Kansas
Tidbits
(Some federal issues affecting Kansans are included,
as noted.)
Sebelius Appointments - Kansas Office in DC - Food Safety Inspections - Licensing Clinic - Family Leave - Immigration, Illegals - DUIs, Medical Errors and Malpractice - License Plates - No-Call List - 2004 Election, Kansas - Party Politics - Kansas - 2004 National Election - Early Primary Elections - Human Cloning - European Trade Partnerships - Media, Conservative vs. Liberal - Open Meetings -
Sebelius appointments
Filling vacancies in political office
2/28/03 The Senate approved a bill that would apply for all governmental
offices in the state. It would require that when the governor fills a vacancy
in office, the appointee should be in the same party as the office holder who
previously filled the position.
02/21/03 Adrian Polansy, Belleville farmer, as Secretary of
the Department of Agriculture.
Pamela Johnson-Betts, Secretary of the Department on Aging. Johnson-Betts was
formerly Executive Director of the Kansas African-American Affairs Commission
since 2000. Department of Human Resources (acting Secretary) Revenue (acting
Secretary) Juvenile Justice Authority (acting Secretary)
New Appointment Policy for
Kansas Secretary of Agriculture
02/27/03 Clearing the Senate Committee, a bill would change the appointment
of the Secretary. Currently, a nine-member Governor's Advisory Board of Agriculture
interviews applicants and nominates three finalists. The Governor makes the
final selection. The Governor has the option of requesting additional applicants.
The bill would allow the governor to independently choose the Secretary as the
other eleven Cabinet positions are selected. The Senate Ag Committee Chair said
the governor should be able to select the person of choice. The Ag Committee
declined to abolish the board, which would still review proposed regulations
and advise the governor on policy.
Kansas office in Washington
D.C.
2/27/03 The governor thinks an office in Washington could out outweigh costs.
Opponents think it would cost too much at a itme when the state is short of
cash and because the state laready has two six members of Congress. Sebelius
believes a person in DC would be in a prime position to search out milions of
dollars in federal grant programs.
Food safety inspections
2/27/03 For years we have heard that too few inspections are carried out to
the detriment of citizens. Frequently the cause is said to be lack of funding.
There is a move in the Senate to make the State Dept. of Agriculture responsible
for all food inspections effective July 1. Currently that department shares
inspection responsibilities with the Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment.
Sen. Derek Schmidt, Chair of the Senate Ag Committee says he supports the idea
but thinks more time is needed to work out details. He prefers to appoint a
special House-Senate committee to study food safety programs and report to the
2004 Legislature. Las year, a state audit discovered that about 1/3 of 12,000
food establishments weren't inspected as required. The Dept. of Ag has a $22
million budget--more funds to work with than the KDHE with only $190 million.
Licensing of clinics
2/21/03 A bill in the House Federal and State Affairs Committee would regulate
clinics more stringently--but only abortion clinics. The bill is sponsored by
more than 50 state representatives. This bill is top priority for Kansans for
Life. Opponents say the real purpose of the bill is not to improve quality of
patient care; rather it is to force abortion clinics to meet requirement that
put an undue burden on patients and staff. Women's Services, Inc., Planned Parenthood,
and other oppponents say that abortions are safer than other outpatient surgical
procedures; therefore, the bill's standards are excessive.
The bill would require abortion clinics to be licensed by the KS. Dept. of Health and Environment and meet a long list of standards. KDHE would be required to set minimum space standards for bathrooms, interview and counseling rooms and patient dressing rooms. Likewise, standards would be required for equipment, lighting, ventilation and exam tables. Every clinic would be required to have a doctor as its medical director, a licensed nurse present during physician exams and to have ultrasound equipment if it offered abortions after the 12th week of pregnancy. The bill also states what physicians must ask in compiling a patient's medical history. Currently there are seven abortion clinics in Kansas.
