VETO SESSION

The time for the final session of the year has begun. It is time for us to deal with all of the weighty issues that have not yet been addressed. We must set a budget for the year 2007 which will actually begin on July 1. We still need to find resolution to the funding for education in 2007, and we still have some bills like the sexual predator law, tax incentives for business, and others which have not had final action yet.

During the budget process, I sat in on the Social Services Budget and helped to get an additional $225,000 into the Senior Nutrition Program for rural areas. All of my district qualifies as a rural area and so I was elated to get this into the House Budget. At this time, the Governor has not recommended additional dollars into this program, nor has the Senate, so we still have to hope that it will stay in the final bill.

I also have had the opportunity to support an amendment that will add $500,000 to the Senior Care Act. This will help to administer Home Health Programs and allow seniors that want to stay in their homes, the opportunity to do so.

JUDGES & JUSTICE????????

Those who thought that the court has overstepped their bounds in the school funding issue, have even greater concern than before. When the President of the Senate is quoted as stating that he has spoken with a member of the court who was convinced that he could sway the other members on the school funding issue; we have a serious problem with our court system! There are many that feel that this issue is serious enough to warrant our making sure it is addressed before we settle some of the other issues. The Speaker has assured me that we have the possibility of a constitutional crisis on our hands and he is prepared to address it. He has a special committee appointed that will have a investigation into the separation of powers that has been breeched. The Senate

President has also owned up to private meetings with the Governor on the issue.

EDUCATION

The education issue this year has been the most difficult in the history of my serving in the House. There are those who would not mind getting the state in such a condition financially that it will be necessary to accept state owned casinos. We would be the first state in the nation to do such a thing and there are many who are opposed to tying gambling with education. Those who are pushing for the huge increase seem to have a majority in the House and they are supporting a bill that will give fewer dollars to the smaller schools and which will eventually force more consolidation. I am not supporting the omnibus school plan that will place a hardship on our state and force consolidation. It was difficult to support the original House plan that means a large increase, but it was necessary in order to be as responsible as possible.

There were some good amendments that were offered such as implementing "Character First" education programs along with honest and age appropriate education into the development of the child in the womb. Another interesting amendment that was offered to the bill is one that calls for reimbursement to the college for remedial training in order to get students up to entry level in the college level. This reimbursement would be made by the graduating high school.

THANKS

I recently had the opportunity to watch as a methane coal bed facility was opened in the Waverly area. This will help to reduce our dependence on importing fuel and shows great promise for my district and the state. It was a very exciting event and I was thankful to be there. It is a great pleasure to serve the people of my district and to have the opportunity to meet so many of you personally. There are disappointments along the way, but there have been many successes. I look forward to being home soon and spending some time in each community. Please know that I am available to you twelve months out of the year although I am in Topeka only a few months.