Your legislators have been working hard and fast during the past couple of weeks to get as many needed bills passed before turnaround.

Turnaround is when all of the bills passed by the House go to the Senate, and all of the bills from the Senate come to be worked by the House. I am writing this update during our “turnaround recess,” which is a break to allow support staff to work through and process the bills passed this past week. It has afforded a good “breather” before I go back to Topeka and begin work on the bills passed out by the Senate.

Your legislators have been working hard and fast during the past couple of weeks to get as many needed bills passed before turnaround.

Turnaround is when all of the bills passed by the House go to the Senate, and all of the bills from the Senate come to be worked by the House. I am writing this update during our “turnaround recess,” which is a break to allow support staff to work through and process the bills passed this past week. It has afforded a good “breather” before I go back to Topeka and begin work on the bills passed out by the Senate.

Below are a few bills that recently passed the House.

• HB 2221 — Referred to as the Equal Access Act, the bill passed the House by a vote of 71-53 and modifies the Professional Negotiations Act. The bill requires all local school boards to give equal access for all professional employees’ physical or electronic mailboxes, and allows equal access for all professional employees’ associations to attend new teacher or employee school orientations and other meetings. Local school boards also would not be allowed to designate any day or breaks in a school year by naming or referring to the name of any professional employees’ association. Additionally, current law would be amended by the bill to expand the definition of “professional employees’ organizations” to include those existing for the purpose of professional development or liability protection.

Essentially, this bill serves to ensure all organizations that offer services for teachers are afforded equal access to the teachers in Kansas. A school board would not be able to give exclusive access to its teachers to one organization or another. This will better provide that teachers are aware of all the resources available to them, particularly with regards to professional development and liability protection. This bill is now headed to the Senate for further consideration and action. [Editor’s note: Jones voted yes on HB 2221; Rep. Blaine Finch, R-Ottawa, voted no.]

• HB 2025 — This bill, passed by a 123-0 House vote, establishes the Robert G. (Bob) Bethell Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services and KanCare Oversight. The committee would be made up of 11 members of the Legislature. It would be required to meet at least three times when the Legislature is in session and at least once during each of the second-, third- and fourth-calendar quarters. The committee would provide oversight of the administration of KanCare by those accountable to the people, the elected members of the Legislature.

According to the bill, state agencies would be required to provide to the committee data and information on KanCare programs, including pay for performance measures, quality measures and enrollment and disenrollment in specific plans, KanCare provider network data, and appeals and grievances made to the KanCare ombudsman. The committee would then be required to submit its own report to the Senate president, the speaker of the House, the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare. It also would be able to introduce legislation as deemed necessary in performing its function. The bill now is headed to the Senate for further consideration and action. [Jones and Finch voted yes on HB 2025.]

• HB 2271 — This bill worth watching would move all city and school board elections from the spring of odd-numbered years to the fall of even-numbered years to coincide with national, state and county elections and it would make all school board elections “at-large” rather than by member districts. The intention of the bill is to get more voters out to the local and county elections. The trouble is that it could be confusing, make all races partisan, and actually could cost more money than it saves.

I have to admit the past couple of weeks have been an “eye-opener.” The House is working hard to keep this session within the allotted 90 days (80 if possible) by quickly putting out as much good work as possible, but we were not counting on snow days. Things should slow down a little as the House begins working the bills the Senate is sending over, but I would suspect it will not slow down much.  

I will be available for “Listening Sessions” to visit with constituents at the following tentative times:

• 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. March 23 at the Coffee Loft in Garnett;

• 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. March 30 at Ottawa City Hall;

• 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. April 6 at the Country Diner in Colony;

• 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. April 13 at the One Stop in Parker.

Please come and join me, and have a conversation on the issues. If you have a concern, question or just want to know your Kansas Legislature representative better, my intention is to be available to you.

Kevin Jones is Kansas House member, representing Franklin County. Email him at kevin.jones@house.ks.gov or call (785) 296-6287.