April Recess Update
Hi everyone!

It has been an interesting session so far, to say the least! The Legislature is currently adjourned until May 3rd, when we will return for veto session, which is scheduled to last until May 11th. Following that, the only day remaining will be Sine Die (final adjournment) on May 26th. So, things will wrap up pretty quickly when we return, but there is much to be done!

Important issues we have left to tackle include continuing to battle the health mandates, a potential education bill, and finalizing the FY 2022 omnibus budget. I will also be making a final push for dealing with mask and vaccine issues, such as employer and school mandates, as well as vaccine passports.

Since my last newsletter, the legislature was primarily consumed with passing conference committee reports, which is legislation that emerges from conference committees. Conference committees are composed of three members of the Senate and three from the House, that convene to work out differences between bills that have passed either chamber. As a result, many of these bills have actually been voted on by the Senate before. When they come back to us in the form of conference committee reports, they are not subject to amendment, but only get an up or down vote. If adopted by both chambers, the bill goes to the governor who may sign or veto it.

Sometimes, a bill does not go to a conference committee, and that is when we “move to concur” – that is, the Senate agrees with the House amendments or vice-versa. Similar to a conference committee, motions to concur are not subject to amendment, only to debate and an up or down vote.

Accordingly, this newsletter will largely be a recap on the major issues we are addressing this session, including emergency orders, property and income taxes, 2nd amendment rights, election integrity, Fairness in Women's Sports, anti-stalking legislation, and teaching civics and financial literacy in our high schools. I've also included the Vote Tracker which details all the bills we voted on, and how I voted on each!

Here is an outline of the extensive information to follow:
  • Local City/County Mask Mandate Status
  • KDOL Debacle and New Legislation
  • Major Legislation Recap
  • Legislative Forecast - Veto Session and Beyond
  • Thompson Vote Tracker
  • Survey Coming!
Local City/County Mask Mandate Status
I know many of you are as frustrated with the local mask mandates as I am, especially since other state governors or legislatures – including Idaho, Florida, Arizona, North Dakota, Arkansas, and others – are working on lifting their local mandates, as well as the statewide ones.  In the Veto Session, I plan on pushing for legislation that would do the same here in Kansas.

Before I go forward with the rest of the newsletter, I know many of you are confused about where mask mandates are in effect, and where they are not. With the state mandate gone, it can be confusing to follow. Below is a guide about where mask mandates stand in eastern Kansas counties surrounding Kansas City: 

Statewide – There is NO statewide mask mandate. If you see a business that has a sign requiring masks that blames it on state mandates, it is not correct.

Johnson County – Johnson County has a mask mandate, and it is extended through April 30th. However, it was amended in late March to NOT INCLUDE religious activities, events, etc., so if your church is still mandating masks based on what they believe is a local mandate, it is no longer in place.

Wyandotte County – Wyandotte County has a mask mandate in place, and it is similar to Johnson in that it does not include religious activities, events, etc. What’s peculiar about the Wyandotte mandate is that it doesn’t apply to the outdoors when you can socially distance, yet the Sentinel reported recently that the Kansas City Monarchs are still planning on requiring fans to wear masks, even though their season does not start until late May.

Douglas County – Douglas County just voted unanimously to extend their mask mandate until May 26th.

Leavenworth County – Leavenworth County is totally mask-mandate free! The county never had a mask mandate and to my knowledge, the city of Basehor never had one either. The cities of Leavenworth, Lansing, and Tonganoxie all voted recently to drop their municipal mask mandates, and I am unaware of any other mask rules in any other town in Leavenworth. Please note that some local businesses may still be requiring masks.

Miami County – Miami County no longer has a mandate. The city of Louisburg does not. Paola has voted to rescind their mandate, effective April 21st. As of the time of this newsletter, Osawatomie seems to still have a mask mandate in effect, per their website.

Jefferson County – Jefferson County no longer has a mask mandate in effect, and I am not aware of any of their cities that do either.

As you know, I have been against health mandates from the start. The state and local governments are not your nannies and should trust you, as adults, to be able to distill information and make your own personal decisions regarding your safety and the safety of your family. The longer these health restrictions are in place, the harder it will be to return to normal, and if you are paying attention...you know that returning to a pre-Covid Kansas is a real struggle...and it should not be!!

