called “a love of the land.” The first work headquarters for the company was the old barn on the family place north of Montezuma, Kan.&nbsp;Max primarily did dirt work for commercial and municipal projects. He sought opportunities throughout the Midwest to grow the operation by expanding his skills, crews and equipment fleet.&nbsp;By 2001, Max had gone from a one-man operation to managing a staff of more than 40 employees and an equipment fleet of more than 130. At that time, a strategic decision was made to focus on the development of turn-key dairy and beef cattle feedyard facilities. The company also underwent a name change and became the more inclusive MJE LLC.&nbsp;As the business continued to grow, Max’s son and daughter joined the company.&nbsp;&nbsp;Today, son Aaron Jantz is chief executive officer and daughter Heather Jantz is chief operating officer.&nbsp;Aaron and his wife have two children, as do Heather and her husband Aaron Albers who is a project manager with the company. Megan Elsey is director of public relations.&nbsp;The expertise that company employees gained in designing, building and installing livestock equipment created an opportunity to serve others as well. In 2018, MJE expanded into a second line of business, called MJE Livestock Equipment.&nbsp;&nbsp;]Having long ago outgrown the original barn, MJE constructed a multi-million dollar production facility in Montezuma.&nbsp;One of MJE’s customers had experienced a bad situation when a storm came through and damaged multiple calf hutches, which are small shelters for young calves. In response, the MJE staff designed a calf hutch latch and tethering system that would win them an award.&nbsp;In addition to the calf hutch latch system, MJE Livestock Equipment produces fencing panels, gates, feeders, waterers, mineral feeders, livestock handling equipment, and more. These products are manufactured at the company facility in Montezuma.&nbsp;Heather and Aaron are very committed to their hometown of Montezuma. “They’re super community-driven,” Megan said. MJE staff helped initiate a Chamber of Commerce in Montezuma, and Megan Elsey is the chamber president. MJE helps sponsor various worthy projects, including the Young Guns Rodeo for children and youth up to 18 years old.&nbsp;MJE also seeks to develop homegrown talent and create opportunities for local employment.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We bring out schools for tours,” Megan said. “We can arrange for (potential workers) to job shadow, and we’ll train on the job. We’re always looking for welders, fabricators, and truck drivers.”&nbsp;Today, MJE LLC has grown to include more than 200 employees and more than 350 pieces of equipment. “We try to work within a 500-mile radius,” Megan said.&nbsp;However, in 2010, Max and Heather traveled to China to help with feedyard construction. MJE’s expertise has helped design a feedyard in California, and the company was recently studied by another business in Argentina. MJE Livestock Equipment products have gone as far away as Italy.&nbsp;One of the company’s very large earth-moving projects was the construction of HorseThief Reservoir in 2010.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It’s an impressive record for a business in a rural community such as Montezuma, population 975 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;For more information on MJE, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mjellc.net/">www.mjellc.net</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;For information on the livestock equipment line, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mjelivestockequipment.com/">www.mjelivestockequipment.com</a>.&nbsp;Moving heaven and earth. That saying means doing everything possible to make something happen. It applies to MJE LLC and the company’s philosophy of responding to customer needs.&nbsp;We commend Max, Aaron and Heather Jantz and all the people of MJE for making a difference with their community service, entrepreneurship, and family-oriented business.&nbsp;&nbsp;From what I’ve seen, if there’s a project to be completed, MJE will move heaven and earth to get it done.&nbsp;And there’s more.&nbsp;&nbsp;emember HorseThief Reservoir? We’ll learn more about that next week.&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural: Heather, Aaron Jantz - MJE 

	Kansas Democrats and many Republicans finally agree on something–but is it a good deal?&nbsp; The so-called APEX deal raises more questions than answers.

	With Governor Kelly’s support, Republican leaders in the Kansas Legislature rushed through the most generous tax package in the state’s history, offering a previously unheard-of $1 billion in tax incentives to an unnamed company, along with a cut in the state’s corporate tax rate.&nbsp; Supporters insist that the name of the company and the type of business must be kept secret to protect the deal, and that such protocols are standard with deals like this.&nbsp; One other state–possibly Oklahoma–remains as the other finalist.&nbsp; One unverified rumor suggests that the mystery company may be manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles. Some Republican legislators did vote no, but it still passed easily.&nbsp; Four thousand jobs are promised, along with additional jobs created by suppliers.

Tax-incentive-driven development projects seem too good to be true.&nbsp; Consider the approach known as tax increment financing, or TIF.&nbsp; State and local governments issue bonds to pay for the public works improvements required to lure in new economic development, such as roads, traffic signals, land excavation, and water drainage.&nbsp; The project is built, and the tax revenue generated at the site pays off the bonds.&nbsp; Once they are paid, revenues can be redirected into general revenues to fund public works, schools, police, fire protection, and so forth. The revenue used to pay these debts appears to be free money, generated by the development itself, which in turn was built because of the incentive package.&nbsp;&nbsp;

	If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.&nbsp; TIF is not the only tax incentive scheme used in these deals, but it is a good example of the problems that occur.&nbsp; First, many of these projects would have been built anyway. The hunger of state and local governments for big-ticket projects means that they get locked in an arms race to outbid each other:&nbsp; a race to the bottom.&nbsp; If they instead agreed not to outbid each other, then the projects would still be built, but the businesses building them would pay full tax revenue from day one, just like other, more-established businesses. &nbsp; 	

	Next comes the confusion between creating and relocating jobs.&nbsp; Even when economic benefits are reported, they are often due to jobs being relocated from one state or locality to another.&nbsp; The absurd “border war” luring KC-area businesses back and forth across the state line is a particularly ridiculous example of this dysfunction.&nbsp; Sometimes, they move only a few blocks.&nbsp; In the case of the APEX project, it has already been decided that it will be built, the only question is where. Is it worth $1 billion to insure that it is in Kansas instead of another, possibly neighboring state?

	Finally, taxpayers should ask who is on the hook if the project fails.&nbsp; In TIF and many other tax-incentive packages, the issuance of bonds or other government debt is involved.&nbsp; The debts must still be paid if the project is unsuccessful.&nbsp; In such an instance, who pays for it?

	This deal is certainly the apex of Kansas tax packages–but many questions remain for the state’s taxpayers.

