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Message from the House Majority Leader: Bill Introduced to Protect State Employees A bill was introduced on March 5 to ensure that the Executive Branch makes employee salaries a priority. Currently, there is nothing in statute to prevent the Executive Branch from taking high profile, high priority expenditures and threatening non-payment when there are many other low priority expenditures that can be delayed in order to ensure that the most important obligations are met first. This bill will prevent wages from being held hostage by the Governor and end the speculation and unnecessary concern that follow. Abortion Counseling Legislation Passes Passing by a veto-proof vote of 85-37, House Substitute for SB 238, The Woman’s Right to See and Know Act, will require that 24 hours prior to an abortion, the mother must be provided a list of free sonogram locations and with information for free counseling assistance for medically challenging pregnancies. Additionally, the woman will also be provided with contacts for free perinatal hospice services. Thirty minutes prior to an abortion, when the mother consults with her doctor (which is required under current law) and a sonogram is used, the woman must be offered the opportunity to see and get a copy of the sonogram image and to hear her baby’s heartbeat. All four clinics in Kansas use sonograms. Additionally, the bill mandates that an anti-coercion sign be posted in the clinic so that every woman knows her legal rights. It also requires the state to create a standard information video and online website that includes modern fetal ultrasound in two week developmental increments. This bill keeps Kansas in step with the 15, and counting, states that have passed some form of sonogram legislation in order to ensure that the mother is making an informed choice based upon seeing her unborn child. HB 2206, which passed 82-40, clarifies the existing law. It provides for civil remedies against abortion providers who violate the statute and will ensure that Kansas abortion law will conform to current Federal guidelines that have been upheld by the Supreme Court. Coming up the week of March 9, 2009: Annexation HB 2029 would revise several annexation statutes by doing the following:
Sub. for HB 2320 is one of the key pieces of the Republican Agenda to fix the policies surrounding the structural imbalance in the budget. This is a great step in order to provide a responsible and accountable state budget that prioritizes taxpayer dollars. The bill would enact a new law establishing the Budget Stabilization Reserve Fund (Stabilization Fund) in the State Treasury. Revenue sent to the State General Fund in excess of the amount expected during a fiscal year, based on the April consensus revenue estimate, would be transferred to the Stabilization Fund. Money in the Stabilization Fund could only be spent to make up for shortfalls when compared to the previous year’s budget. This bill will take effect in fiscal year 2011. The bill would prevent the Governor from proposing expenditures from the fund. It is an honor to serve as your Representative. If you have any questions or concerns, budget or otherwise, please contact me.
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| Copyright © 2006-2010 Paid for by Owen Donohoe Campaign, Rebecca K. Chapman, Treasurer. |