In the meantime, please contact your County Commissioners and let them know you would like the mandate repealed! 
KDOL Debacle and New Legislation
One of the biggest government failings during the COVID-19 pandemic has been the disastrous performance of the Kelly administration in administering unemployment benefits. Recently we approved the appointment of Amber Shultz as the new Labor Secretary and I am hopeful that things will improve, as she has been responsive to our calls for assistance with constituent problems.

However, it has been a very rocky path for many unemployed across the state. We have been flooded with calls and emails from constituents who have not received the benefits they have earned and have been unable to get a response from the Department of Labor. During that same period of time the Department of Labor paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent claims. That is money that should have gone to legitimate claims, and I suspect the fraud put a serious dent in the ability of KDOL to pay out valid claims during the last half of 2020 and early 2021.

While the money for valid claims seems to finally be moving in the proper direction, there are some serious structural problems with the system that need to be addressed. I can tell you that there were days that 80% of the efforts of my office were being diverted to working on helping people get their situation taken care of. We were happy to do it, but it also restricted our ability to be effective on other pressing matters as well.

During this time, it became necessary for the Legislature to step in, and we passed S Sub for HB 2196, a bill that will modernize the Kansas unemployment system in a number of ways. I have details on the bill below, in the Thompson Vote Tracker.

I certainly hope that KDOL gets its house in order so that I can focus my attention on the job you sent me to Topeka to handle.
Major Legislation Recap
Below is a list of where we stand on the major topics of the legislative session:

Kansas Emergency Management Act – As reported previously, SB 40 was signed into law by Governor Kelly and is currently in effect. It was an improvement of where we were at, and I hope to have more reforms implemented in the future. I will be encouraging leadership to run a bill lifting all local mandates. I also want to ensure there are no vaccine mandates or passports. All of these ideas are dangerous threats to our personal liberties and constitutional rights. We need to restore the desire to protect those rights for everyone!

Property Taxes – SB 13, the property tax reform bill, was signed into law by Governor Kelly. It is going to be a model for other legislatures to follow, and so we should be very proud of its passage. It will allow you, the voter, to know when your local government is going to increase your taxes AND it forces them to vote publicly. The days of hiding behind property valuation increases to raise your taxes are over.

Income Taxes – SB 50, which the Governor vetoed late last night, would have allowed Kansans to itemize their tax deductions even if they did not do so on their Federal tax return. This would amount to a very modest tax cut that lets our residents keep more of their hard earned money.

This is even more necessary now, as many business owners were hit hard...and continue to be hit by the residual economic impact of the COVID restrictions. Plus, over the past year...and in 2021, the Kansas coffers have either received...or will receive a total of around $2 Billion in Federal stimulus money. (It could end up being more.) Heaven forbid government find a way to live without a meager amount of tax revenues from people actually holding on to their own cash!! Kansas is the 3rd most expensive state in the Union for retirees thanks to a combination of sales, income, and property taxes.

If we want to be more competitive, reducing the tax burden and being fiscally responsible is necessary. SB50 was a tiny step in that direction.

I am confident the Senate will override Kelly's veto immediately when we return.

2nd Amendment – Last week, the legislature sent two bills to the governor that expand 2nd Amendment rights in Kansas. One bill would specify a valid license or permit to carry a concealed firearm issued by another jurisdiction would be recognized in Kansas if such permit/license holder is not a Kansas resident. Such licenses and permits would entitle the lawful holder to carry concealed handguns as defined in Kansas law, and would require such persons to act in accordance with Kansas laws while carrying a concealed handgun in the state. A second bill requires gun safety classes in schools based on the renowned Eddie Eagle program. I voted Yes on both bills.

Securing Our Elections - A priority of mine this session was passing legislation that made it harder to tamper with our elections. While the elections in Kansas are largely secure and we have not encountered some of the issues in other states, many of us felt there were things we could do to improve our laws to ensure that remains the case.

HB 2332 requires any third-party who sends out advance voting applications to identify who they are, who the head of their organization is, and a clear statement indicating it is not mailed from the government. It would also prevent the Governor, the Executive Branch, and the Judicial Branch from altering election laws, as occurred last year. It also broadened the definition of election tampering. 