Michael Smith is a professor at Emporia State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639601062071.jpeg" alt="Michael Smith is a professor at Emporia State University." />
 <figcaption>Michael Smith is a professor at Emporia State University.</figcaption>
 </figure>	Kansas Democrats and many Republicans finally agree on something–but is it a good deal?&nbsp; The so-called APEX deal raises more questions than answers.	With Governor Kelly’s support, Republican leaders in the Kansas Legislature rushed through the most generous tax package in the state’s history, offering a previously unheard-of $1 billion in tax incentives to an unnamed company, along with a cut in the state’s corporate tax rate.&nbsp; Supporters insist that the name of the company and the type of business must be kept secret to protect the deal, and that such protocols are standard with deals like this.&nbsp; One other state–possibly Oklahoma–remains as the other finalist.&nbsp; One unverified rumor suggests that the mystery company may be manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles. Some Republican legislators did vote no, but it still passed easily.&nbsp; Four thousand jobs are promised, along with additional jobs created by suppliers.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Tax-incentive-driven development projects seem too good to be true.&nbsp; Consider the approach known as tax increment financing, or TIF.&nbsp; State and local governments issue bonds to pay for the public works improvements required to lure in new economic development, such as roads, traffic signals, land excavation, and water drainage.&nbsp; The project is built, and the tax revenue generated at the site pays off the bonds.&nbsp; Once they are paid, revenues can be redirected into general revenues to fund public works, schools, police, fire protection, and so forth. The revenue used to pay these debts appears to be free money, generated by the development itself, which in turn was built because of the incentive package.&nbsp;&nbsp;	If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.&nbsp; TIF is not the only tax incentive scheme used in these deals, but it is a good example of the problems that occur.&nbsp; First, many of these projects would have been built anyway. The hunger of state and local governments for big-ticket projects means that they get locked in an arms race to outbid each other:&nbsp; a race to the bottom.&nbsp; If they instead agreed not to outbid each other, then the projects would still be built, but the businesses building them would pay full tax revenue from day one, just like other, more-established businesses. &nbsp; 		Next comes the confusion between creating and relocating jobs.&nbsp; Even when economic benefits are reported, they are often due to jobs being relocated from one state or locality to another.&nbsp; The absurd “border war” luring KC-area businesses back and forth across the state line is a particularly ridiculous example of this dysfunction.&nbsp; Sometimes, they move only a few blocks.&nbsp; In the case of the APEX project, it has already been decided that it will be built, the only question is where. Is it worth $1 billion to insure that it is in Kansas instead of another, possibly neighboring state?	Finally, taxpayers should ask who is on the hook if the project fails.&nbsp; In TIF and many other tax-incentive packages, the issuance of bonds or other government debt is involved.&nbsp; The debts must still be paid if the project is unsuccessful.&nbsp; In such an instance, who pays for it?	This deal is certainly the apex of Kansas tax packages–but many questions remain for the state’s taxpayers.Michael Smith is a professor at Emporia State University.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Hard questions about the APEX deal

By CLAY WIRESTONE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/24/derek-schmidt-salutes-black-history-while-seeking-to-stifle-black-kansas-voters/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>

Derek Schmidt wants you to share in his excitement for Black History Month.

Why, on Sunday he <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/DerekSchmidtKS/status/1495521994997178372?s=20&amp;t=cyFCRhVCUo7qrtE9Z0Lpjw">tweeted the following</a>:
 “Nicodemus is the oldest and only remaining settlement of freed slaves 
west of the Mississippi. Now a National Historic Site in Graham County, 
it is well worth visiting during Black History Month – or any time.”

Meanwhile, he’s asking the Kansas 
Supreme Court to allow discrimination against Black Kansans in the 
redistricting process. He also called critical race theory — a concept 
not taught in a single K-12 classroom in Kansas — “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-06-11/the-controversy-over-critical-race-theory-creeps-into-kansas-schools">a radical new curriculum</a>.” Fake outrage about CRT has been used in the months since to target education about our nation’s racist past.

In other words, Schmidt cares about 
Black Kansans as long as they’re politically powerless and 
schoolchildren don’t learn about their struggles.

What a dilemma. On one hand, Schmidt 
wants to be seen as gubernatorial material, open and accepting to all 
Kansas. He showed up at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/13/kansas-lawmakers-officials-march-in-honor-of-martin-luther-king-jr-call-for-unity/">memorial walk</a> around the Capitol, a couple of rows behind his opponent in November, Gov. Laura Kelly.

Republicans in Kansas have made the 
calculation, however, that Black people threaten their ironclad hold of 
political power in Kansas. Thus they <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/18/kansas-republicans-introduce-map-to-divide-kc-metro-place-lawrence-in-1st-district/">brutally sliced</a>
 through Wyandotte County in their congressional redistricting map, 
dividing one of the state’s most diverse communities in a bid to thwart 
the reelection of Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids.

A map was drawn, then vetoed, and then the veto <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/09/kansas-house-completes-override-of-gov-kellys-veto-of-congressional-redistricting-map/">was overridden</a> after painful arm-twisting.

<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/14/voting-rights-groups-launch-court-battle-over-new-kansas-congressional-map/">Two lawsuits</a>
 challenging that map followed, both filed in Wyandotte County District 
Court rather than federal court. With the U.S. Supreme Court <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/07/us/politics/supreme-court-alabama-redistricting-congressional-map.html">ever more amenable</a> to gerrymandering, I suspect the plaintiffs saw the state court system as more hospitable to their case.

Schmidt raced to the Kansas Supreme Court <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/18/kansas-attorney-general-asks-high-court-to-block-redistricting-lawsuits/">with a galling request</a>. He wants the justices to declare they have no say in the situation.

“Plaintiffs’ political gerrymandering 
claim is not justiciable under the Kansas Constitution,” Schmidt wrote. 
“No judicially manageable standard for evaluating such claims exists, 
Kansas courts have not historically entertained such claims, and the 
Kansas Constitution has nothing at all to say about political 
gerrymandering.”

To summarize, the attorney general of 
the state of Kansas believes that state courts have no role in stopping 
obvious racially discriminatory gerrymandering. Kansas judges have no 
ability to make sure the voices of everyone counts equally at election 
time.

Schmidt’s supporters (and I assume he 
has some) will claim that he’s just doing his job as the state’s chief 
law enforcement officer. That was the defense back when he joined a 
multistate lawsuit <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/12/09/current-and-former-kansas-political-players-throw-support-behind-texas-election-lawsuit/">aimed at overturning</a> the 2020 election, and when he joined a lawsuit asking the U.S. Supreme Court to rule it legal to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2018-08-31/kansas-attorney-general-says-transgender-case-is-about-reducing-cost">fire transgender people</a>. He was merely looking for legal clarity.

Funny, isn’t it, how these searches 
for legal clarity seem to all benefit one party? Did you notice how they
 aid and abet discrimination and anti-democratic power grabs? It’s just 
peculiar.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nps.gov/nico/index.htm">According to the National Park service</a>,
 Nicodemus was founded in 1877 by Black settlers leaving the 
post-Reconstruction South. Slavery had ended, but Jim Crow had arrived, 
and decades of struggle against segregation remained. Kansas offered a 
kind of rough-hewn opportunity.

“Established as an all-Black 
community, the founders of Nicodemus envisioned a town built on the 
ideals of independence and self-determination,” the park service writes.
 “The community experienced rapid social and economic growth in the 
early years and many speculated that Nicodemus would become a major stop
 for the railroad. It became clear by 1888, however, that the railroad 
and the predicted economic boom would not come.”

The great dream may have ended, but 
life went on. Black families established farms, and a few have persisted
 to the present day. The settlement celebrates a yearly homecoming. As 
of September, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kmuw.org/2021-09-23/nicodemus-celebrates-heritage-with-143rd-homecoming">23 people still lived there</a>.

A cynic might say that’s an ideal town
 for Derek Schmidt to highlight during Black History Month. It has few 
residents and poses little political threat.

Yet the dream of Nicodemus — the dream of the “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nps.gov/home/learn/historyculture/exodusters.htm">Exodusters</a>”
 who settled there — was to escape oppression. In the South, they faced 
barriers to voting and political participation set up by racist white 
people. Kansas and other western states offered an alternative.

Schmidt still has the opportunity to 
fulfill that dream. He could drop his petition to the Kansas Supreme 
Court. He could announce his opposition to the blatantly discriminatory 
congressional map. He could support teaching the actual, painful history
 of our country in public schools.&nbsp;

That would be a worthy tribute to Nicodemus.

