February 10

It is impossible to try to cover all of the legislation debated in Topeka this week. In addition to the headline issues, some additional legislation was discussed this week:

There are a lot of issues that will soon be on the floor of the House for consideration.

Leadership Miami County Visits Topeka

This Wednesday over twenty people came to spend a day in the Capitol. This was their final day of a six day work session in the Leadership Miami County Program, and they have now completed the program. They heard from legislators and several state wide elected office holders. They had the opportunity to ask questions and see how the legislative process works. All of us that care about our county should be very thankful for all who have completed the leadership course, preparing themselves for the many different leadership roles needed in our fast growing area.

Age of Marital Consent

You may be shocked to learn the age that someone may marry in Kansas is 12 for girls and 14 for boys. Granted, marriage for children that young requires judicial or parental consent, but technically a pre-teen girl and an adolescent boy could marry in Kansas. In fact, just this past year a 21 year old man from Nebraska came to Kansas for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the current Kansas law to marry his 13 year old girlfriend. House Bill 2541 would bring Kansas in line with 40 other states by raising the minimum age of marriage to 16 and require parental or judicial consent for those 17 or 18 desiring to marry. The House Federal and State Affairs Committee has referred the bill to the full House and recommended its' passage.

M & E Update

This week the House Taxation Committee passed House Bill 2619. This bill relating to the Machinery and Equipment tax exemption now is headed to the House floor for debate. The bill, after being debated in Committee, has already seen significant changes. Concerns from local units of government were eased with the addition of an amendment, authored by Rep. Arlen Siegfreid, R-Olathe), allowing for a sliding scale of reimbursement to local taxing authorities who will lose revenue under this exemption. As I said last week, it is right for the state to pay for the tax policy that we take credit for, and not pass the cost on to local governments..

Sales Tax Holiday

If House Bill 2601 is passed, the "back to school sale" advertised by many retailers would mean even more in Kansas. Introduced by Representative Virgil Peck (R-Tyro), the bill would provide a sales tax holiday for back to school shoppers. The length and the date of the proposed holiday are still being debated but would likely be in late July or early August and include a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Among the most compelling testimony was that of Mike Davis, Store Manager of the J.C. Penney store in Oak Park Mall in Overland Park. He shared with the Taxation Committee that another J.C. Penney store near him in Metro North shopping center in Missouri enjoyed an increase in sales of over 100% during the weekend of the sales tax holiday for Missouri shoppers, while his store in Kansas experienced a 2% loss in sales. The Metro North store is half the size of the Oak Park store but Mr. Davis felt like the comparison between the two stores indicated many shoppers took advantage of the Missouri holiday.

Nuclear Plant Security

We cannot afford any lack of security at Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant. The plant continues to undergo security scrutiny today. Armed guards, vehicle barriers, and razor wire are only a few of the precautions being taken to protect us against a possible attack on the facility. However, officials at the facility believe greater authority is necessary for their guards in the post 9/11 World. House Bill 2703 would allow armed guards at Wolf Creek to carry larger caliber automatic weapons and would grant them the legal protection they need if they are ever forced to use them to protect the plant. Current law places Wolf Creek under the same classification as other property in Kansas and, therefore, does not allow lethal force to protect that property. Lethal force is only allowed if their own life is in danger. This bill would narrowly define the instances in which lethal force could be used by the guards, but will also ensure that a greater loss of life is avoided by preventing an attack on the reactor

Deadlines

February 14^th

February 25^th

Issues Coming to House Committees

Judiciary - Driver’s license suspension for failure to pay child support, persistent sex offender life sentences, DNA collection for certain crimes

Transportation

Utilities - Renewable energy incentives

How To Contact Me

If you have any additional information or if you would like to offer your opinions or suggestions regarding these issues or any others that may be coming before the Kansas House, I want to hear from you. Please contact my secretary, Maureen (she always knows how to find me) by phone at (785-296-6014), by US Mail at (Rm 115-S Statehouse, Topeka, KS 66612) or by email at (vickrey@jenevickrey.org) during the Legislative Session.