The Senate also passed the final version of S Sub for HB 2332, which among a number of provisions, would:

  • Make it unlawful for any person to knowingly backdate or otherwise alter a postmark or other official indication of the date of mailing of an advance mail ballot if the intent is to make the mailing date appear different from the actual date of mailing by the voter or voter’s designee.
  • Prohibit a county election officer from accepting an advance voting ballot transmitted by mail unless they first verify the signature on an advance voting ballot envelope matches the signature on file in the county voter registration records. If the signature of a person on the advance voting ballot envelope does not match the signature on file, the ballot would not be counted.
  • Remove the authority of the Secretary of State to extend the deadline for receiving advance mail ballots. Under current law, the deadline for a county election office to receive advance voting ballots is the last mail delivery on the third day following an election, unless extended by the Secretary. 
  • Prohibit any person from delivering an advance voting ballot on behalf of another person, unless the person submits an accompanying written statement at the time of delivery, signed by both the voter and the person delivering the ballot.
  • Limits ballot harvesting by limiting the number of ballots someone could return to ten.

Both bills passed with 27 votes in the Senate, and I voted Yes both times.

Fairness in Women’s Sports – We passed SB 55, which contains the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, which simply says that only biological women should play women’s sports – a basic concept. While the left disparaged the attempt using inappropriate language on the Senate floor and the NCAA used its typical bullying tactics, we remained strong and passed the legislation with nearly a 2/3 majority. We anticipate the governor will veto the bill but we will not stop fighting for this important cause!

Anti Stalking Bill – in a unanimous vote, the Senate passed HB 2071, which would amend the definition of the crime of stalking to include intentionally engaging in a course of conduct targeted at a specific child under the age of 14. The crime would occur when a reasonable person, in the circumstances of the targeted child or an immediate family member of such child, feared for such child’s safety.
The penalty for the new provision would be a severity level 7 person felony for a first conviction, and a severity level 4 person felony for a second or subsequent conviction. The Johnson County District Attorney testified that the bill closes a loophole that was identified in a recently widely publicized case in Johnson County. Law enforcement was also strongly supportive of the legislation.
This bill has been signed into law by the governor.

Teaching Civics and Financial Literacy – A surprisingly contentious debate occurred on Thursday over HB 2039, which would simply require students to pass an American civics test in order to graduate with a high school diploma. The bill would require the civics test be composed of a total of 60 questions selected from the naturalization test administered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The bill would allow teachers to use 20 multiple choice questions provided online by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website in the civics test. The bill would also require, for grades 11 and 12, a personal financial literacy course to be taken at least one semester or two quarters in length.

These two common sense ideas were opposed by most Senate Democrats and a couple of Republicans, but the bill did pass 25-13 - and is now on the governor's desk.
Legislative Forecast -
Veto Session & Beyond
Here is what I anticipate working on when we return:

Education
Unfortunately, one bill we adopted – SB 175 – failed on a 20-20 vote. SB 175 was a student-focused bill that included K-12 education funding for FY 2022, the Student Empowerment Act, and the expansion of the tax credit low-income scholarship program, which had previously passed the Senate. It also contained provisions promoting student academic achievement. The Student Empowerment Act was tailored to address at-risk students in public schools, providing the parents of those children with additional opportunities. The legislation failed on a 20-20 vote, which means that education funding and the important educational freedom provisions will have to be addressed in the veto session. I voted Yes.

I am hopeful we will be able to vote for the school choice provisions again.

Vaccine Passport Ban & Lifting Local Mandates
I would also like to see us do as other states are doing in preventing the government or businesses from requiring proof of vaccination. While those who desire a vaccine should certainly be able to get one, those who chose not to – for a disease with such a high survival rate – should not be forced to in order to enjoy the basic functions of life. I cringe at the stories where sports teams like the Buffalo Bills may require vaccine passports to watch a game. This should not be allowed. Period!

In addition, the prevalence of local mask mandates is preventing a return to normal. The time has passed for the usefulness of mask mandates, even if we accept they were ever appropriate. The hodge-podge of local ordinances is also causing some businesses to be confused about what’s required and what is not. While I don’t anticipate being able to go as far as preventing businesses from requiring masks, I certainly think there is increased appetite for preventing local governments from imposing their own mandates. Again...people are smart enough to make their own health decisions! It’s common sense!

Beyond the Veto Session
While the veto session is short, there is much work to be done. I will be talking to my colleagues about ways to implement a ban on vaccine mandates. I will also be setting the stage for developing plans to make Kansas more competitive from an energy cost standpoint. This is a very complex problem and I will be working during the off-session months to find solutions. I also want to find ways to protect our kids from several Marxist agendas that are becoming more prevalent in our schools. These dangerous ideas are being taught to children as young as Kindergarten, and they are designed to eventually tear this country apart, and dumb-down our kids. There are other dangerous ideas proliferating through our society that are disguised as benign programs, but they are all part of the Green New Deal and totalitarianism.