Clay Wirestone has written columns and edited reporting for newsrooms in Kansas, New Hampshire, Florida and Pennsylvania. He has also fact checked politicians, researched for Larry the Cable Guy, and appeared in PolitiFact, Mental Floss, cnn.com and a host of other publications. Most recently, Clay spent nearly four years at the nonprofit Kansas Action for Children as communications director.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645737609229.png" alt="This historical image of Washington Street in Nicodemus showcases the community’s first stone church and Williams General Store. (Library of Congress)" />
 <figcaption>This historical image of Washington Street in Nicodemus showcases the community’s first stone church and Williams General Store. (Library of Congress)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CLAY WIRESTONE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/24/derek-schmidt-salutes-black-history-while-seeking-to-stifle-black-kansas-voters/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>Derek Schmidt wants you to share in his excitement for Black History Month.Why, on Sunday he <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/DerekSchmidtKS/status/1495521994997178372?s=20&amp;t=cyFCRhVCUo7qrtE9Z0Lpjw">tweeted the following</a>:
 “Nicodemus is the oldest and only remaining settlement of freed slaves 
west of the Mississippi. Now a National Historic Site in Graham County, 
it is well worth visiting during Black History Month – or any time.”Meanwhile, he’s asking the Kansas 
Supreme Court to allow discrimination against Black Kansans in the 
redistricting process. He also called critical race theory — a concept 
not taught in a single K-12 classroom in Kansas — “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-06-11/the-controversy-over-critical-race-theory-creeps-into-kansas-schools">a radical new curriculum</a>.” Fake outrage about CRT has been used in the months since to target education about our nation’s racist past.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In other words, Schmidt cares about 
Black Kansans as long as they’re politically powerless and 
schoolchildren don’t learn about their struggles.What a dilemma. On one hand, Schmidt 
wants to be seen as gubernatorial material, open and accepting to all 
Kansas. He showed up at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/13/kansas-lawmakers-officials-march-in-honor-of-martin-luther-king-jr-call-for-unity/">memorial walk</a> around the Capitol, a couple of rows behind his opponent in November, Gov. Laura Kelly.Republicans in Kansas have made the 
calculation, however, that Black people threaten their ironclad hold of 
political power in Kansas. Thus they <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/18/kansas-republicans-introduce-map-to-divide-kc-metro-place-lawrence-in-1st-district/">brutally sliced</a>
 through Wyandotte County in their congressional redistricting map, 
dividing one of the state’s most diverse communities in a bid to thwart 
the reelection of Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids.A map was drawn, then vetoed, and then the veto <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/09/kansas-house-completes-override-of-gov-kellys-veto-of-congressional-redistricting-map/">was overridden</a> after painful arm-twisting.<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/14/voting-rights-groups-launch-court-battle-over-new-kansas-congressional-map/">Two lawsuits</a>
 challenging that map followed, both filed in Wyandotte County District 
Court rather than federal court. With the U.S. Supreme Court <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/07/us/politics/supreme-court-alabama-redistricting-congressional-map.html">ever more amenable</a> to gerrymandering, I suspect the plaintiffs saw the state court system as more hospitable to their case.Schmidt raced to the Kansas Supreme Court <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/18/kansas-attorney-general-asks-high-court-to-block-redistricting-lawsuits/">with a galling request</a>. He wants the justices to declare they have no say in the situation.“Plaintiffs’ political gerrymandering 
claim is not justiciable under the Kansas Constitution,” Schmidt wrote. 
“No judicially manageable standard for evaluating such claims exists, 
Kansas courts have not historically entertained such claims, and the 
Kansas Constitution has nothing at all to say about political 
gerrymandering.”To summarize, the attorney general of 
the state of Kansas believes that state courts have no role in stopping 
obvious racially discriminatory gerrymandering. Kansas judges have no 
ability to make sure the voices of everyone counts equally at election 
time.Happy Black History Month!Schmidt’s supporters (and I assume he 
has some) will claim that he’s just doing his job as the state’s chief 
law enforcement officer. That was the defense back when he joined a 
multistate lawsuit <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/12/09/current-and-former-kansas-political-players-throw-support-behind-texas-election-lawsuit/">aimed at overturning</a> the 2020 election, and when he joined a lawsuit asking the U.S. Supreme Court to rule it legal to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2018-08-31/kansas-attorney-general-says-transgender-case-is-about-reducing-cost">fire transgender people</a>. He was merely looking for legal clarity.Funny, isn’t it, how these searches 
for legal clarity seem to all benefit one party? Did you notice how they
 aid and abet discrimination and anti-democratic power grabs? It’s just 
peculiar.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645737723599.jpeg" alt="The Welcome Center in Nicodemus, Kansas. (Submitted, courtesy Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The Welcome Center in Nicodemus, Kansas. (Submitted, courtesy Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Let’s head back to Nicodemus.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nps.gov/nico/index.htm">According to the National Park service</a>,
 Nicodemus was founded in 1877 by Black settlers leaving the 
post-Reconstruction South. Slavery had ended, but Jim Crow had arrived, 
and decades of struggle against segregation remained. Kansas offered a 
kind of rough-hewn opportunity.“Established as an all-Black 
community, the founders of Nicodemus envisioned a town built on the 
ideals of independence and self-determination,” the park service writes.
 “The community experienced rapid social and economic growth in the 
early years and many speculated that Nicodemus would become a major stop
 for the railroad. It became clear by 1888, however, that the railroad 
and the predicted economic boom would not come.”The great dream may have ended, but 
life went on. Black families established farms, and a few have persisted
 to the present day. The settlement celebrates a yearly homecoming. As 
of September, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kmuw.org/2021-09-23/nicodemus-celebrates-heritage-with-143rd-homecoming">23 people still lived there</a>.A cynic might say that’s an ideal town
 for Derek Schmidt to highlight during Black History Month. It has few 
residents and poses little political threat.Yet the dream of Nicodemus — the dream of the “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nps.gov/home/learn/historyculture/exodusters.htm">Exodusters</a>”
 who settled there — was to escape oppression. In the South, they faced 
barriers to voting and political participation set up by racist white 
people. Kansas and other western states offered an alternative.Schmidt still has the opportunity to 
fulfill that dream. He could drop his petition to the Kansas Supreme 
Court. He could announce his opposition to the blatantly discriminatory 
congressional map. He could support teaching the actual, painful history
 of our country in public schools.&nbsp;That would be a worthy tribute to Nicodemus.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645737832786.jpeg" alt="Clay Wirestone" />
 <figcaption>Clay Wirestone</figcaption>
 </figure>Clay Wirestone has written columns and edited reporting for newsrooms in Kansas, New Hampshire, Florida and Pennsylvania. He has also fact checked politicians, researched for Larry the Cable Guy, and appeared in PolitiFact, Mental Floss, cnn.com and a host of other publications. Most recently, Clay spent nearly four years at the nonprofit Kansas Action for Children as communications director.&nbsp;

OPINION: Schmidt salutes Black history while seeking to stifle Black voters

By DEREK SCHMIDT Kansas Attorney General

Every year during the first week of March the Federal Trade Commission observes National Consumer Protection Week. The Kansas Attorney General’s office with our&nbsp;In Your Corner Kansas&nbsp;campaign focuses year-round on protecting consumers from scams and rip-offs, but during this week in particular we remind Kansans to be diligent and to keep yourself and your personal information safe.

