Capitol Comments
March 27, 2000
With less than two weeks left in the 2000 legislative session, virtually all of our time is spent in the full Senate debating primarily House bills with a few late Senate bills still on the debate calendar. Both chambers are amending their bills not receiving approval into the opposite chamber’s bills. Much work will now be put into conference committees in an attempt to reconcile the differences.
KPERS MORATORIUM BILL PASSES
On a vote of 22-18, the Senate passed SB 645 which will freeze the state’s employer contribution to the KPERS fund and use funds which already belonged to KPERS members to pay part of the state’s contribution. The proposal also places a moratorium on both state and local employers contributions to the Death and Disability benefits program administered by KPERS. Finally, the bill provides for a thirteenth check for KPERS retirees which would amount to approximately one-half of a regular monthly check.
The KPERS Board of Trustees takes great pride in the prudent, effective and efficient operation of the Retirement System. By action of this bill there would be established a new and imprudent precedent of reducing the contribution to employer-sponsored plan while an unfunded liability exists. While neither of these proposals would prevent the Retirement System from making current and future benefit payments, I believe the confidence in the continued sound financial status of the System would be severely undermined by the fear that every future budget challenge would be solved, in whole or in part, by looking to the trust funds of the Retirement System. I did not vote for this bill. While I understand the political gains obtained by authorizing a one-time partial payment to KPERS retirees, I cannot justify a vote to raid the fund that retirees count on in order to balance the state’s budget.
COUNTYWIDE ROAD SAFETY AUDIT TO COMMENCE
I have received several inquiries regarding the remarks made concerning a traffic safety study during the legislative coffee held recently in Winfield. To clarify the process and answer those who still have questions, in January, 1998 KDOT’s Bureau of Traffic Engineering started a new program called Road Safety Audits. The review includes all traffic features such as speed limits, signing, sight distance, and safety on all state highways. The goal of KDOT is to complete all 105 counties in five years with additional reviews being done on a three-year cycle. As previously scheduled, Cowley County’s study is just now starting. Our county and all cities will be contacted on particular concerns. The field review for Cowley County will be done this summer and the collection of the data should be completed this fall. A final report will be completed by approximately April 1, 2001. Much work and time goes into each audit. Before the engineer starts the project he will spend one week each looking at crash data, driving all highways, and collecting data. Recommendations are then made, KDOT personnel is allowed to approve those recommendations, and then sent on to the county and cities for their input. The last step is to publish the report.
Previously a request was made for a traffic study at Strother Field and this study, complete with field review and data, was conducted where crash data and video of the highway was studied. The Strother Field location will be reviewed again when the countywide Road Safety Audit is done. Hopefully, this explanation will clear up some misunderstandings of any remarks.
NEED MAY STILL BE THERE TO BUILD NEW PRISON
The House did not approve of the Senate bill sent to them which is the key prison overcrowding bill which would reduce state prison bed needs. Today my Senate Judiciary Committee amended a House bill to include the bill again to give the House either another chance of passing the bill or finding funding sources during this tight fiscal budget year to build another prison. As a member of the Sentencing Commission our statistics show that one-third of all state prison admissions are people whose crimes fall below the incarceration line of our state’s sentencing guidelines. Some local jails could be minimally impacted. I believe local programs, day reporting centers, and community corrections must be a better way to deal with these people, and a whole lot cheaper. Of the four bills before us to alleviate the prison overcrowding, not one will jeopardize public safety.
FUNDING APPROVED FOR CAPITOL PRESERVATION
The Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation which provides for a fund to be used to renovate the Capitol Building. This bill was introduced by the Capitol Preservation Committee, of which I am a member. The funding for the project would come from the proceeds and interest from investments. No tax dollars would be spent for the much needed initial renovations of the Capitol Building’s plumbing, heating and cooling systems. We Kansans are fortunate to have such a magnificent building as our State Capitol, and it has been too long neglected. In the last 80 to 90 years very little in the way of preservation has been done on our people’s Capitol. I feel great pride that the legislature is finally acting to preserve one of Kansas’ most beautiful and significant buildings.
ETHICS BILL WINS SENATE APPROVAL
The House ethics bills which amends the State Government Ethics Law by prohibiting certain gifts and services by state employees, including elected officials, and adds disclosure reporting requirements by lobbyists, has been amended and passed in the Senate. The new amendment would require competitive bidding on all legal services performed on behalf of the State of Kansas from those firms qualifying for consideration. Included in the Senate amendment is also a $1,000 limit on the hourly fee the state is allowed to pay for legal services. In addition, the bill requires the agency to submit the proposed contract to the Legislative Budget Committee if the cost exceeds $1,000,000 prior to entering in a contract. I support this measure.
IN CONCLUSION
Those paging for the Senate this past week were Anthony Bertlesen, Jessicah Coble and Evan Gackstatter from Arkansas City. I enjoyed having the students assist the Senate with their duties.
Betty will be glad to take your calls in my absence from the office. I will call you back during the breaks of the Senate floor action. You can reach me via E-mail at ggoodwin@ink.org. Or Goodwin@senate.state.ks.us. My address is State Capitol, Room 403-N, Topeka, KS 66612, telephone (785) 296-7381 or l-800-432-3924. You can visit my web page at members.tripod.com/~Ggoodwin.
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