HEALTH CARE PLAN
The House Health Care Task Force, which I serve on as vice chair, has been working to develop a comprehensive health care plan. This plan has been completed and is scheduled to be released Monday, March 5.

HB 2200
This bill would limit the ability of elementary and secondary education institutions to defend against an obscenity charge. Under current law, the defense is provided to public, private, or parochial schools as well as colleges or universities. Under this bill, in order for a teacher to be found guilty of promoting obscenity by distributing or displaying materials or devices, it must be proven to be done knowingly, intentionally, willfully or recklessly and not by mistake. This bill was debated and amended on the floor and was then referred to the Education Committee for further debate.

HUMAN CLONING
I have received multiple letters regarding HB 2098, the bill I am carrying that would define human cloning. To clarify, this bill is merely a definition bill. It does not make human cloning illegal, but merely states what science proves. Human cloning is SCNT or somatic cell nuclear transfer. The Kansas Coalition for Lifesaving Cures argues that SCNT is not the same thing as human reproductive cloning. However, the only difference between the two is what is done with the human embryo after it has been created. Human cloning involves placing the nucleus of a human cell into a human egg in which the nucleus has been removed. However, no matter where you place it, it is still a human embryo. That is truth. HB 2098 is just a statement of truth. It does not make it illegal to do anything with that human embryo. That would take additional legislation.

It is an injustice to me to try to redefine what an embryo is by the environment you place it in. My car is a car whether it is parked in a garage or on the street. I completely disagree with redefining something just to be able to use it for your specific purpose. Adolf Hitler did that by taking away the humanity of the Jews, and the Supreme Court did it when they stated slaves were property and not persons. People are free to do what they want with the human embryo, I just believe we should be honest about it.

WILDLIFE AND PARKS AUDIT
I serve on the Legislative Post Audit Committee and this week we reviewed a report on the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP), which I found really disappointing. The report found that KDWP followed most of the state’s requirements to lease space for its regional office but substantially exceeded state space guidelines. Currently the office provides 980 sq ft for each of its 10 employees. The overall State standard is 210-250 sq ft per employee. The lease provisions don’t address recouping any of the $113,000 spent to remodel the building and does not specify an eventual purchase price, even though KDWP was intending to buy the building in the short-run and despite recommendations from the Department of Administration for the lease to set a lease-purchase price. The recent $700,000 appraisal of the building and property is nearly triple the 2004 appraised value of $275,000 when KDWP signed its lease. The KDWP has clearly not been a good steward of our tax dollars. The committee made some recommendations to remedy this situation and I called for careful monitoring of KDWP’s future purchase of the building.

QUOTE FOR THIS WEEK
"Integrity distinguishes itself from other paths because it is the only path upon which you will never got lost."
-- Submitted by Juanita M. White