One of the ways we do that is to share some of the most common scams reported to our office over the past year. This year’s list is punctuated by the prominence of two classic scams that unfortunately have appeared on our lists all-too frequently over the past decade. These, of course, are those scams where crooks and fraudsters attempt to steal the finances and or identities of Kansans by offering unsolicited help in securing a government benefit or navigating bureaucratic red tape.

Here are the top five scams ranked in order&nbsp;for 2021 based on the number of complaints filed with our Consumer Protection Division, with the most-frequent listed first:

Consumers have reported receiving calls from insurance companies and government agencies offering to help them navigate the process to receive health care coverage. The callers say they need certain pieces of personal data, such as bank account information or Social Security numbers, to get you enrolled in a coverage plan. Or they will need the information because the insurance company no longer takes checks and needs to arrange for an automatic bank draft. Remember, never give your bank account information over the phone, because you don’t know who is on the other end of the line.

The scam artist may even “spoof” the caller ID so that it looks like it’s coming from a legitimate insurance company. Even if you think the call might be coming from your insurance company, it’s wise to tell them you’ll call back and hang up the phone. Then go look at your last bill and call the phone number printed on the statement. That way you’ll know you’re talking to your insurance company, not an imposter. Other scammers pretending to be from government health programs focusing on senior citizens are not trying to steal money but rather personal information that can be used to file for other government benefits, such as a false tax return. These government agencies will never ask you for personal information over the phone or by email. If Medicare or Medicaid really needs to get information from you, they will send you a letter requesting information. If you do receive a call, and think it might be from a legitimate agency, ask them to send you a letter detailing what information they need.

This one is a twist on the government imposter scam involving a robocall claiming to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA) informing you that your benefits are about to end if you don’t take action. Rest assured, the real SSA will never call you to cut off your benefits and will never ask you to wire money, make payments via gift card, or send cash payments in order to continue your benefits. If you receive one of these calls, hang up. Do not “press 1,” or any other number the robocall asks you to press. Like with all robocall scams, these scammers are after information. If you press anything on your phone, that lets the scammer know they have reached a working number and you’ll get more calls. Our best advice on this or any other robocall scam is to not answer calls from numbers you do not know. If you do answer, once you know it’s not someone you know, just hang up.

In this scam, the caller claims to be from a well-known computer company telling you they’ve detected a virus on your computer and offers to help you remove it by connecting remotely to your computer. But instead of trying to fix it, the scam artist is actually trying to install a virus to give them access to all your files and your personal information saved on the computer. The scammer may also be trying to hack into your machine to use it to send out spam emails from your account, or even to take over the camera and microphone to spy on you and try to obtain additional personal information. If your computer really does have a problem, take it to a reputable, local computer repair shop or call your computer manufacturer’s customer service number directly. Never give a stranger access to your computer over the phone.

The scam works like this: An individual makes a connection online through a social media site with their victim. Often the scammers are targeting those individuals who are new singles or individuals who have recently lost a spouse or partner. The scammer cultivates a relationship and then begins making overtures about wanting to come to Kansas to see their new companion. As the scammers develop more trust and deeper connections, they begin asking for items from the victims, such as money for airline tickets to travel to Kansas, funds to pay for customs for items for the victim, or other sums of money related to travel plans. In reality, the gifts do not exist and the scammer has no intention of coming to Kansas, just gaining access to the victim’s money, and perhaps even personal information that could result in identity theft and other serious issues.

Whether it’s a foreign lottery, sweepstakes or a government grant, scammers are still luring people to send money with the promise of a future “prize,” if only they will send in the money to pay for the taxes or processing fees now. We always remind consumers that the Kansas Lottery is the only legitimate, legally operating lottery in Kansas, and you should never have to pay money upfront to claim a prize.

More information on how to protect yourself from these and other scams is available on our consumer protection website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.inyourcornerkansas.org/">www.InYourCornerKansas.org</a>&nbsp;or by calling our consumer protection hotline at (800) 432-2310.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583409290272.jpeg" alt="Kansas AG Derek Schmidt" />
 <figcaption>Kansas AG Derek Schmidt</figcaption>
 </figure>By DEREK SCHMIDT Kansas Attorney GeneralEvery year during the first week of March the Federal Trade Commission observes National Consumer Protection Week. The Kansas Attorney General’s office with our&nbsp;In Your Corner Kansas&nbsp;campaign focuses year-round on protecting consumers from scams and rip-offs, but during this week in particular we remind Kansans to be diligent and to keep yourself and your personal information safe.One of the ways we do that is to share some of the most common scams reported to our office over the past year. This year’s list is punctuated by the prominence of two classic scams that unfortunately have appeared on our lists all-too frequently over the past decade. These, of course, are those scams where crooks and fraudsters attempt to steal the finances and or identities of Kansans by offering unsolicited help in securing a government benefit or navigating bureaucratic red tape.Here are the top five scams ranked in order&nbsp;for 2021 based on the number of complaints filed with our Consumer Protection Division, with the most-frequent listed first:Medical Health Insurance ScamsConsumers have reported receiving calls from insurance companies and government agencies offering to help them navigate the process to receive health care coverage. The callers say they need certain pieces of personal data, such as bank account information or Social Security numbers, to get you enrolled in a coverage plan. Or they will need the information because the insurance company no longer takes checks and needs to arrange for an automatic bank draft. Remember, never give your bank account information over the phone, because you don’t know who is on the other end of the line.The scam artist may even “spoof” the caller ID so that it looks like it’s coming from a legitimate insurance company. Even if you think the call might be coming from your insurance company, it’s wise to tell them you’ll call back and hang up the phone. Then go look at your last bill and call the phone number printed on the statement. That way you’ll know you’re talking to your insurance company, not an imposter. Other scammers pretending to be from government health programs focusing on senior citizens are not trying to steal money but rather personal information that can be used to file for other government benefits, such as a false tax return. These government agencies will never ask you for personal information over the phone or by email. If Medicare or Medicaid really needs to get information from you, they will send you a letter requesting information. If you do receive a call, and think it might be from a legitimate agency, ask them to send you a letter detailing what information they need.Social Security ScamsThis one is a twist on the government imposter scam involving a robocall claiming to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA) informing you that your benefits are about to end if you don’t take action. Rest assured, the real SSA will never call you to cut off your benefits and will never ask you to wire money, make payments via gift card, or send cash payments in order to continue your benefits. If you receive one of these calls, hang up. Do not “press 1,” or any other number the robocall asks you to press. Like with all robocall scams, these scammers are after information. If you press anything on your phone, that lets the scammer know they have reached a working number and you’ll get more calls. Our best advice on this or any other robocall scam is to not answer calls from numbers you do not know. If you do answer, once you know it’s not someone you know, just hang up.Computer Repair ScamsIn this scam, the caller claims to be from a well-known computer company telling you they’ve detected a virus on your computer and offers to help you remove it by connecting remotely to your computer. But instead of trying to fix it, the scam artist is actually trying to install a virus to give them access to all your files and your personal information saved on the computer. The scammer may also be trying to hack into your machine to use it to send out spam emails from your account, or even to take over the camera and microphone to spy on you and try to obtain additional personal information. If your computer really does have a problem, take it to a reputable, local computer repair shop or call your computer manufacturer’s customer service number directly. Never give a stranger access to your computer over the phone.Sweetheart ScamsThe scam works like this: An individual makes a connection online through a social media site with their victim. Often the scammers are targeting those individuals who are new singles or individuals who have recently lost a spouse or partner. The scammer cultivates a relationship and then begins making overtures about wanting to come to Kansas to see their new companion. As the scammers develop more trust and deeper connections, they begin asking for items from the victims, such as money for airline tickets to travel to Kansas, funds to pay for customs for items for the victim, or other sums of money related to travel plans. In reality, the gifts do not exist and the scammer has no intention of coming to Kansas, just gaining access to the victim’s money, and perhaps even personal information that could result in identity theft and other serious issues.Lottery ScamsWhether it’s a foreign lottery, sweepstakes or a government grant, scammers are still luring people to send money with the promise of a future “prize,” if only they will send in the money to pay for the taxes or processing fees now. We always remind consumers that the Kansas Lottery is the only legitimate, legally operating lottery in Kansas, and you should never have to pay money upfront to claim a prize.More information on how to protect yourself from these and other scams is available on our consumer protection website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.inyourcornerkansas.org/">www.InYourCornerKansas.org</a>&nbsp;or by calling our consumer protection hotline at (800) 432-2310.&nbsp;

