Month: January 2020

Legislative update from Rep. Pam Curtis

Rep. Pam Curtis

Opinion column

by State Rep. Pam Curtis, D-32nd Dist.

The 2020 Kansas Legislative Session commenced on Monday, Jan. 13, and is off to a brisk start. The first week brought many Kansan’s to the Capitol to share information, ideas and participate in the beginning of the Legislative Session.

On Friday members of the Kansas Legislature participated in a “Building Trust through Civil Discourse” workshop designed to assist lawmakers in exploring the benefits of improving the level of civil discourse and more effectively work across the aisle. An excellent workshop led by Next Generation a program of the National Institute for Civil Discourse that works specifically with state legislatures to address hyperpolarization and incivility at the state level. It was very worthwhile and will hopefully lead to better understanding and dialog in the Kansas Legislature.

I am pleased to have Victor Meraz, from Kansas City, Kansas, joining me this year as a legislative intern. Victor is a communications major at the University of Kansas and will be graduating in May. I am looking forward to having his assistance during the session as well as that of Jeannie Loyd who is serving as the office assistant for our office this year.

It is a special honor to serve as your state representative. I value and appreciate your input on issues facing state government. Please feel free to contact me with your comments and questions. My office address is Room 452-S, 300 SW 10th, Topeka, KS 66612. You can reach me at 785-296-7430 or call the legislative hotline at 1-800-432-3924 to leave a message for me. You can also email me at pam.curtis@house.ks.gov


2020 legislative session begins
On Monday afternoon, Jan. 13, the Kansas Legislature kicked off the 2020 session. Newly elected Mayor Brandon Whipple delivered a farewell address before he resigned his post as representative of the 96th District. Rep. Stephanie Yeager was sworn in the following day. The Kansas House of Representatives has 125 representatives; the House Democratic caucus consists of 41 representatives. We’re looking forward to tackling the many issues still facing our state.


Medicaid expansion compromise
On Thursday, Jan. 9, after weeks of negotiations, Gov. Kelly and Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning announced a proposal to expand health care to more than 150,000 Kansans and lower health insurance costs in the marketplace. Expanding Medicaid has been a priority for both Republicans and Democrats for years, so this is a huge bipartisan step in reaching this goal.
To see the full bill, visit http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/measures/documents/sb252_00_0000.pdf.

2020 State of the State address
Gov. Kelly’s address had a recurring theme – moving forward from the disasters Kansas has faced throughout the last decade. She pointed out several issues that have been resolved, such as adequate school funding, as well as future plans to resolve issues that still haunt Kansas, such as Medicaid expansion, infrastructure, and closing the “Bank of KDOT.”
She also pointed out that for the first time in Kansas history, women sit at the helm of each branch of the Kansas government – exactly 100 years since women were granted the right to vote. The governor has many plans for our state, and we look forward to working with her to achieve those.


Governor’s budget proposal
 On Thursday, Budget Director Larry Campbell presented the governor’s budget to a joint session of the House Appropriations and Senate Ways and Means Committees. The governor’s budget is intended to further restore the fiscal responsibility that has thus far occurred under her watch. The budget is a complex and dense document, so here are some of the major points included:


• This budget is structurally balanced, with an ending balance of 8%, or $627.8 million.
• For the third year in a row, state employees will receive a 2.5% raise.
• It will continue the phase-out of the “Bank of KDOT,” with no further raiding of highway funds.
• The plan again includes a re-amortization of KPERS, resulting in massive debt reduction.
• There will be no new taxes. The following recommendations are in the budget: taxing digital property, food sales tax relief, and local property tax relief.


State Library
Many of us have “learn a new language” on our to-do list. With Mango Languages, you can learn right from your own computer (or smartphone!). This online language learning service https://kslib.info/Mango provided by the State Library is easy to use. Choose from 71 languages such as Spanish, French, Mandarin- even Swahili. Mango uses real-life situations to more effectively teach a new language. Mango also includes 19 English as a second language options. Use as a guest or register to track your progress (and for smartphone use).