We must be vigilant. The Federal government will not protect us...so it is up to the States to fight back...and it makes our jobs all the more difficult, but necessary.
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Thompson Vote Tracker
Below is a list of bills we voted on in the last two weeks:

HB 2218 would amend law governing the implementation and administration of the State Health Care Benefits Program to add language regarding the role of the State Employees Health Care Commission, modify the membership requirements of the Commission, and specify additional reporting information to be provided by the Commission to the Legislature.
HB 2218 passed 36-4 and is headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

HB 2007 is the budget for FY 2022. A complete description can be read by clicking here. It includes adjusted funding for fiscal year FY 2021 and 2022 for state agencies and FY 2021 and 2022 capital improvement expenditures for a number of state agencies. Thankfully, HB 2007 does not include the Governor’s recommendation to reamortize the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) legacy unfunded actuarial liability over 25 years, which I oppose. As substantive legislation, such as that introduced in HB 2399, has not been passed to reamortize, cost savings attributable to the Governor’s reamortization recommendation have been deleted, increasing expenditures by $177.3 million, including $158.7 million from the State General Fund (SGF), for FY 2022. It does not include K-12 education, which will be passed separately.
The bill passed 21-14. Having also passed the House, it is headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

HB 2143 is a conference committee report containing several provisions related to sales tax in Kansas:

  • It would extend the sunset on an exclusion of certain motor vehicle manufacturer rebates from the selling price for sales tax purposes to June 30, 2024. Current law excludes cash rebates granted by manufacturers to purchasers or lessees of new motor vehicles if such rebates are paid directly to retailers, but this provision is scheduled to sunset on June 30, 2021.
  • It would exempt the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation of Kansas and Multi Community Diversified Services from paying sales tax on purchases related to the building, maintenance, and enlargement of facilities used to house non-students of the institutions.
  • It would provide a sales tax exemption for purchases made by nonprofit integrated community care organizations.
  • It would also provide a sales tax exemption for the Friends of Hospice of Jefferson County for purchases made for the purposes of providing end-of-life hospice care and on all sales of entry or participation fees, charges, or tickets for the fundraising event of the organization.
  • It would increase, as of January 1, 2024, the threshold filing amount for retailers to submit sales taxes to the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR). The bill would increase the threshold amount from $400 to $1,000 for annual filings, and from $4,000 to $5,000 for quarterly filings. Retailers with annual liability in excess of $5,000 would be required to file and remit sales tax on a monthly basis. The liability threshold for retailers required to pay the sales tax liability for the first 15 days of each month on the 25th day of that month would be increased from $40,000 to $50,000.
HB 2143 passed 38-0 and is headed to the governor. I voted Yes.
 
S Sub for HB 2196 would modernize the Kansas unemployment system in a number of ways. It would:

  • Create the Unemployment Compensation Modernization and Improvement Council.
  • Require the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) to modernize its information technology infrastructure; make temporary changes to the membership of the Employment Security Review Board; make changes to Employment Security Rates tables.
  • Require the Secretary of Labor to provide tax notifications and certain Employment Security Fund Data Reporting.
  • Provide for certain employer account protections; provide for transfers of federal coronavirus relief aid to the Employment Security Fund and the Legislature Employment Security Fund.
  • Prohibit the continuation of federal unemployment compensation programs using state funds.
  • Adjust thresholds for maximum benefits.
  • Modify the shared work program and make other employment security compensation changes.

