The Kansas Legislature reconvened on Jan. 8 and will end in April.
In the upcoming session, lawmakers will deal with a variety of issues such as Medicaid expansion, school funding, taxation, voting rights, and medical cannabis legislation.
Not all of the bills introduced get hearings or consideration by the legislature due to the lack of time during our short session. However, I’m happy to say’ I’ve already been granted a hearing on the “Crown Act” (Senate Bill-36), which was held on Jan.11. This bill makes it illegal to discriminate based on natural hair styles.
Here are some of the other bills I will be personally working on.
Expanding Restrictive Drivers licenses: This legislation will help those with revoked drivers licenses by allowing them to participate in the current Restrictive Drivers Program within the Dept. of Revenue. If passed as presented, this bill will allow individuals with restricted driver’s licenses to be able to join those with suspended driver’s licenses in a state program that allows them to legally drive to work, school, doctor appointments, drop off kids at daycare, go to the grocery store and to court hearings while maintaining car insurance and making payments on their traffic fines.
As a member of the MyVA Board, I will introduce a bill to help homeless veterans obtain Kansas Identification Cards and allow them to use the Dole Institute’s mailing address to receive their ID cards.
I was also requested by Ramona Chapman to introduce the “HELPERS Act,” which aims to provide ease of access and specialized mortgage resources for teachers, police, firefighters and paramedics.
Keena Charles, director of “Violence Impact,” requested introduction of a bill that designates a certain area in the courtroom for family members of murdered children to sit, and the organization would also like for their deceased loved one to be referred to by their name in the courtroom as opposed to just being called the victim.
Finally, I will continue my advocacy for the Maternal Mortality Bill to help save the lives of mothers and their babies and the “Stand your Ground” law to clarify the original intent of the law to prevent cases in the future like Cedric Lofton’s, where the law enforcement officers who sat on him until he was lifeless were able to use the “Stand Your Ground” as a way to avoid any form of prosecution.
I will also push for a bill advocated for by the youth group Progeny to eliminate fines and fees affecting our youth and their future. And, I’ve requested another bill dealing with small, minority, women, disadvantaged and service-disabled veterans’ businesses, and I’ll continue my work on foster care issues.
If you’d like to testify on a bill, call 785-296-7363 or email Sheila.Wodtke@Senate.ks.gov. She can notify you of upcoming hearings on bills you’re interested in. Let her know if you want to testify in person, by Zoom, or written testimony only. Testimony on a bill can be submitted in PDF format.
