We are now halfway through the session here at the Capital in Topeka. We have been very busy during the first couple of months and the next few months will be comparable. After a temporary stay in the Docking Building, my office has finally been moved back into the Capital building, it is located in Room 310-S. This is still a temporary location of sorts; the Statehouse has been going through a continuous renovation that will last for years to come. So I should be in 310-S for at least a year.

I encourage you to visit the Capital. The two year renovation project in the Senate chambers has just been completed. Much like the other renovations still underway in the Statehouse, the Senate was restored to its original state, with beautiful gold, ornate moldings with a classical feel. Also, the dome tours of Capital are underway, please contact the Capital tour guide staff at (785) 296-3966 if you are interested in a Capital tour. Visitors can enter the Kansas State Capitol through the West Wing. That entrance will continue through approximately January 2007. After that time visitors will enter through the East Wing. More information about the renovation and the history of the Kansas State Capital can be found on the Kansas State History Society website, www.kshs.org.

Recent legislation in the Capital has been comprised of many issues, as usual. The M & E bill has been a reoccurring issue in the House and now the Senate, and is a significant topic of concern for the people of southwest Kansas. Multiple amendments were suggested in committee for the M & E bill, HB 2619. Many of them were designed to soften any reduction in tax revenue local taxing authorities may experience. Once the bill reached the House floor, other amendments were also approved. The first, introduced by Representative Arlen Siegfreid (R-Olathe) and commonly referred to as the “Siegfreid Slider”, would reimburse localities for lost revenue in the first five years of the exemption. The rate of reimbursement declines 20% per year from 100% in the first year until it is phased out in year five. Also added to the bill was a provision to expand the Homestead Property Tax Refund Act by increasing the income eligibility threshold for claimants age 65 and above from $27,000 to $50,000. This provision would affect and help a great number of southwest Kansans. Additionally, the bill would also expand the school finance residential homestead property tax exemption from $20,000 to $30,000, which is also a main issue in the legislation concerning the funding of Kansas schools. The bill passed by a vote of 108-14 in the House and is currently in the Senate committee of Assessment and Taxation.

Also this past week, testimony was heard on three different energy bills in the House Utilities committee. House Bill 2842 would create a stimulus package for wind energy production in Kansas. Wind energy created would be used to generate electricity but will also be used to produce hydrogen. Through increased hydrogen production, Kansas will begin to build the infrastructure necessary to accommodate hydrogen burning vehicles which may be on the market within two years. House Bill 2843 would require certain “green” standards to be used in large construction projects including State of Kansas facilities and public schools. It is purposed that construction costs will not increase, but energy costs versus traditional buildings will pay large dividends. House Bill 2844 provides incentives to utility customers who install personal solar cells and personal wind generators at their homes for electric generation. This bill is just another step that the State is taking to eradicate the concerns of fuel and energy conservation.

Lastly, a bill which had been defeated in previous years in the Kansas House received the body’s approval this last week. HB 2611 passed the House by a vote of 90-29 and would require children aged 4-7, weighing less than 80 pounds and who are less than four feet nine inches in height to be in a booster seat. Compelling testimony changed several votes and allowed for its passage. The bill was supported by the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Kansas Department of Transportation, and the Kansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics as well as the Kansas State Nurses Association. This bill shows the committed effort of the legislature to reassure the safety of the children of Kansas. The bill is now out of committee and will proceed to the Senate floor for a vote.

Also, during this current legislative session I have been aided by a University of Kansas student, Jessica Casterline. She is a senior at KU, majoring in Political Science and Spanish. She attended Dodge City High School and was raised in Dodge City; she is the daughter of Carl and Patti Casterline.

As always, I encourage you to contact me with any questions or concerns that you may have. You may visit my new website at patgeorge.org, or contact me by email at patgeorge@statehouse.kansas.gov, by phone at (785) 296-7696, or by fax at (785) 296-2028. My mailing address is:

Statehouse
2nd Floor
300 SW 10th
Topeka, KS, 66612

Sincerely yours,

Pat George
Representative for the 119th District
State of Kansas
House of Representatives