S Sub for HB 2196 passed 38-0. It is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

HB 2405 would authorize the Kansas Development Finance Authority (KDFA) to issue bonds, in one or more series, in an amount not to exceed $500.0 million, plus all amounts required to pay the costs of issuance. Proceeds from those bonds must be applied to the unfunded actuarial pension liability of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS). The interest rate of those bonds would not exceed 4.3%. No bonds could be issued without the approval of the State Finance Council, which could give approval while the Legislature is in session.
HB 2405 passed 32-6 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

S Sub for HB 2208 contains several provisions related to health care in Kansas:

  • It would enact the Rural Emergency Hospital Act and create a category of licensure to enable certain Kansas hospitals to receive federal health care reimbursement as rural emergency hospitals; establish certification for certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs); authorize licensed out-of-state physicians with telemedicine waivers to practice telemedicine in Kansas; and modify licensure, temporary permit, and regulatory requirements on the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) and its licensees.
  • The bill would establish the Rural Hospital Innovation Grant Program and the Rural Hospital Innovation Grant Fund. The bill would require a rural hospital to exhaust all opportunities for federal moneys available to such hospital for transitional assistance, including, but not limited to, any federal moneys related to COVID-19 relief that may be used for such purposes, before a Rural Hospital Innovation Grant may be awarded.
  • Additionally, the bill would require the Director of the Budget to certify and determine on June 15, 2021, unencumbered federal funds received by the State that may be used to award such grants. An aggregate amount equal to $10.0 million in available special revenue bonds would be transferred to the Fund on July 1, 2021.

The bill passed 34-4 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

HB 2114 would create the Kansas Senior Care Task Force, create and amend law regarding elder and dependent adult abuse multidisciplinary teams, and amend law regarding abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of adults.
HB 2114 passed 34-4 and is now headed to the governor. I voted No.

HB 2021 would authorize the Kansas Development Finance Authority (KDFA), on and after July 1, 2021, to issue bonds, not to exceed $10.5 million, for the purpose of financing the construction of a state veterans home facility located in northeast Kansas, including, but not limited to, in Douglas, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Shawnee, and Wyandotte counties. Additionally, the bill would amend a statute that established tuition waiver grants of the State Board of Regents for dependents and spouses of public safety officers and those who died in or as a result of military service on or after September 11, 2001.
HB 2021 passed 37-1 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

SB 178 would amend provisions governing organization and supervision in the Kansas Banking Code to permit a national bank, federal savings association, or federal savings bank to convert to a state trust company. The bill would also permit a trust company to convert its charter to one of the above-named financial institutions.
SB 178 passed 38-0 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

SB 86 would create the Kansas Extraordinary Utility Costs Loan Deposit Program, which would provide incentives for the making of loans to eligible borrowers for the extraordinary natural gas costs incurred during the extreme winter weather event of February 2021.
SB 86 passed 36-2 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

HB 2390 would review, amend, and add exceptions to the Kansas Opens Records Act (KORA) and would create and amend law regarding the filing of fraudulent liens.
HB 2390 passed 38-0 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

HB 2244 would amend the Commercial Industrial Hemp Act to transfer registration and regulation of industrial hemp processors currently regulated by the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) to the State Fire Marshal. The bill would also amend law regarding the disposal of industrial hemp.
HB 2244 passed 36-3 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

SB 143 would update and rearrange definitions regarding grain and grain warehouses, clarify when applications for licenses should be made, remove a reference regarding an independent public accountant, clarify the fee for a functional unit license, increase the maximum fee caps for storage fees, increase the allowable examination period for grain warehouses, and make technical changes.
SB 143 passed 33-6 and is now headed to the governor. I voted No.

SB 38 would establish a pesticide waste disposal program and add and amend law regarding the roles of the Division of Conservation within the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the State Conservation Commission.
SB 38 passed 37-2 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

H Sub for SB 26 update statutes related to the regulatory authority of the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) with regard to motor carriers.
H Sub for SB 26 passed 39-0 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

Sub for HB 2166 would add several types of license plates; would add reporting requirements for organizations sponsoring distinctive license plates; would amend requirements for distinctive license plate development, continuing distinctive license plates, and personalized license plate backgrounds; and would require an annual payment of a $10 firefighters training fee for each new or renewed firefighter license plate starting January 1, 2022.
Sub for HB 2166 passed 29-5 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

SB 127 amends law related to driver’s licenses. Among several provisions, it would add a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to the driver’s licenses that could be renewed online, except if the CDL has a hazardous materials endorsement. The bill would require any person seeking to renew a CDL to provide the Division of Vehicles, and the bill would extend the maximum age for online application for renewal of a driver’s license from less than age 50 to less than age 65.
SB 127 passed 39-0 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

SB 95 would amend a requirement regarding odometer readings upon assignment of a vehicle title and would amend the definitions for “all-terrain vehicle” (ATV) and “recreational off-highway vehicle” (ROV).
SB 95 passed 39-0 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

SB 36 would amend procedures related to certain vehicle identification number (VIN) checks and transfer of ownership of certain salvage vehicles; prohibit a motor vehicle from being towed out of Kansas without the consent of the driver or owner of the vehicle; and make technical changes, including changes to remove outdated language.
SB 36 passed 39-0 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.
 
