January 27

January 27, 2006

We Should All Thank Our Service Men And Women

Monday, President Bush addressed and honored our military service people in Manhattan, Kansas. In attendance was Louisburg graduate, Mark Edgar, who just came home from deployment in Iraq and is going to college at K-State. A special thank you to Mark Edgar and his family, and all our Miami County residents who have or are answering the call of service for our country.

That same evening, I came back to Louisburg and joined the County Commissioners, Sen. Apple, the Louisburg American Legion, and the Louisburg Middle School Band to hear William Federer, best selling author and American historian, explain our country's rich history . He explained that our freedom is protected by people who put their lives at risk and that it has been purchased by the blood and sacrifice of generations who have gone before, and that we all have a responsibility to take time to know why people worked, fought, and even died to provide our Democracy .

Following the President’s visit, the first pieces of legislation of 2006 also reached the House floor this week.. The first two bills passed out of committee came from the Government Org. and Elections Committee that I chair, the first bill Rep. Feuerborn sponsored to eliminate discriminating covenants in homeowners associations, to extend the reporting period for city treasurers to publish their quarterly reports and to assess certain enhanced 911 (E911) fees for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers. These first three bills passed without any controversy. Committees have also been busy listening to testimony on bills and reporting their recommendations to the Speaker of the House.

Judges Evaluation

The House Judiciary Committee heard favorable testimony on HB 2612 this week which would establish a system of evaluation for judges. We should all be very proud of Miami County's own Court of Appeals Judge, The Honorable Stephen D. Hill, who has been one of the creators of the effort. Judge Hill served as 6^th District Judge 1982 - 2003 and has served in the Court of Appeals since 2003. He has plainly stated that all of us who work for the public should be able and ready to explain why and what they have done. The bill received support from everyone who testified including several judges. The only question appeared to be how to fund such a system. An increase in docket fees was originally suggested but met with some resistance considering the fees have increased each year for the past several years. Other funding sources will be considered. Proponents would also like to see the evaluations available online and in voters guides to ensure easy access to the information.

Eminent Domain

Several proposals have been suggested to rework the government’s power of eminent domain. First and foremost it is our aim to protect personal property rights. This week it was great to see several of our Paola City Council members and have the time to discuss this very important issue with them and how it will affect us in Miami County. We all know that eminent domain is an important tool for a government to acquire property for the public good for right of ways, road construction, and utilities. However, the taking of personal property must be compensated fairly and only for an overriding public need. The right of citizens to own personal property is one of the foundations of our society and must not be compromised

Attorney General Phill Kline

State Attorney General Phill Kline briefed our caucus this week concerning the issues in which he is involved. He explained the fact that since Jan. 2003 we have seen 683 crimes against children. This coupled with the problems that have been documented with our sex predator laws and the number of people on the list indicates that it is time to strengthen our laws and make sure that we are not letting offenders that are a danger to children back out on the streets. General Kline also asked that we would support the Inspector General that investigates Medicare fraud. He will be in the A.G office and not in the S.R.S. office because of the conflict that arises when then S.R.S.is both the agency that has to secure providers and also have the policing responsibilities over those same contracts.

President Bush at KSU

The Landon Lecture at Kansas State University was honored to host it’s third sitting President on Monday when George W. Bush spoke before a capacity crowd at Bramlege Coliseum in Manhattan. Senators Brownback and Roberts, Congressmen Ryun, Moran and Moore as well as several State legislators were in attendance. The President spoke for nearly two hours after his arrival on campus, which was delayed due to heavy fog cancelling his helicopter transport from Forbes Field in Topeka. Once on the ground the President explained his role as a decision maker and insisted that his decisions were based on principle. "First of all, when you make decisions, you've got to stand on principle. If you're going to make decisions, you've got to know what you believe. I guess the best way to summarize me is I came from Texas and I'm going back to Texas with the exact same values I had when I arrived in Washington, D.C.", the President said. He also thanked the members of our military who were in attendance and seated to his right, filling two full sections of the coliseum. President Bush fielded multiple questions on topics such as Social Security, border security, international relations, education and family before his departure. He indicated his next appointment was in Washington and he would be attending a retirement dinner for Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. The next Landon Lecture will be held Wednesday, February 22nd and U.S. Senator Sam Brownback is scheduled to speak.

Upcoming Committee Hearings

Overview and Discussion of Medicare Part D, February 1^st

Commerce and Labor

Workman’s Compensation, February 2^nd

Judiciary DNA collection for certain crimes, January 31^st

Persistent sex offender penalties, February 1^st

Taxation 3 year phase out of the franchise tax, January 31^st

Machinery and Equipment tax, February 1^st

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 office by phone at (785-296-6014), by US Mail at (Representative Jene Vickrey, State House Topeka, Ks. 66053) or by email at (vickrey@house.state.ks.us) during the Legislative session. Also, if you are going to be here at the capitol, please let me know.  It is always great to see friends from home.

Jene