With the Legislature off for a four day holiday break, where are we with the Kansas Legislative Session? It certainly can be argued that, despite the amount of time in session, almost no major decisions have been made. This includes the budget, school finance, restoring the needed revenue, changes to the concealed carry law (particularly for state hospitals), and probably several other Bills that tend to get lost in the focus on high profile issues.
It is easy at this point to be critical. You certainly have enough evidence to do so. But it must be kept in mind, as I’ve said before, our Founding Fathers did not want a simple system. They did not want it to be easy to make change, and they were certainly successful. Keep in mind also that, if there were a more reasonable occupant of the second floor, final adjournment of the 2017 Legislative Session would be long past. But that is not the case, which means on almost all these key issues, a two-thirds vote in both Houses is needed to pass and override the all-too-certain veto.
So where are we come next Tuesday when the legislature is back in session? We have a pending Supreme Court decision on School Finance Funding hanging over any budget and/or tax action. We have many frustrated legislators anxious to get back to the rest of their lives and many factions within the Legislature that further complicate the situation.
So how can I in any way express optimism that perhaps sunshine and hope is just around the corner? Well, for one thing, I’ve been impressed with some really strong leadership in both Houses and on both sides of the aisle, especially with the aisle being less of a barrier. Also, I have been impressed with many of the new faces who wisely believe in investing in the future.
I will close with another reminder that, in the whole scheme of things, individual citizens can and should play significant roles shaping policy decisions. It is not enough to be registered and actually vote. You must be engaged with what is going on, so you can share your views and concerns with those elected to represent you. So, on this holiday weekend, we must find time to show appreciation to those who are voting for the future we want and encourage others to understand that making wise investments will be essential to the future of our state.
It is easy at this point to be critical. You certainly have enough evidence to do so. But it must be kept in mind, as I’ve said before, our Founding Fathers did not want a simple system. They did not want it to be easy to make change, and they were certainly successful. Keep in mind also that, if there were a more reasonable occupant of the second floor, final adjournment of the 2017 Legislative Session would be long past. But that is not the case, which means on almost all these key issues, a two-thirds vote in both Houses is needed to pass and override the all-too-certain veto.
So where are we come next Tuesday when the legislature is back in session? We have a pending Supreme Court decision on School Finance Funding hanging over any budget and/or tax action. We have many frustrated legislators anxious to get back to the rest of their lives and many factions within the Legislature that further complicate the situation.
So how can I in any way express optimism that perhaps sunshine and hope is just around the corner? Well, for one thing, I’ve been impressed with some really strong leadership in both Houses and on both sides of the aisle, especially with the aisle being less of a barrier. Also, I have been impressed with many of the new faces who wisely believe in investing in the future.
I will close with another reminder that, in the whole scheme of things, individual citizens can and should play significant roles shaping policy decisions. It is not enough to be registered and actually vote. You must be engaged with what is going on, so you can share your views and concerns with those elected to represent you. So, on this holiday weekend, we must find time to show appreciation to those who are voting for the future we want and encourage others to understand that making wise investments will be essential to the future of our state.
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