Listed below is the latest weekly report from the League of Women Voters Emporia branch.
The Emporia Legislative Observers will be posting weekly updates on how our legislators vote on various bills during the current session. No votes are recorded as yet. Below are examples of some of the bills being monitored. Others may be added or subtracted as events proceed.
Our Lyon County legislators serve on the following committees:
*Sen. Jeff Longbine: Financial Institutions and Insurance (Chair), Federal and State Affairs, Special Committee on Medical Marijuana.
*Rep. Duane Droge (District 13): Welfare Reform, Social Services Budget, Legislative Modernization.
*Rep. Mark Schreiber (District 60): Judiciary (Vice-chair); Legislative Modernization; Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications; Education.
*Rep. Eric L. Smith (District 76): Corrections and Juvenile Justice (Vice-chair), Water, Judiciary, Special Committee on KS Emergency Management Act, Special Committee on Medical Marijuana.
Below is a sampling of the bills that our committee is following. Anyone can check on these bills at this site at any time: http://kslegislature.org. Just click on the tab labeled “Bills and Laws,” then on either House or Senate to look up a particular bill. Also, one can click on “Find Bill” (far left column—also on main page), enter bill number and click “look up.”
HOUSE
*Children: HB 2033; Children in need of care; Juvenile crisis intervention centers. HB 2034; Procedures in investigations of child abuse or neglect. Also: HB 2021, 2024, 2050, 2073, 2112, 2118.
*Civil Rights: HB 2029; Protection from abuse, stalking, sexual assault or human trafficking. Also: HB2028, HB 2031.
*Climate Change/Energy Conservation: HB 2047; Relating to the Kansas water pollution control revolving fund.
Government & Courts : HB 2022; Transferring functions concerning the Highway Patrol from the governor to the attorney general. Also: HB 2001
*Guns: HB 2031; Increase the criminal penalties for certain violations of criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon that involve firearms. HB 2074; Allowing courts to prohibit possession of a firearm in a temporary custody order pursuant to the care and treatment act for mentally ill persons.
*Health: HB 2007; Childhood immunization requirements for a childcare facility or a school. HB 2005; Creating a traffic infraction for operating a vehicle while fatigued. Also: HB 2015, 2032.
*School Issues: HB 2040; Authorizing the use of current-year student enrollment to determine state aid. HB 2040; Tax credit for low-income students’ scholarship program. Also: HB 2003, 2030, 2060.
*Taxes: HB 2009; Providing for sales tax exemption for feminine hygiene products and diapers. HB 2011; Providing a Kansas income tax subtraction modification for members of the armed forces. Also: HB 2004, 2026, 2061, 2066, 2098, 2106, 2107, 2108, 2109, 2111.
*Voting Rights: HB 2038; Relating to voter identification. HB 2043; Requiring that discharged inmates be offered the opportunity to register to vote. Also: HB 2012, 2013, 2035, 2037, 2052, 2053, 2054, 2055, 2056, 2057, 2075, 2115, 2117, 2120, 2122.
SENATE
*Abortion: SB 5; Prohibiting the prescribing of drugs intended to cause an abortion using telemedicine and restricting the governor’s power during a state of emergency to alter such prohibitions. SB 65; Authorizing cities and counties to enact local laws to regulate abortion as stringent as or more stringent than state law.
*Children: SB 20; Relating to vaccine requirements in educational facilities. SB 45; Eligibility for state children’s health insurance program.
*Civil Rights: SB 36; Concerning the Kansas act against discrimination; relating to ancestry; including hair texture and protective hairstyles in the definition thereof.
*Climate Change/Energy Conservation: SB 46; Requiring existing wind energy conversion systems to install light-mitigating technology systems. Also: SB 49.
*Health: SB 18; Relating to insurance laws and enforcement thereof. SB 26; Relating to health maintenance organizations and Medicare provider organizations. Also: SB 6.
*Higher Education: SB 48; Authorizing community college and technical college appointments. Also: SB 31.
*LGBTQ: SB 12; Criminalize performing gender reassignment surgery or prescription of hormone replacement therapy in children.
*Schools: SB 13; Permitting certain local broadcasters to provide broadcast a school’s postseason activities. SB 32; Authorizing the Kansas state high school activities association to establish a school classification system based on student attendance and other factors.
*Taxes: SB 4; Relating to sales tax exemptions. SB 8; Relating to personal property; reducing penalties. Also: SB 21, 22, 29, 30, 33, 37, 40, 41, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57,58,
Prepared by Emporia League of Women Voters members Bob Grover, Doug McGaw, Mary McGaw, and Gail Milton.
