View from the Hill

The Governor can veto legislation that has been passed after careful consideration by 165 legislators. The legislature, which is given the ability to make laws by the constitution, has the last say.

This week, we will be addressing those bills that she has vetoed. This column is a compilation of legislation that has passed and signed into law as of Tuesday, April 7.

s a senator, I represent the people of the 24th district specifically and Kansas in general. The deal presented to us was unacceptable and therefore I was a no vote, not because I don’t like the Chiefs, but because I care about the economic health of our state. The dying small towns of Kansas will not be helped by a showcase event in far eastern Kansas.

The senate finished committee hearings on Tuesday of this week. Judiciary committee had an especially busy week. Bills that strengthen foster care and prevent violent offenders from being on our streets were especially important to get moved into the process. With committee work done, we focused on debating legislation on the floor of the Senate. Wednesday and Thursday were full days as we debated 87 bills in those two days. Most of those were House bills that needed senate a

We all enjoy exploring what-if in our brains. Learning in the formative years is too important to trust methods that indicators illustrate are ineffective. It takes time for our brains to process the fact that images we have seen indicating potential success are simply not working.

Rising Kansas property taxes are making the dream of homeownership harder to achieve—especially for seniors on fixed incomes struggling to keep up with increasing valuations.

The Kansas Highway Patrol does far more than patrol highways. From removing dangerous drivers and narcotics from our roads to securing the State Capitol, protecting the Governor, training new troopers, and operating the statewide dispatch and communications network, the KHP plays a vital role in keeping Kansas safe. With major operations based in Salina and plans for new facilities and expanded training, the Patrol continues its 80-year mission of “Service, Courtesy, and Prot

In 1954, U.S. Representative Ed Rees from Emporia, Kansas, presented a bill that established November 11 as a national holiday titled “Veterans Day.” Abilene native, then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower, signed Veterans Day into law on May 26, 1954.

For those who vote in elections, there is a feeling that you are doing your part to shape the direction of our country. It is at the same time a satisfying and frustrating experience. Many of us have a feeling of duty to our communities and ultimately to our nation to vote our preferences for leadership. At the same time, it feels like our single vote is meaningless in the course of an election. As you read this, most yard signs have come down and races have mostly been decid

Recently, I was in a room where tables were covered with pieces of various jigsaw puzzles. One table had 2000 pieces that were in an array of colors and shapes. Looking at that multitude of pieces did not reveal how the finished effort would look. A guiding picture on a box is an essential part of understanding “what goes where.” When I look at the tax structure our state uses to fund its many programs, it is much like a puzzle that lacks a definitive image unless you can s

There has been a significant amount of state and national news stories about redrawing United States Congressional Districts. Kansas has four Congressional Districts, two of which are primarily urban, and two which are mainly rural in their demographics. An explanation of the thoughts that are going into the decision to redistrict or not is important for voters to know. The United States Constitution in Article 1, Section 4 gives the authority to determine Congressional Distr

Columbus, like his holiday, received mixed reviews while alive and still 500 plus years later. Even though Columbus has detractors he also exhibited characteristics that we would do well to emulate.

The invention of the twentieth century that truly changed America was the mass-produced automobile. While other countries rely heavily on public transportation, Americans have a love affair with their cars. On this day in 1913, Henry Ford started mass producing cars in Highland Park, Michigan. Because of production techniques that revolutionized manufacturing, Ford reduced the cost of a Model T from $860 to $250 and America became a mobile society. When asked how he knew what

If we are to continue to be the bright shining city on the hill, we need to recommit ourselves to protect the rights of people to succeed and encourage the excellence that has become the envy of the world.

Life changes in instances. We live our lives in a comfortable routine, sometimes almost enjoying the mundane. Then in an instant everything changes. An example would be the attempted destruction of America when crazed terrorists killed over 3,000 people by flying planes into buildings. We all changed when that happened. This last week was the 24 th anniversary of 9/11, as it is now called. Unfortunately, an event that happened the day before 9/11 changed our lives again. Th