Legislative Update for Week of March 7th-11th

Your Monday Morning Update:

 

After the mad dash to get bills introduced, worked and addressed during turn around week, last week slowed to a mere crawl.   

 

Legislators were off Monday and Tuesday while the statehouse printers were busy printing up the House and Senate bills that had been worked during turn around week.  Wednesday, leadership from the House and Senate were in D.C. meeting with officials about the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility which is slated to be built in Manhattan.

 

In other words, last week was the result of hurry up and wait!

 

There was one committee that was willing to send sparks flying out from underneath that copper dome.  Wednesday, the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee held a hearing on the closure of KNI, the State’s DD hospital in Topeka.  The chair of this committee, as well as the ranking minority member are both Senators from Topeka.  You can probably see where I’m going with this…it was not pretty.  The Governor’s ears must have been burning. 

 

Hospital closure understandably, is an emotional issue for families of residents.  It is an economic issue for the City of Topeka and the Topeka Chamber of Commerce.  All parties turned out to find fault with the idea of closure!  Not a soul from S.R.S. showed up to testify in support of closure.  They must have known the odds were not in their favor with this audience of legislators and spectators. Probably good they weren’t there, spontaneous combustion is never a pleasant thing!

 

Your TO DO List:

1-      Visit www.invisiblekansans.com for your weekly interaction

2-      If you didn’t write your Letter to the Editor, please do so.  Several fabulous families emailed me that they had!  The Star sometimes will wait until there are several letters on the same topic before printing them. I believe they are waiting for your letter!

 

Warm Regards,

 

 

Lurena Mead 
JCDS Community Relations Manager

913.826.2212