News from Kansas State Representative Ken Rahjes
Hello from Topeka. Welcome Spring!
Here are some of the highlights of things that have been happening on the house side of the Kansas legislature: Budget – After hearing all the budget sub-committee reports, the House this week will create the budget bill. Then once a budget is passed, it will go to a conference with the Senate. In a few weeks, the Omnibus budget will be put together, which will include possible additions if it will keep the state with a balanced budget, if not, they will not be included. Bottomline our budget will be balanced, eliminate waste, work on paying down debt, and save for a rainy day.
No Patient Left Alone—This past week, the Senate held a hearing on the No Patient Left Alone Act. The House passed HB 2264 earlier in the session, allowing patients to receive in-person visitors so they will not have to pass away separated from their loved ones. It is essential that we enact this bill to prevent what we saw during COVID from happening again. Keeping someone in their final moments secluded from the family should not be within our power.
Incentivizing Investment in Energy—On a nearly unanimous vote, the Kansas House passed a bill (HB 2225) limiting the costs that certain electric public utilities can recover on transmission-related expenditures. Kansas energy providers can keep our energy reliability high and provide immediate savings to ratepayers. This bill also requires rate increases to be put before the Kansas Corporation Commission to ensure that any increases will be regionally competitive. Strong energy infrastructure increases reliability and efficiency for our residents and businesses. This will keep Kansas in line with surrounding areas while maintaining the dependability of services that customers have come to expect from our utility companies.
Providing Job Training to Unemployed Kansans—House Republicans are working hard in committee to develop a plan to help those in need. We are committed to provide opportunities to able-bodied Kansans down on their luck to gain skills and employment, which is exactly what HB 2140 does. This bill expands a currently existing program requiring unemployed Kansans without dependents to complete work training to continue to be eligible for assistance. These programs provide helpful information, allowing people to find more opportunities and widen their horizons.
Legislative Pay Increase—You may have seen this week that the House passed a bipartisan effort to examine salaries for legislators. No, we did not vote to give ourselves a pay raise. This bill creates an independent commission to examine our pay and determine where it should be. This bill makes no changes to pay, and any future recommendations can be turned down.
There are some practical reasons for examining this issue. Under current salaries, it is difficult for many Kansans to feel they can serve in public office. There are many talented Kansans out there who cannot serve due to the lack of compensation. Raising the salaries can be a way to expand the opportunity of service to others who currently cannot afford to. Should this plan be adopted, an independent group will recommend a new compensation package to be voted on. If the legislature accepts their recommendation, salary increases will not become active until after the next election.
Governor Kelly Vetoes Fairness in Women’s Sports—The governor vetoed HB 2238, the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. Kansas should be where young women and girls can compete on a level playing field without fear of having opportunities stripped because other competitors have an unfair advantage. House Republicans support Kansas's young women and girls and will fight to override her veto.
You can read about all the bills that passed or could be considered in either chamber by going online to kslegislature.org and when the house and senate are on the floor or in committees you can see all of them on the Kansas Legislature’s YouTube channel. I located at 186-W, which is the northwest corner of the capital. When you call my assistant, Terry Benitis, will answer you call and help you with your matter. If you would like to contact me, email is: ken.rahjes@house.ks.gov, phone during the session (785) 296-7463 or you can always try my cell number at (785) 302-8416.
Thanks for reading. It is my honor to serve you.
