The final week of March and I have been very busy. The Committee that I Chair began with nine bills in conference with three different Senate committees. This is structured to allow for review of bills that the House and Senate fail to agree on. A bill passes favorably out of its chamber of origin and moves across the Rotunda to the other chamber. If that bill gets amended in the second chamber, it must be sent back to the original chamber for them to agree to the changes. If the chamber disagrees with the changes that were made, a Conference Committee is appointed. A Conference Committee normally consists of three members from each chamber and those Senators and Representatives meet to work out the differences each chamber has. Monday and Tuesday of this week were reserved for those Conference Committees to meet and the remainder of the week is set aside for adoption of Committee Reports or further work if the Committee report is rejected by either chamber. Aside from conference committee work, the House also tackled Education, Eminent Domain, and amended the Kansas Funeral Picketing Act.

Education

A marathon session last Thursday night resulted in the narrow passage of the first education plan of 2006. The plan, introduced on the floor as an amendment, and substituted for the plan proposed by the Select Committee on Education, contained provisions that garnered 64 votes for final passage, one more than is necessary for a majority of the 125 member House. The new proposal removed the funding, in place in the original bill, that would have tied one half of the new at risk money directly to low proficiency. With this change, we would be able to move toward an at risk weighting that would work better, and our schools would receive an accurate share of the State's funding . The new plan increases the Local Option Budget (L.O.B.) authority, would be very bad for the future of school finance, and would end up leaving Miami County schools to rely on local property taxes. Several strategic maneuvers were attempted to delay the vote until more study could be done on the newly unveiled plan but ultimately each failed by a handful of votes. Another large question is how the plan would be funded. State General Fund monies will cover the tab in the first year, but in the second and third years of the three year plan, a funding source will be necessary to cover the costs. House Bill 2986 is now in the Senate. Thursday, the Senate considered this plan with two others and none where able to receive enough votes to pass.

Eminent Domain

Senate Bill 323

, as Amended by our State Senator Apple, strongly limits the government’s power of eminent domain for economic development passed the House by a vote of 117- 4. In a much documented United States Supreme Court decision in Kelo vs. New London, the Court held that the government could seize private property for the purpose of economic development, but the issue now can be decided by the States. The majority of the Kansas House agreed with the Senate bill and voted for the protection of private property. The bill is now in Conference Committee so that the House and Senate may work out the differences.

Funeral Picketing

In response to the picketing of funerals of soldiers who have fallen in Iraq, and out of respect to their loved ones, the House made changes this week to the Kansas Funeral Picketing Act. Senate Bill 421 would amend the Kansas Funeral Picketing Act by prohibiting persons from engaging in picketing or a directed march within 300 yards of any entrance to any cemetery, church, mortuary, or other location where a funeral is held or conducted. The prohibition would commence within one hour prior to, during, and two hours following the commencement of a funeral. Picketers also would be prohibited from blocking public access while engaged in picketing or protesting.

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.