Issues

Eminent Domain

You probably remember this term from your social studies classes in high school.  Eminent domain is the power of units of government to acquire property by paying property owners the fair market value of their property.

This issue has put undue focus on our community.  I believe that most cities and counties use this authority with utmost caution, care, integrity, and responsibility.  Unfortunately, like most laws we pass in Kansas, we must consider legislating to protect landowners against a tiny fraction of localities that abuse their powers of eminent domain.  This will have adverse affects on those who do uphold the intent of the law.

A variety of bills have been proposed to curb the use of eminent domain, including a constitutional amendment.  The amendment failed, but we have had a great deal of discussion in the legislature about various changes to address the many concerns of the business and agriculture communities, as well as the serious concerns of property owners.

Education

I have consistently supported efforts to increase local control of our Shawnee Mission schools.  While educating the next generation of students is crucial to the future of our state and its economy, we must be diligent to care for the needs of their grandparents as well.  Many of our friends and neighbors are struggling under the weight of taxes, specifically property taxes that are used to raise money for our local schools.  Local control is fundamental to maintaining our success in Shawnee Mission, but property taxes are not the magic bullet.

Elderly & Disabled

Our community is unique and has unique needs.  Shawnee and Merriam are home to young, single professionals owning their first homes.  Increasingly, couples with young children are finding our tree-lined streets, practical-sized homes, and tight-knit neighborhoods a warmhearted spot to raise their children.  Most notably, we have grown wise with the commitment of seniors that have been the foundation of our community for decades.  These pillars of our community built our roads, schools, and our sense of identity.

While health costs rise, there are a handful of measures we can take to help the elderly stay in their homes, close to their families, and lead independent lives. 

• Affordable, accessible transportation is a crucial component of healthy living for active seniors. 
• Health care, prescription drug, retirement, and funeral planning counseling to protect the elderly against scams will save our friends and neighbors' time, money, and heartache.
• Keeping property taxes low is a top priority for me because increasing costs for those on a fixed income, who have lived in their homes for decades, is a sure-fire way to drive the elderly out of their homes and neighborhoods.  This is a quality of life issue for most of our residents.

Taxes

As a fiscal conservative in the Kansas House, I have consistently fought tax increases that disproportionately affect Johnson Countians.  One-third of the tax revenue Kansas receives comes directly from Johnson County in the form of sales, income, and property taxes.

One tool Merriam has to keep taxes at home is tax situs on motor vehicles.  When Kansans come from all over the state to find a large selection of cars, they come to our community.  When they spend their money, the sales tax paid on those vehicles deserves to stay here at home in Merriam where our residents work hard to earn those sales and where our residents welcome the traffic that comes with those car lots.  During Rep. Morrison's tenure in the House, she has consistently fought off attempts to change motor vehicle tax situs, saving Merriam from doubling its local taxes. 

Human Rights

During the 2005 legislative session, I introduced legislation to combat human trafficking and slavery in Kansas.  Unintentional loopholes in the law were enabling predators to take advantage of vulnerable foreign women and men who were simply looking for opportunities to improve their lives by coming to the United States.  As a result of my work, Kansas has established a hotline for human trafficking, and there have been public service announcements on radio and TV calling attention to this critical human rights issue.  I worked with members of the House and Senate to craft language that unanimously passed both chambers.  The language in House Bill 2004 was signed into law in 2005.

Victims Rights

Along the same lines as human rights and trafficking, I introduced House Bill 2626.  HB 2626 is derived from President Bush's DNA initiative and is linked to the national database.

HB 2626 would amend the law regarding missing persons by expanding the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) database on missing persons to include an unidentified person database. The information would be maintained in order to improve the ability to locate and return missing persons, identify persons or human remains, and inform family members. Information in the database would be available to law enforcement officers, state coroners, and state agencies with the need to know. The bill would outline procedural guidelines and time frames related to reporting.

The bill also would provide that the law enforcement agency investigating the report shall not give information to the reporting party if the law enforcement agency has reason to believe the missing person is an adult or an emancipated minor and is staying at or has made contact with a domestic violence or sexual assault program or the missing person does not expressly consent to the release of this information.

When it comes to victims, I have made it a priority to protect the youngest victims in our society.  In 2005, I supported HB 2126, which would allow a State Representative to participate in a child in need of care (CINC) hearing as observers, if their presence is requested by the parents or guardians of the child.

Our military, our security

There are a few things we can do at the state level to show appreciation to Kansans that serve in the military.  I supported HB 2210, exempting hunter's safety education requirements for certain current or former members of the armed forces.  The bill had a hearing on January 25, 2006.

As our World War II veterans grow older and wiser, we are losing the lessons learned and experiences gained by these mainstays of American culture.  In 2005, I cosponsored HB 2338 that tasks the Kansas Historical Society with the project of gathering the stories of Kansas World War II veterans.  It was signed into law on May 9, 2005.