Legislative Update #10

Greetings,

Legislative Update #10, March 11, 2009

Short Window of Opportunity

The Kansas Legislature will begin to hone in on the bills that have risen to the top. As always, there are few that survive to actually become law in relation to the numerous bills introduced. To this point, it has mostly been tweaking of current laws and many legislators ask aloud, "what have we done". Crafting a 2010 budget and how to spread the cuts will be the task ahead for the legislature. A stimulus from the feds undoubtedly helps, but there remains uncertainty about the fate and security of many State Employees. The State Minimum Wage bill and the Work Comp bill are very much alive. But, something has to happen with these bills in the next couple of weeks, jus a short window of opportunity for the fate of those bills.

State Minimum Wage (SB160) was passed overwhelmingly in the Senate and the House Commerce and Labor Committee held a hearing. We need to continue the calls to that committee urging a committee vote and sending it to the House floor. Take Action Here & Now by asking these legislators to support SB 160:

Rep.Brunk-steven.brunk@house.ks.gov or 296-7645, Rep.Grange-john.grange@house.ks.gov or 296-7655, Rep.Bethell-bob.bethell@house.ks.gov or 296-7616, Rep.B.Wolf - bill.wolf@house.ks.gov or 296-7653, Rep.Kerschen-dan.kerschen@house.ks.gov or 296-7667, Rep.Quigley-jill.quigley@house.ks.gov or 296-7682, Rep.Bowers-elaine.bowers@house.ks.gov or 296-7644, Rep.Ruiz-louis.ruiz@house.ks.gov or 296-7122, Rep.Grant-bob.grant@house.ks.gov or 296-7650, Rep.Schwab-scott.schwab@house.ks.gov or 296-7655, Rep.Garcia-delia.garcia@house.ks.gov or 296-6838, Rep.Pottorf-joann.pottorf@house.ks.gov or 296-7501, Rep.Prescott-william.prescott@house.ks.gov or 296-7604, Rep.Worley-ron.worley@house.ks.gov or 297-7633, Rep.Tietze-annie.tietze@house.house.ks.gov or 296-7669, Rep. S. Gatewood - sean.gatewood@house.ks.gov or 296-7657, Rep.Hermanson-phil.hermanson@house.ks.gov or 296-7671, Rep. Henderson - broderick.henderson@house.ks.gov or 296-7697, Rep. Palmer - shirley.palmer@house.ks.gov or 296-7698

Worker's Compensation (SB 258) is still held up in the Senate Commerce Committee, but the good news is that a sub-committee will discuss SB 258 Wednesday, March 11, 2009 in Docking Building Rm 783 at 4:00PM. Be there if you can. Again, we need you to urge the Senate (in this instance) to pass SB 258. If you have not called and emailed(Take Action Here), please do so now.

Only a handful of states cap benefits for workers permanently and totally disabled and the Kansas cap is the lowest! Contact these Senators and ask them to support the work Comp bill (SB 258).

Senate Commerce Committee: Sen.Wysong-david.wysong@senate.ks.gov or 296-7369, Sen.Lynn-julia.lynn@senate.ks.gov or 296-7382, Sen.Emler- jay.emler@senate.ks.gov or 296-7354, Sen. Kelsey - dick.kelsey@senate.ks.gov or 296-7367, Sen. Reitz-roger.reitz@senate.ks.gov or 296-7360, Sen. Wagle-susan.wagle@senate.ks.gov or 296-7386, Sen. Schodorf - jean.schodorf@senate.ks.gov or 296-7391, Sen. Holland - tom.holland@senate.ks.gov or 296-7372, Sen. Faust-Goudeau - oletha.faust-goudeau@senate.ks.gov or 296-7387.

Misclassification - The bill (HB 2175) we previously reported had passed out of committee, remains on the calendar in the House. Though it is on General Orders it has yet to be dealt with and is below the line. The KS AFL-CIO opposed the bill as it removes the "teeth" in the current law passed just a few years ago allowing the Department of Revenue and the Department of Labor to coordinate efforts to identify and hold these employers/workers accountable for their actions for illegally classifying workers as sub-contractors. Obviously a terrible bill, but still very much alive and something we would have to try to kill on the House chamber floor.

Read the Following Carefully

Employee Free Choice Act - While our country moves in the right direction to strenghten the rights of workers to organize, our state muddles around with a meaningless resolution to ask the Kansas congressional delegation to oppose the Employee Free Choice act. What a waste of time! Don't we have more important things to solve here in the state. How about the aforementioned in fixing State Minimum Wage and Workers Comp, or perhaps the State Budget, Energy, Jobs, a Highway Program, State Employees, Education. OK, much of this is still the budget, but hey, we know how the Kansas delegation is going to vote anyway, don't we. Why waste time on this in the Kansas Legislature???

Do not support the state legislation(resolution) because it is anti-Employee Free Choice Act - The 2 resolutions are SR 1828 and HR 6015. Don't be fooled by the title which gives the standard argument that unions want to remove the right to a secret ballot union election. A complete untruth and mischaracterization of the Employee Free Choice Act. We want to ask our state legislators to oppose the above referenced resolutions.

Do support Congress' Employee Free Choice Act - We'll want to support the Employee Free Choice Act in Congress. You'll be happy to know that this monumental legislation was introduced just yesterday by Rep. George Miller (D-Cal), and Senators Kennedy and Harkin in the Senate.