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