Poetic Inspiration

This was a short week for legislators in Topeka with Martin Luther King’s Birthday celebrated on Monday.  Representative Barbara Ballard, Lawrence, offered this poem in memory of Dr. King.

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.
So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got,
but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.
 

Statewide Clean Indoor Air Act

Press conference

I participated in a press conference with the Kansas Academy of Family Physicians regarding the statewide smoking ban.  It is difficult to explain to physicians why this is not a slam dunk, why the preponderance of scientific evidence is not sufficient to get this bill passed.  As a nurse, I tend to have the same mindset. This is a public health problem on which the state has an obligation to act.

Where is the bill?

Just to remind you of the status of this bill, HB2221 remains in a conference committee awaiting action.  A simple motion to concur will bring the bill for a vote on the House floor.  This would be the most direct route for the legislation.  However, on Wednesday a “conceptual bill” (one not yet written) was also introduced to the House Health and Human Services committee.  Speculation is that this conceptual bill will be a weaker bill allowing smoking in more places.

Smoking bans linked to decline in heart attacks
Some of the most compelling testimony offered in House hearings last year dealt with the decrease in the number of heart attacks after the enactment of smoking bans.  Two recent reports, one by KU researchers David Meyers, John Neuberger, and Jianghua He, concluded that smoking restrictions were linked to quick and dramatic declines in heart attacks rates.  On average, within one year of the implementation of a smoking ban, the heart attack rate fell 17%; within three years, the rate fell as much as 36%.  The fall in the number of heart attacks is almost immediate with changes noted within 3 months.  Particularly interesting were the numbers in Helena, Montana where a smoking ban was linked to a dramatic 40% decrease in heart attacks.  Unfortunately, when the court overturned the smoking ban, heart attack rates immediately began to rise and reached the baseline level.

What you can do

Now is the time to lobby for passage of the Kansas Clean Indoor Air Act.  Contact your representative, House leadership, and members of the House Health and Human Services Committee.
 

New Feature in Jill’s Journal:  Kansas needs a law that…

I invite you to complete this phrase, “Kansas needs a law that….”  I’m looking for problems in need of action.  Share the specifics of your concern and what you think should be done to fix it.  I will sort though the ideas, research them as needed, and publish some for responses from readers.  Who knows…bills may be generated, suggestions may be passed on to agencies, and problems may be solved.  Let’s see where this goes.
 

Unemployment Update

Benefits

Secretary of Labor, Jim Garner, spent two days updating the House Commerce and Labor Committee on unemployment issues. Currently, there are 4 unemployment benefit programs being offered, 26 weeks of regular benefits and 60 additional weeks of extended benefits.

Greatest payout ever

The Unemployment Program is facing the greatest demand in the history of the program.   From January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009, approximately $767M in regular unemployment benefits and  $362M in extended benefits have been paid out to Kansans. 

Solvency

The Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund (UITF) is funded by employers’ contributions and interest.  Every year on July 31, a determination is made as to the Fund’s solvency for the upcoming year.  If the fund is judged to be solvent, employers are granted a reduction in their contribution amount for the next year.  For the past three years, employers were granted such a reduction, saving employers $286M. 

The bad news, a return to standard rates

Employers were notified in December that their contributions will return to the standard rates as prescribed in law, i.e. no reductions.  Unemployment taxes are assessed on only the first $8000 of wages for eachemployee.  Each employer’s tax rate reflects their individual circumstances and is therefore different.  Last year the average tax rate for employers was .29%; this year the average tax rate will be 1.02%, a substantial increase that has many employers concerned.  The Kansas Employment Security Advisory Council is investigating options for minimizing this increase at a time when many businesses are struggling.

Kansas requesting loan

Last January, the UITF had a balance of $566.5M; the current balance is $65.2M.  Over the course of this year, the increased employer contributions will raise $407M.  However, the Department of Labor will still need to borrow an estimated $750M from the federal government as early as February.  The unemployment rate in Kansas was 6.2% in November, better than the 10% national rate; yet the predicted unemployment rate for Kansas in 2010 is expected to continue to increase to between 6.8 and 7.8%, thus necessitating a loan.

Frustrated with the application process?

If the application process has stymied you, contact me.  I can help you navigate the system.
 

Opportunity to Page

In the past, middle school students have come to the Capitol to page as part of a school activity.  This year, due to budget cuts, students must arrange their own visit and transportation.  If you want to be a page at the Capitol, your chaperone need only provide transportation to the Capitol by 8am and then back home at 3pm.  The remainder of your day will be supervised. 
 
Please contact me if you are at least 12 years old and want to page on either of these dates:  February 18 or March 23.
 

Jill’s Activities Last Week

• Kansas Hospital Association Advocacy Day, a chance to visit with Northeast Kansas hospital administrators.
• Kansas Association of Community Foundations Legislative Reception
• Kansas Association of Counties County Government Day Reception
• Kansas Academy of Family Physicians, press conference and reception
• Public Accountant Association of Kansas Legislative Social
• Kansas Health Technology Demonstration, an amazing display of monitoring devices available to help keep frail elderly in their home (brain fitness, personal medication system, personal sensor technology, and a personally designed system).
• Kansas Choice Alliance Luncheon
• Overland Park Conveners Reception, a gathering of elected officials, business leaders, lobbyists, and community leaders all in one place to facilitate discussion of concerns and issues
• Overland Park Legislative Issues Breakfast, I was one of five panelists sharing the outlook for the session
• Lenexa Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Awards Dinner
• Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas, Inc.

My mantra for the session

This will be a challenging session as the legislature strives to balance the budget with declining revenues.  Even though our opinions may differ regarding which options to pursue, we are not adversaries, for we all want what is best for Kansas. Together we can determine the best steps to take. 
 

“Honest differences are often a healthy sign of progress” 

                                                                ...Mahatma Ghandi

Contacting me…

Please notice that my Topeka contact information has changed. 
·      My office is 174A in the Capitol on the West wing of the first floor. 
·      My administrative assistant is Cheryl Coffman. 
·      My phone is 785-296-7689. 
Security has been increased this year.  Bags are now scanned and visitors must pass through a metal detector.  But don’t let that stop you from dropping in to talk with me if you at are in Topeka.
 

Representing you,
Jill Quigley

Representative, 17th District

Lenexa & Shawnee
H:  913-541-9645                            P.O. Box 14823
C:  785-296-7689                            Lenexa, KS  66285
jill@jillquigley.com
 
Committee Assignments:  
9:00am          Mon-Fri          Commerce & Labor                           Rm 784 Docking
1:30pm          Mon-Fri          Health & Human Services                  Rm 784 Docking
3:30pm          Mon-Fri          Trans & Public Safety Budget            Rm 142S Capitol
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

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