Only one is licensed as an ambulatory or outpatient surgical center. That Overland Park clinic is run by Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, and comes close to meeting the requirements of the bill. A Kansans for Life spokesman said the other clinics are considered to be physician's offices under the regulation of the Kansas Board of Healing Arts. Under the bill, the clinics would be known as 'abortion ambulatory surgical centers' and would be required to set aside areas for counseling and equipment for life support systems. Each clinic would also be responsible for follow-up care. A similar bill passed the House last year, but was not considered by the Senate. Critics of the bill told the Committee that abortion is one of the safest surgical procedures, and the bill would only increase costs and make it more difficult for women who are seeking an abortion. They said the bill unfairly targets abortion clinics without including all other outpatient surgical centers.
Family Leave
2/21/03 A 1993 federal law gave about 46% of private-sector workers the right
to unpaid leave for family health reasons. A recent study publcihsed in the
February issue of Demographys magazine said that the Family and Medidal Leave
Act hasn't made much impact. Some say financial pressures limit the use of unpaid
leave. The study included 3,803 women and 4,574 men who reported a child birth
between 1991 and 1996, and also looked at unpaid leave use through 1999. There
was little use of the act by fathers. New mothers' use was more likely in the
first three months after birth compared with the birth month. The conclusion
was that new mothers used other kinds of leave such as vacation for the first
month. The report concluded that "If unpaid leave is not a viable option
for a sizable number of families with newborns, then the United States will
have to move forward with policies that provide paid leave." Other studies
I have read indicate that, although family leave is provided for, other factors
put pressure on fathers and mothers not to take the leave, or to return to their
job as quickly as possible.
Immigration-Illegals
2/27/03 Committee Vote expected the first week of March. A bill in the House
would allow illegal aliens to obtain drivers licenses by saying that people
who have an IRS individual taxpayer ID can get a license. It isn't the responsibility
of the IRS to enforce immigration laws; they collect taxes--from legal and illegal
aliens. Illegal aliens are not able to get a Social Security Number, so in 1996
the IRS began issuing the ITINs so illegal aliens could file tax returns. (Many
other citizens, by choice, prefer to use the ITIN in some circumstances instead
of their SSN. The IRS has issued more than 5.5 million ITINs. All taxpayers
can claim exemptions for dependent children and other dependents living in Mexico
or Canada (or other countries).
The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) is trying to enforce immigration laws which require that employers verify the employees' identity and eligibility to work. Usually, a driver's license or SS card is required by the employer. The INS advises employers to accept evidence as offerred unless noticably questionable--or it could be considered an unfair practice.
About 7 million undocumented aliens were in the United States in 2000 and about 47,000 in Kansas. (The number was 13,000 in 1990.) Supporters of the bill say the undocumented workers are wanted to work in Kansas and should be able to drive legally. They also believe it would promote highway safety. The Kansas AFL-CIO opposed the bill saying a better solution would be to legalize the aliens in the United States. The union believes about 3/4 of the ITINs are fake. Unons have a hard time organizing the undocumented workers because employers threaten to get them deported. Jim DeHoff, Executive Secretary of the Kansas AFL-CIO said after the Committee hearing that "They're the most abused people in the United States...it's back almost to slavery." Other opponents of the bill said issuing drivers licenses would violate federal law, and would also allow undocumented aliens to vote.
DUIs
2/28/03 I will add to this as I find articles, but increasingly, people driving
under the influence and/or without a license because of previous DUIs are having
accidents, frequently resulting in significant injury or death. A large number
of adolescents begin drinking in their early teens (if not earlier). It was
especially disappointing that two members of the Senate, already this year,
were arrested for driving under the influence. This week the Senate passed a
bill which would require those convicted of DUI to attend at least a 10-hour
alcohol and drug treatment program. Senate Majority Leader Lana Oleen, who was
arrested this week, voted for the bill. Sen. Edward Pugh of Wamego, who was
charged in January with DUI after an accident, abstained.
