FROM THE GALLERY
State Legislation


The legislators are back at home in their districts after a grueling last few days of the session. Unfortunately some things did not get done in those last hours; while other things that were not even on the radar screen before the last few days did get done . . . much to the chagrin of many lawmakers as well as Kansas citizens who were blind-sided by a well- orchestrated campaign to expand gambling in the state. When a bill to continue the lottery gets a proposal for a 78-page amendment, it is time to worry. The devil is in the details, and when the smoke cleared Kansas citizens were left holding the bag . . . an empty bag. The Legislature returns on April 25 at 10 a.m. for the “veto session” so there is still some time to do some “citizen lobbying.”

We are urging you to stay in the fight and make one more effort to contact your representatives. They need your input!

Some “loose ends”
Alexa’s Law:
The Kansas Senate gave final approval to Alexa’s Law, the bill that protects pregnant women and their unborn children from acts of violence. A motion to concur or non-concur by the House will not take place until the veto session on April 25. The House is expected to concur as they passed the legislation with a veto-proof majority. The Governor can either sign the bill, veto it which would send it back to both houses for a vote to override her veto (2/3 majority of both houses), or she can let it become law without her signature. She has vetoed bills that affect women and the unborn before so she needs to be contacted at 800-748-4408. Urge her to sign this bill. The bill is not about abortion; it is about justice for a woman who has made the choice to have her baby and for the child she is carrying whose humanity is not in question. Everyone knows she is going to have a human child; that child should be protected under the law as a person. Also contact your legislators, especially your senators, and urge them to vote to override a veto if that should happen. Those senators who voted “yes” for Alexa’s Law: Pat Apple, Louisburg; Jim Barnett, Emporia; Jim Barone, Frontenac; Karin Brownlee, Olathe; Terry Bruce, Hutchinson; Les Donovan, Wichita; Jay Scott Emler, Lindsborg; Mark Gilstrap, Kansas City; Tim Huelskamp, Fowler; Nick Jordan, Shawnee; Phil Journey, Haysville; Julia Lynn, Olathe; Carolyn McGinn, Sedgwick; Steve Morris, Hugoton; Ralph Ostmeyer, Grinnell; Peggy Palmer, Augusta; Mike Petersen, Wichita; Roger Pine, Lawrence; Dennis Pyle, Hiawatha; Derek Schmidt, Independence; Jean Schodorf, Wichita; Mark Taddiken, Clifton; Ruth Teichman, Stafford; Dwayne Umbarger, Thayer; Susan Wagle, Wichita; and Dennis Wilson, Overland Park. The senators in bold are not solid in an override vote so they really need to be contacted by many of their constituents.

Those who voted no are: Barbara Allen, Overland Park; Donald Betts, Wichita; Pete Brungardt, Salina; Marci Francisco, Lawrence; Greta Goodwin, Winfield; David Haley, Kansas City; Anthony Hensley, Topeka; Laura Kelly, Topeka; Janis Lee, Kensington; Salina; Roger Reitz, Manhattan; Vicki Schmidt, Topeka; Chris Steineger, Kansas City; John Vratil, Leawood; David Wysong, Mission Hills.

An interesting exchange occurred in the Senate during the debate on this bill; it gives us a clue as to why many voted “no” on the bill. Senator John Vratil, (R) Leawood, offered an amendment that would replace the term “unborn child” with “embryo” and “fetus,” allowing that the new language did not contain the “emotion-charged abortion language of ‘unborn child.’” Senator Karin Brownlee (R) Olathe asked, “How are the words ‘unborn child’ abortion politics?” The answer by Vratil, “In the minds of many people it has that connotation. If the true motivation isn’t abortion politics, then you’ll vote for the amendment I’ve offered.” Senator Vratil was asked by another senator if he had any children. He answered, “Four.” She then asked what he called his children when they were still in the womb, and he answered that it was a long time ago and that he didn’t remember. Another senator asked him repeatedly whether a [human] fetus was a human being. The senator never answered yes or no but gave the answer that a fetus may not be a human being . . . this in spite of the fact that the Latin word ‘fetus’ means a young child. Vratil’s amendment eventually failed, and Alexa’s Law passed the Senate. (The excerpts of this interesting exchange were reported by another lobbyist who attended this session. As she put it, “When I became pregnant, I didn’t announce to my husband, ‘I am with embryo.’”)

Charge Tiller Resolution
As many of you already know there is a movement to pass a resolution by the Kansas House of Representatives urging Attorney General Paul Morrison to investigate the thirty charges against abortionist George Tiller. These charges were given probable cause by two judges; however, in spite of this, Attorney General Paul Morrison has not investigated the charges to date. In fact he stated in his campaign that he would drop the charges; he dismissed the special prosecutor appointed by outgoing Attorney General Phill Kline and withdrew a motion before the Kansas Supreme Court to rule on a writ of mandamus. The resolution has received a hearing in the House Federal and State Affairs Committee, but no official action has been taken by the House.

