After twelve weeks of work and long days on the floor of the House, the 2009 Kansas Legislature has officially adjourned. In what might be one of the most pivotal years for the future direction of our state as a result of the economic hardship Kansans are facing, I’m proud of the results. While mid-April and fresh budget numbers may have a drastic impact upon our fiscal situation and force more difficult decisions, I’m confident we’ve accomplished our most basic goal this year, which was to provide more with less.
Most of our work in the past few days was consumed with approving conference committee reports, which are produced by a team of “conferees” from both the House and Senate on bills we haven’t previously agreed upon. If approved, they are considered passed by the legislature and sent to the Governor’s office to be signed into law. At the end of April, after the Governor determines which bills to sign or veto, we will return for our “Veto Session” where we’ll attempt to override any veto attempts we disagree upon, and wrap up outstanding issues.
Like most years, the session’s key issues are some of the last to be discussed. This week, it was the comprehensive energy proposal, the controversial statewide smoking ban, and of course the budget. With the budget issue all but settled until we receive new numbers, the well publicized smoking ban and energy proposals took center stage. The measures were not discussed until Friday afternoon, but at the end of the day, the smoking ban was not addressed with an agreement to re-visit the issue next year, and the energy proposal was advanced to the Governor’s desk as expected.
The Legislature also focused on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the federal bailout, as we received more direction from the federal government as to how this money can be spent. The legislature has released 1/3 of the money available for unemployment assistance to help Kansans’ who are hardest hit. As we receive more information from Washington about ARRA, we will study how best the money can be used to provide needed relief for struggling Kansans.
Finally, I want to highlight an item that’s not received as much media attention, but is a critically important bill for the state. The “Promoting Employment Across Kansas Act” or PEAK act, creates a partnership between government and business and will help protect current jobs while promoting job growth across the state.
By providing tax breaks for businesses who agree to bring their company to Kansas from another state or country, the act will foster a new era of economic development in Kansas and more importantly will keep us competitive with surrounding states that already have similar proposals on the books. This bill will make Kansas much more competitive, bringing high paying jobs to our communities across the state and is a critically important piece of legislation.
The legislature will be in recess until April 29th when we come back for the veto session. During this break I look forward to meeting with you as I travel around the district visiting with constituents like you. It is important that I hear from you and know what issues are affecting you and your family.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in the Kansas House.