Resources
My Legislative Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/PamCurtisKCK/?ref=bookmarks
My Twitter Account , https://twitter.com/pcurtiskck.
My Website, https://www.curtisforkck.com/?utm_campaign=2020ksleg1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pamcurtis.
Kansas Legislature Website, http://kslegislature.org/li/.

Police notes

Victim chased from Westport, shot at, and wrecked vehicle
 Kansas City, Kansas, police are reporting on social media that a victim was followed from the Westport area into Kansas, where shots were fired at the victim around 12:45 a.m. Jan. 21 in the 2100 block of West 43rd Avenue.

The victim had been in a disturbance with the suspects in Westport, and after the disturbance suspects followed the victim and began shooting, according to the report.

The victim wrecked and the suspects fled, according to the report. There were no reported injuries.

Wrong-way driver gets away
 Kansas City, Kansas, police pursued a vehicle driving backwards and traveling the wrong direction at 2:27 a.m. Jan. 21 in the 6100 block of Freeman Avenue, according to a social media post by the police.

Officers tried to stop the vehicle and the vehicle took off, according to the report. After a short distance, officers terminated the pursuit, according to the report. The suspect was not apprehended.

Aggravated assault reported
 An aggravated assault was reported at 6:15 p.m. Jan. 20 in the 4600 block of Greeley Avenue, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

During a verbal altercation, a suspect pointed a knife at the victim and stated he would stab the victim, according to the report.

Aggravated domestic battery reported
 Aggravated domestic battery was reported at 8:50 p.m. Jan. 20, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

According to the report, a suspect hit the victim, then choked the victim. The airway of the victim was restricted and the victim could not breathe, according to the report. The suspect fled.

Victim goes to hospital with gunshot wound
 A victim went to a hospital with a gunshot wound around 10:01 p.m. Jan. 20, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

The victim did not want to provide information about the suspect, and the victim stated that he did not want charges to be filed, according to the report.

Weather climbs out of deep freeze later today

National Weather Service graphic
A slight change in temperatures can make a difference in the amount of snow in the forecast for the next few days. (National Weather Service graphic)

Temperatures were 14 degrees at 9 a.m. with a wind chill reading near 9, but should climb out of the deep freeze today, reaching 33 degrees by the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

Snow also is in the forecast this week, with flurries possible before 10 a.m. Tuesday, and also overnight and into Wednesday morning, the weather service said. Every day of the forecast through Friday lists snow as a possibility.

A shift of just a few degrees in the temperature could result in changes to the amount of snow that is predicted, according to the weather service. A cold front will move into the area on Thursday night.

Saturday and Sunday, however, are forecast to be clear, with highs of 38 and 45, according to the weather service forecast.

Today, scattered flurries are possible before 10 a.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 33 with a south wind of 6 to 11 mph.

Tonight, there is a 70 percent chance of snow, mainly after 3 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 31 with a south wind of 9 to 13 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half-inch is possible.

Wednesday, there is a 90 percent chance of snow before 11 a.m., then rain and snow between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., then rain after 3 p.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 37 with a south wind of 11 to 14 mph, gusting as high as 20 mph. New snow accumulation of around an inch is possible.

Wednesday night, there is a 50 percent chance of rain and snow before 2 a.m., then a chance of rain between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., then rain and snow after 5 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be 34 with a south wind of 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight. Between a tenth and quarter-inch of precipitation is possible.

Thursday, there is a 50 percent chance of rain and snow before 11 a.m., then a chance of rain, the weather service said. The high will be near 38 with a calm wind. Between a tenth and quarter-inch of precipitation is possible.

Thursday night, there is a 50 percent chance of rain before 7 p.m., then a chance of rain and snow between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m., then a chance of snow after 11 p.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 28. Less than a tenth of an inch of precipitation is forecast.

Friday, there is a 30 percent chance of snow before noon, with a high near 34, the weather service said.

Friday night, it will be mostly cloudy with a low of 29, according to the weather service.

Saturday, it will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 38, the weather service said.

Saturday night, it will be partly cloudy, with a low of 27, according to the weather service.

Sunday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 45, the weather service said.

Sunday night, it will be partly cloudy, with a low of 30, according to the weather service.

Monday, it will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 48, the weather service said.