SCHMIDT: Avoid these most-common scams of 2021

This week in the House of Representatives we debated nearly forty bills before we adjourned for the midpoint of the session, commonly referred to as Turnaround. This is the time during session where we pass many bills out of the House and forward those bills to the Senate.

Here is a list of some of the bills that we debated this week in the House:

House Bill 2456 would establish the Kansas kids lifetime combination of hunting and fishing licenses. This bill passed 117 to 4 and I voted, “yes.”

House Concurrent Resolution 5022 proposes a constitutional amendment that would require a sheriff to be elected in each county. This resolution passed&nbsp;with a vote of 97-24. I voted, “yes.”

With cotton starting to be grown more in the state of Kansas, we needed to create the Kansas Cotton Boll Weevil program. The creation of the program is in House Bill 2559. It would levy an assessment on cotton produced in Kansas and it would also monitor and mitigate the risk of boll weevils. This bill passed the House, 83-37, and I voted, “yes.”

House Bill 2386 establishes requirements for the payment and reimbursement of dental services through a dental benefit plan. This bill passed the House with a vote of 118-3. I voted in favor of this bill.

We will return from Turnaround on March 1, 2022.

Due to the time that was spent on the House Floor debating bills, this week in Appropriations we only met on Monday morning. We did have the recommendations from the House Social Services Budget Committee regarding the budgets of the state hospitals for mental health and the state hospitals for intellectual disabilities.

When we return on Tuesday, March 2, we will continue to deliberate budgets for the state of Kansas budget. Those budgets that we will discuss are the Kansas Department of Revenue, Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Kansas Water Office. We will also hold hearings on House Bills 2588 and 2592 and these bills are the bills we will use when constructing the budget for the state of Kansas.

As I mentioned before, we debated nearly forty bills this week. Here are details of some of the other bills that we discussed:

House Bill 2595 makes certain antique vehicle titling procedures applicable to vehicles having a model year of 1960 or later instead of 1950 or later. This bill passed, 121-0.

House Bill 2574 establishes a time limitation for awarding compensation for mental health counseling and increases certain compensation amounts by the Crime Victims Compensation Board. This bill passed, 121-0.

House Bill 2567 overall decreases registration and title fees on vehicles for services performed by county treasurers. It also decreases certain fees with the Division of Vehicles. More importantly, which was added as an amendment, it eliminates the $4 Modernization Fee that one has been paying when titling their vehicle. This bill passed, 114-6.

House Bill 2594 exempts certain modifications that have been made to antique vehicles from vehicle identification number offenses, seizures and dispositions. The vehicle can be seized if the owner knows or has reason to know that the vehicle was stolen. This bill derives from a case where the Kansas Highway Patrol seized a 1959 Chevrolet Corvette from an innocent owner and they will not release the vehicle back to him. The bill passed the house, 120-0.

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/2021/10/1633970422056.jpeg" alt="Troy L. Waymaster, State Representative, 109th Kansas House, R-Bunker Hill" />
 <figcaption>Troy L. Waymaster, State Representative, 109th Kansas House, R-Bunker Hill</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA February 25, 2022Floor Action in the HouseThis week in the House of Representatives we debated nearly forty bills before we adjourned for the midpoint of the session, commonly referred to as Turnaround. This is the time during session where we pass many bills out of the House and forward those bills to the Senate.Here is a list of some of the bills that we debated this week in the House:House Bill 2456 would establish the Kansas kids lifetime combination of hunting and fishing licenses. This bill passed 117 to 4 and I voted, “yes.”House Concurrent Resolution 5022 proposes a constitutional amendment that would require a sheriff to be elected in each county. This resolution passed&nbsp;with a vote of 97-24. I voted, “yes.”With cotton starting to be grown more in the state of Kansas, we needed to create the Kansas Cotton Boll Weevil program. The creation of the program is in House Bill 2559. It would levy an assessment on cotton produced in Kansas and it would also monitor and mitigate the risk of boll weevils. This bill passed the House, 83-37, and I voted, “yes.”House Bill 2386 establishes requirements for the payment and reimbursement of dental services through a dental benefit plan. This bill passed the House with a vote of 118-3. I voted in favor of this bill.We will return from Turnaround on March 1, 2022.Appropriations CommitteeDue to the time that was spent on the House Floor debating bills, this week in Appropriations we only met on Monday morning. We did have the recommendations from the House Social Services Budget Committee regarding the budgets of the state hospitals for mental health and the state hospitals for intellectual disabilities.When we return on Tuesday, March 2, we will continue to deliberate budgets for the state of Kansas budget. Those budgets that we will discuss are the Kansas Department of Revenue, Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Kansas Water Office. We will also hold hearings on House Bills 2588 and 2592 and these bills are the bills we will use when constructing the budget for the state of Kansas.Bills, Bills, and More BillsAs I mentioned before, we debated nearly forty bills this week. Here are details of some of the other bills that we discussed:House Bill 2595 makes certain antique vehicle titling procedures applicable to vehicles having a model year of 1960 or later instead of 1950 or later. This bill passed, 121-0.House Bill 2574 establishes a time limitation for awarding compensation for mental health counseling and increases certain compensation amounts by the Crime Victims Compensation Board. This bill passed, 121-0.House Bill 2567 overall decreases registration and title fees on vehicles for services performed by county treasurers. It also decreases certain fees with the Division of Vehicles. More importantly, which was added as an amendment, it eliminates the $4 Modernization Fee that one has been paying when titling their vehicle. This bill passed, 114-6.House Bill 2594 exempts certain modifications that have been made to antique vehicles from vehicle identification number offenses, seizures and dispositions. The vehicle can be seized if the owner knows or has reason to know that the vehicle was stolen. This bill derives from a case where the Kansas Highway Patrol seized a 1959 Chevrolet Corvette from an innocent owner and they will not release the vehicle back to him. The bill passed the house, 120-0.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. 25, 2022

By WILLIAM HAUK <a href="https://theconversation.com/americas-cost-of-defending-freedom-in-ukraine-higher-food-and-gas-prices-and-an-increased-risk-of-recession-177703">Courtesy of The Conversation</a>

Americans may be tempted to view the war in Ukraine as an unfortunate, but far away, crisis. As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=B744wv0AAAAJ&amp;hl=en&amp;oi=ao0">an economist</a>, I know the world is too connected for the U.S. to go unaffected.