Medical
Errors and Malpractice
2/23/03 For additional information, search the Internet for "malpractice" and
for "medical errors." The New York Times, as reported in the Kansas
City Star 2/23, A-11, lists major medical errors in some of the country's
most prestigious hospitals. The NY Times research concluded that "Lapses
in basic quality checks and in the ordinary standards of patient care lead to
most of the accidents. The hospitals pay too little attention to the simple
things that are crucial for success--such as checking whether the blood types
are compatible or whether the proper dose of a drug has been prescribed. In
1999 the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences reported
that medical errors kill 44,000 to 98,000 people a year and that many of these
deaths could be prevented. Most errors do not result from individual recklessness,
but from basic flaws in the way hospitals and clinics operate." Unfortunately,
many doctors and patients don't think there is a problem. An Institute of Medicine
survey showed that both groups think such mistakes are only a minor problem
and thought 5,000 deaths might have been caused by preventable accidents. They
were also more likely to blame the person who made the mistake rather than the
hospital that might have prevented it. In the recent case of the Mexican child
who died due to receiving type A organs for her type O body, at least Duke University
Medical Center quickly admitted their mistake, did everything they could to
correct the error, and adopted new procedures to prevent a similar tragedy in
the future.
Specialized License
Plates
Last year, as I was researching material for the KAFCE lesson on issues, "What
do YOU stand for?" I thought the special plates were allowed only for Veterans
and Kansas Educational Institutions. More recent newspaper reports indicate
that Shriners and agriculture are also allowed special plates. Recently a bill
was offered that would have banned all new special plates. Now comes another
bill in the Senate for plates to support public education for $30 per year.
The funds would be used to buy classroom suppies in the 303 public school districts.
It is said that a similar program in Alabama has raised as much as $750,000
for schools. In Kansas, the plate would be issued only if at least 500 were
purchased statewide under the legislation. The Kansas State Board of Education
(KSBE) would approve the design. The Kansas City Kansan reports 2/28/03, Page
2, that Kansas already offers 38 specialized plates. Sen. Jay Emler opposes
the bill, saying there are too many already. Many other people have pointed
out that same fact and that any group that wants to raise money might better
sell front plates. The rear plates are primarily for the purpose of identification.
No-call list
"Favorite Links" on this website provides a link to sign up for the Kansas No-Call
list. The next deadline is March 24, with the list published on April 1. The
next following deadline will be June 23, with the list published on July 1.
You can also register for the list on the Attorney General's website http://www.ksag.org,
or you can call the toll-free number at 1-866-362-4160. Mail-in registrations
are not allowed. The act applies only to home phone numbers. Telemarketers have
a 30-day grace period to remove your name from their call lists. The registration
is valid for five years, then the consumer is responsible for reregistring.
After a complaint has been received, a member of the task force calls the offending
caller, followed by a written notice. After three complaints, a telephone solicitor
is required to pay a civil penalty, and after a fourth complaint a recommendation
is then made to prosecute the case. To date, the Kansas Attorney General's office
has filed complaints against four companies for violations. Four other cases
have been verbally settled and $33,500 in penalties and fees have been greed
to be paid. At one time, the No-Call was mostly self-policing; however, changes
in the law remedied that problem.
A federal no-call program is also under consideration.
2004 Election -
Kansas
02/08/03: Dennis Moore recently stated he would not file for Senator Sam Brownback's
office. He will run again in the 3rd Contressional District for a fourth term
and is expected to make that announcement within the next few days. Brownback
filled the last two years of former Senator Bob Dole's term, then was elected
to a six-year term in 1998.
A possible challenger to Brownback is reported to be former U.S. Rep. Dan Glickman, who represented the Wichita area. He was U.S. Agriculture Secretary under President Clinton.
Party Politics
- Kansas
02/08/03 Larry Gates of Overland Park is expected to be elected Democratic State
Chairman.
2004 Election -
National
02/28/03 National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice will not run against Democratic
Sen. Barbara Toxer in 2004. She is, however, interested in running for Governor
of California in 2006.
