Besides the budget, Senate committees have been working through a number of bills, including:

Election laws
The Legislature is looking at several bills right now related to elections and campaigns. Among them, a bill that would improve voting access for our men and women serving in the military and a bill that would prohibit elected officials from running public service ads with their likenesses during election time. In the past, some elected officials have placed TV, radio and newspaper ads – at taxpayer expense - featuring themselves promoting state-sponsored programs during campaign season. Consideration is also being given to canceling the state’s 2012 presidential primary as a cost-cutting measure. The proposal would reinstate the primary in 2016.

Grandparent custody
A Senate committee heard testimony this week on a bill (Senate Bill 52) that would require notifying grandparents when foster care is being considered for their grandchildren. This legislation is intended to make grandparents an option for children, if appropriate, instead of foster care. The committee will continue to work on a solution that keeps families together and takes the best interests of children into account.

Unemployment
This week a Senate committee approved a bill (Senate Bill 77) that would begin rebuilding the state’s unemployment fund. Over the past few years, the fund had been depleted and - under a prior administration - the state borrowed more than $100 million from the federal government to replenish it. Now, we’re faced with paying back the borrowed money and restoring the state fund. Doing this is a bit of a balancing act: we can’t rebuild the fund on the backs of hard-working Kansans who have been hit by this economy, and we can’t rebuild it on the backs of small business owners who are at the heart of our economic recovery. The committee has worked with the business community and economists over the past month to create a plan that will provide employers with rate stability while still protecting benefits for working Kansans who have found themselves between jobs. The bill is expected to come before the full Senate for consideration this month.

Parole board
The Governor issued an executive order this week that would eliminate the Parole Board and roll its duties into the Department of Corrections. A Senate committee heard from corrections officials on plans for this cost-cutting measure. We will continue to monitor proposed changes to the parole system to make sure parole decisions are made in a cost-effective way while still keeping violent offenders behind bars where they belong.

FLOOR ACTION

Confirmation Requests. The following confirmation appointments were read into the Senate this week and have been assigned to committees for consideration as follows:

• Robert Moser, as the Secretary of the Department of Health and Environment, appointed by Governor Brownback, was assigned to the Public Health and Welfare Committee.

• Aaron Jack as the Securities Commissioner. His appointment is at the pleasure of the Governor.
• Dennis Taylor as the Secretary of Administration. His appointment is at the pleasure of the Governor.
• Deb Miller as the Secretary of Transportation. Her appointment is at the pleasure of the Governor.

House Concurrent Resolution 5003. This changes the second house bill consideration deadlines to March 23, 2011, during the 2011 regular session and to March 21, 2012, during the 2012 regular session.

Senate Bill 11. AN ACT concerning school districts; relating to transportation of pupils residing on the Leavenworth military reservation. SB 11 would allow USD 207-Fort Leavenworth to provide transportation for 10th-12th grade students who reside on the Fort Leavenworth military reservation, but attend high school in USD 453-Leavenworth. According to the Kansas Department of Education, there are approximately 100 students living on the reservation who are eligible for transportation to USD 453-Leavenworth. Since these students are not currently counted in the enrollment of USD 207, they would be added to the transportation weighting for USD 207-Fort Leavenworth, which would result in approximately $550 state aid per student in FY 2012. As a result, enactment of SB 11 would result in additional transportation aid from the State General Fund totaling $55,000 (100 students x $550). Any fiscal effect associated with SB 11 is not reflected in the FY 2012 Governor’s Budget Report (Kansas Division of the Budget).

Senate Bill 21. AN ACT concerning school districts; relating to school finance. This bill amends current law to give school districts the clear statutory authority to spend taxes levied on motor vehicles and recreational vehicles.

Senate Bill 35. AN ACT concerning civil procedure; relating to attorney-client privilege and work-product protection. SB 35 sets out provisions for disclosure of communication or information covered by the attorney-client privilege or work-product protection. SB 35 updates definitions and makes technical corrections to current Kansas law. According to the Division of the Budget, “It does not appear that there will be a substantial fiscal effect to the Judicial Branch. A precise statement of fiscal effect cannot be given until the courts have had an opportunity to operate under SB 35.”

Senate Bill 38. AN ACT concerning children; relating to permanency; priority of certain orders. This is a clean-up bill from last year’s SB 460, which was passed into law. Language throughout that statute was not consistent. This bill would eliminate the problem by making technical corrections in removing the words “custody,” “residency,” or “parenting time,” and instead refer to orders in general throughout the law. SB 38 would have no fiscal effect.

ERO NO. 37. This order abolishes Kansas, Inc. and appoints the Secretary of Administration to wrap up and conclude the affairs of Kansas, Inc. It was referred to the Commerce Committee.

ERO NO. 38. Under this ERO, the Kansas Health Policy Authority would be reorganized into the Division of Health Care Finance within the Department of Health and Environment. It was referred to the Commerce Committee.

ERO NO. 39. Under this ERO, the Kansas Arts Commission would become a non-profit organization with its powers, duties, and functions transferred to the state historical society. This order was referred to Federal and State Affairs.

ERO NO. 40. This ERO moves and consolidates the following divisions, programs and departments to the Department of Agriculture: Agriculture Products Development Division from within the Department of Commerce, Kansas Animal Health Department and the Livestock Commissioner as the Animal Health Division; and the State Conservation Commission as the Conservation Division. It was referred to the Agriculture Committee.

The following is a list of key activities in my committees this week. We have hearings on a number of bills, and I chose to highlight those that have been passed. Judiciary Committee. the following bills also passed out of the Judiciary Committee:

• SB 12 provides that an individual in bankruptcy may exempt their right to receive earned income tax credits.
• SB 24 would allow a habitual violator whose driver’s license has been revoked to apply for and be issued a class C license for the operation of motorized bicycles.
• SB 34 would allow a habitual violator whose driver’s license has been revoked to apply for and be issued a class C license for the operation of motorized bicycles. The Department of Revenue indicates that the costs associated with SB 34 would be negligible and could be absorbed within existing resources.
• SB 37 which allows for prisoners in city or county jails, who are employed, to earn credit toward fines at no less than $5 an hour.
• SB 60 which ensures that direct appeals on behalf of criminal defendants who are sentenced pursuant to Jessica’s Law or departures from Jessica’s Law go first to the Court of Appeals rather than the Supreme Court.
• SB 62 that amends the law to allow for a docket fee to be assessed by the court in asset forfeiture cases.

Public Health and Welfare Committee. Public Health & Welfare had a confirmation hearing for Shawn Sullivan as Secretary of Aging, and advanced Mr. Sullivan to the full Senate for his confirmation. The committee also held a hearing on Senate Bill 90. This bill would allow the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board to deny, refuse to renew, suspend, revoke, condition, limit, qualify, or restrict the license of any applicant or licensee when an allegation of abuse, neglect, or exploitation has been substantiated by the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services after the administrative appeal process has been exhausted and the determination of substantiation has become final. The committee added a few amendments and then moved the bill to the full Senate for consideration.

Natural Resources. The Kansas Conservation Commission presented to the committee this week. We also had hearings on a few bills that have not yet reached the floor.