On Feb. 22, 2022, President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/22/world/europe/biden-ukraine-speech-transcript.html">warned Americans</a> that a Russian invasion of Ukraine – and U.S. efforts to thwart or punish it – would come with a price tag.

“Defending freedom will have costs, for us as well and here at home,”
 Biden said. “We need to be honest about that.” His statement came one <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/23/world/russia-ukraine">day before Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack</a> on targets throughout Ukraine, including western parts of the country.

Now that war has broken out, the biggest costs for the U.S. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/23/business/economy/russia-ukraine-global-us-economy.html">will likely be in higher prices</a> – on top of what is already the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/02/10/cpi-inflation-january/">fastest pace of inflation</a> in 40 years.

How much worse inflation could get will depend on how far Putin goes, the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/22/politics/biden-invasion-sanctions/index.html">severity of the sanctions</a>
 placed on Russia and how long the crisis lasts. Will Putin cut off oil 
or gas to Europe? Will the invasion thoroughly disrupt Ukraine’s ability
 to export food and other products to the rest of the world?

We do know that Russia is <a href="https://www.eia.gov/international/overview/country/RUS">one of the world’s biggest energy exporters</a> and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/23/impact-of-russia-ukraine-on-supply-chains-food-metals-commodities.html">Ukraine’s nickname</a> is the “breadbasket of Europe.” And beyond that, the crisis has been rattling markets for months, <a href="https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/article/2022/01/21/awkward-standoff-ukraine">sending the price of oil and other commodities soaring</a>.

These higher prices will ripple through Europe, of course, but many 
other countries as well, including the U.S. – which will make the 
Federal Reserve’s job of fighting inflation a lot harder and pose a 
bigger threat to the economy.

The most obvious costs to Americans will be at the gas pump.

Russia produces <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/02/22/1081092765/oil-gas-prices-100-barrel-ukraine-russia">approximately 12% of the world’s oil</a> and 17% of its natural gas. That makes it the world’s <a href="https://www.eia.gov/international/overview/country/RUS">third-biggest producer of oil</a> and second-largest for gas. It’s also the biggest supplier of natural gas to Europe, which <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-the-us-find-enough-natural-gas-sources-to-neutralize-russias-energy-leverage-over-europe-175824">gets nearly half of its supply</a> from Russia.

The risk is that <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/02/energy-crisis-russia-gas/622884/">Russia might cut off gas or oil supplies</a> to Europe or other countries that issue sanctions or otherwise condemn its actions in Ukraine.

Europe may face the most immediate effects if some of Russia’s energy supplies are removed from the world market – which is <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-the-us-find-enough-natural-gas-sources-to-neutralize-russias-energy-leverage-over-europe-175824">why the U.S. has been trying to assure</a> its allies it can supply them with liquid natural gas to make up for any shortfall. But world petroleum markets <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2014.12.003">tend to be highly integrated</a>, so the U.S. won’t be immune.

The crisis has already driven up the price of oil to the <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/DCOILWTICO">highest level since 2014</a>, when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine, pushing up <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GASREGW">average gasoline prices in the U.S.</a> to over US$3.50 a gallon.

The most serious sanction implemented against Russia so far is Germany’s <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/germanys-scholz-halts-nord-stream-2-certification-2022-02-22/">freeze on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline</a>, which would have carried liquid natural gas from Russia to Western Europe while by-passing Ukraine.

A disruption in one regional market will eventually affect the world 
market. Since the invasion, crude prices have spiked above $100 and are 
likely to go even higher.

While Russia is a major producer of fuels, Ukraine is <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/23/impact-of-russia-ukraine-on-supply-chains-food-metals-commodities.html">a big exporter of food</a>.

Ukraine <a href="https://journalrecord.com/2022/02/22/usda-head-us-farmers-to-help-if-ukraine-exports-threatened/">produces 16% of the world’s corn</a> and 12% of its wheat, as well as being a significant exporter of barley and rye.

While many of Ukraine’s exports go to countries in Europe and Asia, agricultural products, much like oil, tend to trade on <a href="https://www.gtap.agecon.purdue.edu/resources/download/10576.pdf">increasingly integrated global markets</a>.
 Again, the implication for U.S. consumers is that while Europe might 
be affected more immediately in terms of shortages, prices will likely 
rise everywhere.

U.S. grocery prices <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm">were up 7.4% in January</a>
 from a year earlier. Because demand for food is typically not very 
sensitive to changes in price – people need to eat no matter the expense
 – an increase in the cost of food production typically gets passed 
along to consumers.

The U.S. central bank <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/24/business/economy/fed-fomc-meeting-minutes-november-2021.html">is very worried about the pace of inflation</a>
 in the U.S. and plans to raise interest rates to fight it. What’s 
happening in Ukraine could complicate its plans. If the crisis in 
Ukraine adds to the upward pressure on prices, that can feed inflation 
and it could force the Fed to take more drastic measures.

Some economists believe the U.S. <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/russia-ukraine-puts-10-u-s-inflation-on-radar-as-blackrock-repeats-central-banks-may-have-to-live-with-inflation-11645565763">could soon see 10% inflation</a>
 – up from 7.5% now – in the case of a full-scale invasion, as we’re 
witnessing now. The U.S. hasn’t seen inflation that high since October 
1981.

If the Fed decides it has to act more forcefully to tame inflation, 
that would not only raise borrowing costs for companies and consumers – 
affecting everything from business loans to mortgages and student debt –
 but <a href="https://theconversation.com/feds-dilemma-inflation-is-healthy-for-the-economy-but-too-much-can-trigger-a-recession-118556">could put the economy at risk</a> of a recession.

At the same time, the crisis could have a moderating effect on 
interest rates. During times of crisis and uncertainty, investors often 
move their money into the safest assets they can find – in a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/rfs/hhm088">so-called flight to quality</a>.
 U.S. government bonds and other dollar-denominated assets are often 
considered the safest around, and increased demand for these assets 
could result in lower interest rates.

Ukrainians themselves will of course pay the steepest costs of the 
Russian invasion, in terms of loss of life, economic costs and 
potentially the loss of their government. But the conflict, though it 
may seem far away, will have an impact on people everywhere. And the hit
 to Americans’ pocketbooks may be nearer than you think. 

William Hauk is an associate economics professor at the University of South Carolina.