Early Primary
Elections
Washington D.C. has approved legislation to make the district the first contest
in the nation--on January 13. Their measure will go to vote by the full Council
next week, and members want to include language which would ensure that the
district would hold its primary before any state until DC residents have full
voting rights in Congress and autonomy over their affairs.
Human Cloning
2/28/03 Federal. The House passed a bill endorsed by President Bush that would
ban human cloning. Violators would be sentenced to prison and would face fines
as high as $1 million. The vote was 241-155. Some members wanted an exception
for research which could work toward cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's,
Parkinson's and diabetes. This issue is expected to have a tougher battle in
the Senate, where Republicans don't have the 70 votes necessary to end debate
and force a vote. Area votes mostly followed party lines: The vote to ban: Kansas
Democrat Moore-No, Republicans-all Yes. Missouri Democrats-No (except macCarthy
and Gephardt no-vote; and Skelton reported as voting Yes in one source and No
in another). Republicans-all Yes. Other votes refused to allow imports of medical
treatments produced abroad as a result of therapeutic cloning outlawed in the
U.S.
European Trade Partnerships
02/28/03 Larry Kudlow suggests in the Kansas City Star, C3 the following:
U.S. imports of goods and services to other parts of the world increased 19.7
% for the year ending December '02. U.S. exports of goods and services sold
to the rest of the world increased 4.8%. U.S. exports to 'old' Europe were down
15.6% (Germany -11.9% and France -13.6%. Meanwhile, exports to Spain were +27.6%,
Italy +16.1%. 'New' Europe +25.5%. Broken down, export to Poland and Hungary
are a about even or a little negative. Other countries including the Czech Republic,
Slovakia, Slovenia and the Baltics are +53.9%. Kudlow reminds us that these
latter countries are the ones who signed the Vilnius 10 letter of support for
the U.S. in the war against Hussein. With all this in mind, he raises the question,
"Why not a trans-Atlantic free trade agreement with the willing members of old
and new Europe...anchored by a trade pact with the United States and Britain...."
Media representation--conservative
vs. liberal
03/01/03Last week, I heard a report on National Public Radio (NPR) of some research
on political representation in the media. Among other things it was reported
that six corporations/conglomerates own the vast majority of all media (print,
radio, TV). Nearly all reporters interviewed said they practiced self-censorship,
considering the impact of what they would report on their owners and their advertisers.
NPR makes a conscious effort to report both sides of issues. In spite of that,
they receive much criticism that they are too liberal. As a result, this study
found, NPR actually leans more toward the right than toward the left in its
programming. (You might be able to find more information about this on NPR.com.)
The research also found that, while there are numerous conservative talk shows
(notably Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh), there are few liberal talk shows.
Most conservative editorial writers also have their own talk shows or appear
frequently on the talk shows of others. Not so with the liberal writers. A day
or so later the Kansas City Star (02/28/03 A-2) reported that Phil Donahue,
whose MSNBC talk show was canceled this week is joining others who criticize
MSNBC's turn to the right. The network has hired three conservatives (former
House majority leader Dick Armey, former U.S. Rep. Joe Scarborough and radio
talk show host Michael Savage). In regard to Savage, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation and the National Organization for Women are asking supporters
to protest his hiring. A spokesperson for GLAAD said Savage's program is "a
platform to spew hateful, defamatory rhetoric targeting women, people of color,
immigrants and gays."
Open meetings
02/26/03 A bill would require advisory committees and task forces created by
incoming governors to have open meetings. The bill is a response to the 'top
to bottom' review of state government by teams appointed by Sebelius prior
to her taking office. The bill originally applied to any task force or advisory
committee created at the state level. A subcommittee recommended limiting
the bill to groups appointed by an incoming governor. The League of Kansas Municipalities
objected to having local governments included in the bill. The bill is expected
to pass in the House and Sebelius has said she will sign it. Under this bill,
advisory panels, task forces and commissions appointed following the election
of the incoming governor would be subject to the Kansas Open Meetings Act.