Meanwhile the 2005 Kansas Abortion Statistics have been published: The comprehensive chart by Kansans for Life can be downloaded from the KFL Web site. Or you can access the full report at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Web site.

Attorney General Paul Morrison stated in his campaign that he wouldn’t waste taxpayer money investigating abortion businesses; some of the charges involved not only problems with late-term abortions but with the failure to report possible sexual abuse against girls under 14. The redacted charges were ridiculed by the press and by the abortion industry as an “invasion of privacy” in spite of Kansas statutory rape laws being allegedly violated and covered up by the abortion industry in Kansas.

In written testimony to the Federal and State Affairs Committee, Morrison stated, “The people of Kansas elected me to use my independent judgment and legal expertise in representing the State of Kansas in this and other matters.” (Emphasis Added) He also stated in his testimony before the committee, “Any further charges filed related to this investigation will be based on my professional judgment, not legislative action or political calculations.”

Norma McCorvey, the former “Jane Roe” in Roe v. Wade has announced her support for the resolution urging the representatives to “please vote to enforce KSA 75-701, which requires the Attorney General to appear on behalf of the state and prosecute-or-defend, in any other court or before any officer in any cause of matter, civil or criminal, in which this state may be a party or interested.” She went on to state that “the fine reputation of the State of Kansas is at stake here.”

ACTION: Contact your representative and urge him/her to pass this resolution in the veto session. Call House Speaker Melvin Neufeld and politely thank him for his allowing the resolution to get this far and urge him to finish the job to put pressure on Attorney General Paul Morrison to do his job.

HB 2299
This bill would prevent cities and municipalities from enacting domestic partner registries, etc. The Marriage Amendment to the Kansas Constitution, passed by over 70 percent of Kansas voters, establishes the rights and privileges of marriage to a union between one man and one woman. The bill moves to preclude municipalities, etc. from establishing a “hodge podge” of ordinances that would undermine the traditional family.

Attorney General Paul Morrison recently stated that a proposed ordinance in Lawrence that establishes a gay partner registry does not conflict with the Kansas Constitution. The opinion did say that the registry would need to be open only to Lawrence residents or else the city would be overstepping its constitutional authority. Morrison’s opinion can be accessed at the Lawrence Journal World Web site.

Gambling:
According to Martin Hawver in the Capitol Report, this legislative session is going to be “known as the gambling session.” He is right in that the gambling voting block, disguised as Robin Hood, robbed the citizens of Kansas of their say in this matter. The creation of a pro-gambling block by the last election was the final brick in a “yellow-brick road” that does not lead to Oz; it leads to a draining of the state small businesses, families, and a glitzy façade of tinny gambling parlors in the guise of helping education, etc.

SB 66 started as a simple bill to renew the lottery. However, in the waning days of the session a 78-page amendment to the lottery renewal bill appeared which most of the legislators had not read. The amendment to the bill permitted destination casinos in Wyandotte, Crawford or Cherokee counties, Sedgwick or Sumner counties and Ford County subject to referendums in these counties. It would permit the three pari-mutuel racetracks to have a total of 2,200 slot machines. Some have said the legislation which passed both houses puts the state of Kansas in the gambling business. It is the first state in the nation to do so. The state would receive 22 percent of the casinos’ revenues and 40 percent of the slot machine revenues.

On its way to passage in both houses, the House was put on hold for twelve hours while senators filibustered to put together enough votes to prevent a motion that would kill the bill. Senators David Haley (D) Kansas City and Chris Steineger (D) Kansas City talked about the economic impact of a casino in Wyandotte County and argued against claims made that the casino would increase gambling addictions. Senator Janis Lee (D) Kensington, read from a sociology text; Senator Marci Francisco read from economic feasibility reports on gambling, and David Wysong, (R) Mission Hills, read the rules of various games of chance and talked of how Kansas City no longer has the Big 12 basketball tournament.

The Prairie Band Potawatomi, who operate a casino north of Topeka, will challenge the law once it is enacted claiming it violates the Kansas Constitution. According to Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt, (R) Independence, the courts will once again decide this issue.

Contact Information:
To find contact information for your Representative or Senator, go to the Kansas Legislature Web site. Under “Hot Items,” click on “House Roster” or “Senate Roster,” and it will list all of the legislators with the district represented and the e-mail address. When you click on the name, it displays the Topeka office room number and phone number, as well as home information. It also lists committee assignments.

The Capitol switchboard number is 785-296-0111.

Concerned Women for America of Kansas
P. O. Box 11233
Shawnee Mission, KS 66207
Phone/Fax: 913-491-1380
Email: director@kansas.cwfa.org
Web site: kansas.cwfa.org