By WILLIAM HAUK <a href="https://theconversation.com/americas-cost-of-defending-freedom-in-ukraine-higher-food-and-gas-prices-and-an-increased-risk-of-recession-177703">Courtesy of The Conversation</a>Americans may be tempted to view the war in Ukraine as an unfortunate, but far away, crisis. As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=B744wv0AAAAJ&amp;hl=en&amp;oi=ao0">an economist</a>, I know the world is too connected for the U.S. to go unaffected. On Feb. 22, 2022, President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/22/world/europe/biden-ukraine-speech-transcript.html">warned Americans</a> that a Russian invasion of Ukraine – and U.S. efforts to thwart or punish it – would come with a price tag.“Defending freedom will have costs, for us as well and here at home,”
 Biden said. “We need to be honest about that.” His statement came one <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/23/world/russia-ukraine">day before Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack</a> on targets throughout Ukraine, including western parts of the country.Now that war has broken out, the biggest costs for the U.S. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/23/business/economy/russia-ukraine-global-us-economy.html">will likely be in higher prices</a> – on top of what is already the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/02/10/cpi-inflation-january/">fastest pace of inflation</a> in 40 years. How much worse inflation could get will depend on how far Putin goes, the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/22/politics/biden-invasion-sanctions/index.html">severity of the sanctions</a>
 placed on Russia and how long the crisis lasts. Will Putin cut off oil 
or gas to Europe? Will the invasion thoroughly disrupt Ukraine’s ability
 to export food and other products to the rest of the world? We do know that Russia is <a href="https://www.eia.gov/international/overview/country/RUS">one of the world’s biggest energy exporters</a> and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/23/impact-of-russia-ukraine-on-supply-chains-food-metals-commodities.html">Ukraine’s nickname</a> is the “breadbasket of Europe.” And beyond that, the crisis has been rattling markets for months, <a href="https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/article/2022/01/21/awkward-standoff-ukraine">sending the price of oil and other commodities soaring</a>. These higher prices will ripple through Europe, of course, but many 
other countries as well, including the U.S. – which will make the 
Federal Reserve’s job of fighting inflation a lot harder and pose a 
bigger threat to the economy.<h2>Pain at the pump</h2>The most obvious costs to Americans will be at the gas pump.Russia produces <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/02/22/1081092765/oil-gas-prices-100-barrel-ukraine-russia">approximately 12% of the world’s oil</a> and 17% of its natural gas. That makes it the world’s <a href="https://www.eia.gov/international/overview/country/RUS">third-biggest producer of oil</a> and second-largest for gas. It’s also the biggest supplier of natural gas to Europe, which <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-the-us-find-enough-natural-gas-sources-to-neutralize-russias-energy-leverage-over-europe-175824">gets nearly half of its supply</a> from Russia. The risk is that <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/02/energy-crisis-russia-gas/622884/">Russia might cut off gas or oil supplies</a> to Europe or other countries that issue sanctions or otherwise condemn its actions in Ukraine. Europe may face the most immediate effects if some of Russia’s energy supplies are removed from the world market – which is <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-the-us-find-enough-natural-gas-sources-to-neutralize-russias-energy-leverage-over-europe-175824">why the U.S. has been trying to assure</a> its allies it can supply them with liquid natural gas to make up for any shortfall. But world petroleum markets <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2014.12.003">tend to be highly integrated</a>, so the U.S. won’t be immune.The crisis has already driven up the price of oil to the <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/DCOILWTICO">highest level since 2014</a>, when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine, pushing up <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GASREGW">average gasoline prices in the U.S.</a> to over US$3.50 a gallon.The most serious sanction implemented against Russia so far is Germany’s <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/germanys-scholz-halts-nord-stream-2-certification-2022-02-22/">freeze on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline</a>, which would have carried liquid natural gas from Russia to Western Europe while by-passing Ukraine. A disruption in one regional market will eventually affect the world 
market. Since the invasion, crude prices have spiked above $100 and are 
likely to go even higher.<h2>Higher prices at the supermarket</h2>While Russia is a major producer of fuels, Ukraine is <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/23/impact-of-russia-ukraine-on-supply-chains-food-metals-commodities.html">a big exporter of food</a>.Ukraine <a href="https://journalrecord.com/2022/02/22/usda-head-us-farmers-to-help-if-ukraine-exports-threatened/">produces 16% of the world’s corn</a> and 12% of its wheat, as well as being a significant exporter of barley and rye. While many of Ukraine’s exports go to countries in Europe and Asia, agricultural products, much like oil, tend to trade on <a href="https://www.gtap.agecon.purdue.edu/resources/download/10576.pdf">increasingly integrated global markets</a>.
 Again, the implication for U.S. consumers is that while Europe might 
be affected more immediately in terms of shortages, prices will likely 
rise everywhere. U.S. grocery prices <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm">were up 7.4% in January</a>
 from a year earlier. Because demand for food is typically not very 
sensitive to changes in price – people need to eat no matter the expense
 – an increase in the cost of food production typically gets passed 
along to consumers.<h2>The bigger risk to the US economy</h2>That brings us to the Federal Reserve. The U.S. central bank <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/24/business/economy/fed-fomc-meeting-minutes-november-2021.html">is very worried about the pace of inflation</a>
 in the U.S. and plans to raise interest rates to fight it. What’s 
happening in Ukraine could complicate its plans. If the crisis in 
Ukraine adds to the upward pressure on prices, that can feed inflation 
and it could force the Fed to take more drastic measures.Some economists believe the U.S. <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/russia-ukraine-puts-10-u-s-inflation-on-radar-as-blackrock-repeats-central-banks-may-have-to-live-with-inflation-11645565763">could soon see 10% inflation</a>
 – up from 7.5% now – in the case of a full-scale invasion, as we’re 
witnessing now. The U.S. hasn’t seen inflation that high since October 
1981. If the Fed decides it has to act more forcefully to tame inflation, 
that would not only raise borrowing costs for companies and consumers – 
affecting everything from business loans to mortgages and student debt –
 but <a href="https://theconversation.com/feds-dilemma-inflation-is-healthy-for-the-economy-but-too-much-can-trigger-a-recession-118556">could put the economy at risk</a> of a recession. At the same time, the crisis could have a moderating effect on 
interest rates. During times of crisis and uncertainty, investors often 
move their money into the safest assets they can find – in a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/rfs/hhm088">so-called flight to quality</a>.
 U.S. government bonds and other dollar-denominated assets are often 
considered the safest around, and increased demand for these assets 
could result in lower interest rates. Ukrainians themselves will of course pay the steepest costs of the 
Russian invasion, in terms of loss of life, economic costs and 
potentially the loss of their government. But the conflict, though it 
may seem far away, will have an impact on people everywhere. And the hit
 to Americans’ pocketbooks may be nearer than you think. William Hauk is an associate economics professor at the University of South Carolina.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

ANALYSIS: Ukraine invasion could lead to higher food, gas prices, risk of recession

One of the powerful reminders of the university’s unique relationship with our hometown is found in the spirit and energy on display every Friday in the restaurants, shops, and offices in Hays, America. The Tiger Gear on Friday (TGOF) tradition is an ongoing celebration of the innovative, determined, and caring people that make Tiger Nation unique. It was established as Tiger Gold on Friday in 2014 and reintroduced in 2019 as Tiger Gear&nbsp;on Friday. The change was made to expand the number of ways the folks could demonstrate their Tiger pride.

TGOF has always been a highly visible and unifying movement in Hays. According to&nbsp;Downtown Hays Development Corporation&nbsp;Director Sara Bloom:&nbsp;“We see an incredible benefit&nbsp;of&nbsp;the TGOF program. Not only does it help highlight the opportunities, shops, and restaurants downtown to those on campus, it’s a way for us to show FHSU faculty, staff, and students how truly valued they are. Hays thrives because of the impact&nbsp;Fort Hays State&nbsp;has on our community. Campus life brings new momentum and excitement to Hays. Being a TGOF partner lets us say thank you in a small way for that impact and the university’s contribution to our quality of place.”