HB 2243 would make several changes to law governing the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) pertaining to a study performed by the KPERS Board of Trustees, authorization of the allotment for the KPERS Death and Disability Program and a moratorium on payments in FY 2021 by all employers, provisions in the Kansas Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) Act relating to participating members’ election and extension of their DROP periods, and administration of certain KPERS benefits and the application of certain federal Internal Revenue Code provisions on the Retirement System.
HB 2243 passed 39-0 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.
 
SB 122 would amend various sections within the Kansas Rules of Evidence.
SB 122 passed 36-3 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

SB 107 would enact the Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal Act [UFIPA] and repeal the Uniform Principal and Income Act [UPIA]. Throughout the UFIPA, some provisions from UPIA are continued, reorganized, or updated without substantive changes. The bill also would amend one statute within the Kansas Uniform Trust Code (UTC).
SB 107 passed 39-0 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

SB 106 would enact the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA) and repeal the Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (ULONA), as well as other current laws regarding notaries.
SB 106 passed 39-0 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

SB 103 would amend law in several ways, including:

  • It would amend the Kansas Power of Attorney Act to state a power of attorney executed on or after July 1, 2021, would be deemed sufficient if in substantial compliance with the form set forth by the Judicial Council and would direct the Judicial Council to develop such form.  
  • It would also amend the section of the Act governing liability of third persons with respect to reliance on a power of attorney to specify its provisions address reliance on powers of attorney acknowledged pursuant to the Uniform Law on Notarial Acts and to add that a signature on a power of attorney is presumed to be genuine if acknowledged pursuant to the Uniform Law on Notarial Acts. This section also would be amended to state nothing in its listing of determinations for which a third person is not responsible would relieve the third\ person of any duty to report abuse, neglect, or exploitation under certain mandatory reporter statutes. The bill would state making such report would relieve the third person of any liability for not accepting a power of attorney.
  • It would also amend this section of the Act to allow a third person requested to engage in transactions with a principal through the principal’s attorney-in-fact to:
 
  1. Request and rely upon a certification by the attorney-in-fact, provided under penalty of perjury, of any factual matter concerning the principal, attorney-in-fact, or power of attorney; and
  2. Request and rely upon an opinion of the third person’s counsel as to any matter of law concerning the power of attorney, if the third person provides in a writing or other record the reason for the request.
  3. The bill would state an attorney-in-fact’s certification would be deemed sufficient if it is in substantial compliance with the form set forth by the Judicial Council and would direct the Judicial Council to develop such form.

SB 107 passed 39-0 and is now headed to the governor. I voted Yes.

HB 2408 would authorize and direct the Executive Director of the Kansas Historical Society (KSHS), on behalf of the KSHS, to convey by quitclaim deed, a 9.86 acre parcel of land in Doniphan County to the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska. The legal description of the parcel is provided in the bill, which also states the property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the “Iowa, Sac and Fox Presbyterian Mission.”
The bill passed 33-6. I voted No.

S Sub for HB 2138 would make changes to the Kansas Liquor Control Act and Club and Drinking Establishment Act concerning suspending, canceling, or revoking certain liquor licenses; days and times of sale of liquor and cereal malt beverage (CMB); and refillable and sealable containers of liquor and CMB.
The bill passed 33-6. I voted No.

SB 89 would amend law on securing loads on vehicles to create an exemption for trucks, trailers, or semitrailers when hauling agricultural forage commodities intrastate from the place of production to a market or place of storage or from a place of storage to a place of use. The bill would state this exemption would not apply to trucks, trailers, or semitrailers hauling hay bales or other packaged or bundled forage commodities. Continuing law requires securing a load on a vehicle so as to prevent any of this load from dropping, sifting, leaking, or otherwise escaping.
SB 89 passed 40-0 and is headed to the governor. I voted Yes.
Survey Coming!
In the next few days, we will be publishing an online survey with a few quick questions about policy in Kansas. I encourage you to participate!

In the meantime, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me.

Thank you!

Your Senator,

Mike Thompson
PAID FOR BY MIKE THOMPSON FOR KANSAS, SHEILA WODTKE, TREASURER