On a Friday morning earlier this month, at a “Chamber Chat” event at a packed Professor’s&nbsp;Classic&nbsp;Sandwich&nbsp;Shop&nbsp;&amp; More&nbsp;in Hays, Hays Chamber President Sarah&nbsp;Wasinger&nbsp;and the university’s TGOF Steering Committee Chair Scott Cason introduced a new TGOF engagement program that is now open to TGOF community partners. The&nbsp;TGOF Partner-of-the-Year&nbsp;contest will be an annual competition where TGOF Community Partners&nbsp;can win&nbsp;a tremendous prize package. Those prizes&nbsp;include a TGOF-sponsored Chamber Chat for their organization;&nbsp;up to 20 tickets and special recognition at a 2022 Tiger football game;&nbsp;a photoshoot with the university mascot, Victor E. Tiger;&nbsp;and an extensive TGOF prize package branded merchandise.&nbsp;

To earn TGOF Partner-of-the-Year honors, the winning community partner will document their efforts to promote Tiger Nation spirit in any combination of the following ways:

•Tiger spirit on display in social media postings (a minimum of four)•Members of your group “getting caught” wearing Tiger gear in town by a TGOF Community Outreach Committee member•Purchasing TGOF or FHSU branded apparel for your organization from the&nbsp;<a href="https://victoreapparelandgiftco.myresero.com/">Victor E. Apparel and Gift Company</a>&nbsp;shop at FHSU•&nbsp;Sharing images of “Tigerized” work on home spaces on social media or via a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/tgof/tgof-partners/partner-of-the-year-self-report">web form</a>&nbsp;on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/tgof/">TGOF website</a>

This tremendous energy in the community doesn’t exist by accident. It is the direct result of the energetic work of the TGOF Community Outreach Sub-Committee. Led by Brittney Squire,outreach services specialist&nbsp;at FHSU’s&nbsp;Forsyth Library,&nbsp;the group works to expand the reach and impact of TGOF.&nbsp;Comprising that group are several FHSU&nbsp;staff&nbsp;members, a student government leader, and representatives from TGOF’s four “Premier Partners”&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Chamber in Hays, The Downtown Hays Development Corporation, the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Grow Hays.

If your organization isn’t a TGOF Community Partner yet, I encourage you to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/tgof/tgof-partners/">sign up today</a>. It costs nothing to join, and when you&nbsp;do, you’ll get a welcome kit and recognition on FHSU’s social media channels. Some of our partners offer Friday discounts for those who enter their&nbsp;stores wearing Tiger&nbsp;gear. Other community organizations join as “Spirit&nbsp;Partners”&nbsp;and participate in Friday celebrations simply by wearing their Tiger gear, putting up posters in their spaces, and posting photos on social media.&nbsp;

Hays, America is a great town and a great college town because of the caring people who chose to live and work here.

For&nbsp;me, and I think&nbsp;for&nbsp;many of my FHSU colleagues who didn’t grow up in Hays, I believe we are here because we found the best balance of professional opportunity, fellowship, a shared calling to serve our community, and the infectious civic pride on display in the TGOF movement.We came here and stayed because we found our home in Hays, America.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575301942236.jpeg" alt="Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president</figcaption>
 </figure>One of the powerful reminders of the university’s unique relationship with our hometown is found in the spirit and energy on display every Friday in the restaurants, shops, and offices in Hays, America. The Tiger Gear on Friday (TGOF) tradition is an ongoing celebration of the innovative, determined, and caring people that make Tiger Nation unique. It was established as Tiger Gold on Friday in 2014 and reintroduced in 2019 as Tiger Gear&nbsp;on Friday. The change was made to expand the number of ways the folks could demonstrate their Tiger pride.TGOF has always been a highly visible and unifying movement in Hays. According to&nbsp;Downtown Hays Development Corporation&nbsp;Director Sara Bloom:&nbsp;“We see an incredible benefit&nbsp;of&nbsp;the TGOF program. Not only does it help highlight the opportunities, shops, and restaurants downtown to those on campus, it’s a way for us to show FHSU faculty, staff, and students how truly valued they are. Hays thrives because of the impact&nbsp;Fort Hays State&nbsp;has on our community. Campus life brings new momentum and excitement to Hays. Being a TGOF partner lets us say thank you in a small way for that impact and the university’s contribution to our quality of place.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645646830108.png" alt="TGOF Logo Black.png" />
 <figcaption>TGOF Logo Black.png</figcaption>
 </figure>On a Friday morning earlier this month, at a “Chamber Chat” event at a packed Professor’s&nbsp;Classic&nbsp;Sandwich&nbsp;Shop&nbsp;&amp; More&nbsp;in Hays, Hays Chamber President Sarah&nbsp;Wasinger&nbsp;and the university’s TGOF Steering Committee Chair Scott Cason introduced a new TGOF engagement program that is now open to TGOF community partners. The&nbsp;TGOF Partner-of-the-Year&nbsp;contest will be an annual competition where TGOF Community Partners&nbsp;can win&nbsp;a tremendous prize package. Those prizes&nbsp;include a TGOF-sponsored Chamber Chat for their organization;&nbsp;up to 20 tickets and special recognition at a 2022 Tiger football game;&nbsp;a photoshoot with the university mascot, Victor E. Tiger;&nbsp;and an extensive TGOF prize package branded merchandise.&nbsp;To earn TGOF Partner-of-the-Year honors, the winning community partner will document their efforts to promote Tiger Nation spirit in any combination of the following ways:•Tiger spirit on display in social media postings (a minimum of four)•Members of your group “getting caught” wearing Tiger gear in town by a TGOF Community Outreach Committee member•Purchasing TGOF or FHSU branded apparel for your organization from the&nbsp;<a href="https://victoreapparelandgiftco.myresero.com/">Victor E. Apparel and Gift Company</a>&nbsp;shop at FHSU•&nbsp;Sharing images of “Tigerized” work on home spaces on social media or via a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/tgof/tgof-partners/partner-of-the-year-self-report">web form</a>&nbsp;on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/tgof/">TGOF website</a>This tremendous energy in the community doesn’t exist by accident. It is the direct result of the energetic work of the TGOF Community Outreach Sub-Committee. Led by Brittney Squire,outreach services specialist&nbsp;at FHSU’s&nbsp;Forsyth Library,&nbsp;the group works to expand the reach and impact of TGOF.&nbsp;Comprising that group are several FHSU&nbsp;staff&nbsp;members, a student government leader, and representatives from TGOF’s four “Premier Partners”&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Chamber in Hays, The Downtown Hays Development Corporation, the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Grow Hays.If your organization isn’t a TGOF Community Partner yet, I encourage you to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/tgof/tgof-partners/">sign up today</a>. It costs nothing to join, and when you&nbsp;do, you’ll get a welcome kit and recognition on FHSU’s social media channels. Some of our partners offer Friday discounts for those who enter their&nbsp;stores wearing Tiger&nbsp;gear. Other community organizations join as “Spirit&nbsp;Partners”&nbsp;and participate in Friday celebrations simply by wearing their Tiger gear, putting up posters in their spaces, and posting photos on social media.&nbsp;Hays, America is a great town and a great college town because of the caring people who chose to live and work here.For&nbsp;me, and I think&nbsp;for&nbsp;many of my FHSU colleagues who didn’t grow up in Hays, I believe we are here because we found the best balance of professional opportunity, fellowship, a shared calling to serve our community, and the infectious civic pride on display in the TGOF movement.We came here and stayed because we found our home in Hays, America.&nbsp;

Opinion