Dear Friends and Family,
Kansas celebrated its 149th birthday this
week. Hundreds of local
elementary students joined Governor Mark Parkinson at the Kansas
State Historical Society for the celebration. As we reflect
on the history of our state, I am reminded of all the things that
make Kansas the best place to live, work, and raise a family.
I hope we will protect all of those priorities as we work our way
through this budget crisis.
Throughout this week's update you will notice a common
theme. The leadership in the House of Representatives has
been dragging their feet for the last three weeks. To date,
NO legislation has been discussed on the House floor, and no pieces
of legislation addressing this economic crisis have passed out of a
House committee. I have been very disappointed in the lack of
guidance House leadership has displayed during this critical time
in our state's history. I want to see political games put
aside so the legislature can address the needs of Kansans.
Sincerely,
Mike Slattery
State Representative
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The House
Appropriations Committee continued to hear briefings from state
agencies this week regarding individual agency budgets.
Unfortunately, the committee has yet to work a budget bill.
Legislators and constituents alike are growing increasingly
frustrated with the slow pace. The committee met six times
throughout the interim to get a running start on the budget
crisis. Given the extended working period, it seems
reasonable to expect some type of concrete proposal 20 days into
the 90-day session. If the majority leadership plans to make
additional cuts to the FY 2011 budget, they have a responsibility
to begin specifically identifying what they feel can go to the
chopping block.
Before we can begin work on FY 2011, we must first pass an FY 2010
rescission bill (which is necessary to officially enact cuts made
by Governor Parkinson during the interim. The rescission bill
ensures that Kansas meets its constitutional requirement to end the
fiscal year with a positive ending balance). We have yet to
do any work on this, but since the Senate passed its rescission
bill on Wednesday, the House will hopefully follow suit and begin
their work next week.
I echo the frustration of many of my constituents. House
leadership needs to stop delaying, and allow the legislature to
serve the people we represent! |
Medicaid cuts have devastating
impact
There have been
hearings in multiple committees for the last three weeks regarding
the impact of the recently imposed 10% Medicaid cut. Kansas
has cut more from Medicaid than almost any state in the
Union. Because the state receives 50-90% in matching funds
from the federal government for this program, the total loss in
revenue for health care providers who serve Medicaid patients is
three times greater than the savings to the state. Cuts of
this magnitude force providers to cut staff, salaries, and critical
health services for our most vulnerable citizens. If funding
is not restored in FY 2011 the impact will be twice as damaging,
with a $130 million cut to providers in exchange for only a $70
million savings to the state.
The Kansas Health Policy Authority processes Medicaid claims.
Their operating budget has been reduced by 15% in the last fiscal
year. KHPA's call center, which received 250,000 calls last
year from patients, has been closed. Customer service is an
integral part of both state government and health care. The
call center closure means that if a Kansan has trouble with a claim
at the pharmacy, he can no longer call someone at KHPA to receive
immediate assistance. The pharmacist is forced to send that
person home without his medicine while they try to resolve the
problem via an electronic help form. No matter how sick that
person is, he goes without his medicine until the issue gets
resolved. As you can imagine, this creates a massive
administrative backlog.
Although KHPA has been able to maintain its current Medicaid
caseload, claims cannot be processed because there is literally no
one to do it. In fact, the growth in the backlog of applications
is expected to reach 33,000 by June, resulting in delayed or
foregone medical care for Kansans and even more revenue loss for
providers.
Medicaid providers fall under the umbrella of SRS, Aging, and
Health Policy Authority. These agencies and providers are
essential to protecting those who are in dire need of medical
care. Without proper funding, thousands of Kansans are left
without services that may literally keep them alive. |
Veterans'
service offices to close
At a time when soldiers are returning from combat in Iraq and
Afghanistan with major injuries and severe post traumatic stress,
Kansas is being forced to close down offices that provide
assistance to veterans needing benefits and assistance. Last
week in the Veterans, Military and Homeland Security Committee, the
Kansas Commission on Veterans' Affairs (KCVA) gave an update on how
budget cuts have affected our state's veterans.
Since the 2009 state budget bill passed, funding for the KCVA
service centers has been cut to less than the initial funding it
was allotted when the program started 3 years ago. Even
before these cuts, Kansas was last among all U.S. states in the
number of veteran service offices and Veteran Service
Representatives (VSR) per veteran in the state (1 VSR to 11,000
veterans). Of 15 service offices in Kansas, 3 offices have
already been closed and 7 more are at risk of closure.
Cutting services to veterans might save the state money in this
fiscal year, but there is a heavy price tag for its long-term
implications. Veteran service representatives help veterans
navigate the complex VA system in order to receive
compensation. Those veterans who do not receive the federal
benefits they need are then forced to rely on state-funded
assistance. In Kansas, only 13% of our vets are receiving the
benefits they are owed. Clearly, there is a connection
between the money our state provides for veterans and their
inability to obtain the federal benefits.
Our veterans are heroes who leave their homes and risk their lives
to defend our way of life. Often times, their experience at
war profoundly affects their emotional and physical health.
These men and women deserve our deepest gratitude, respect, and
access to the first-rate care they have earned for their service
and sacrifice. The closing of these service centers is yet
another example of how the state budget impacts every Kansas
community, that government spending has been cut to the bone in
this recession, and why many call for the end of cuts to state services. |
Hearings
continue on Governor's sales tax proposal
After hearing testimony last week in support of Governor
Parkinson's proposed sales tax increase, opponents got their say on
Tuesday. Overall, opponents argue that a sales tax increase
would have a negative impact on small businesses in the state and
decrease economic activity. Discussion also focused on
maintaining competitiveness with our border states, especially
Missouri, noting that some business owners may consider moving
their business out of the state if the sales tax increased.
Some suggested that the problem was with excessive spending and
that deeper cuts are the solution to the budget crisis.
Others emphasized that an increase in sales tax would be regressive,
harming those on the lowest end of the income scale the most
because they have the least disposable income to spend, especially
on consumable goods like groceries.
The committee passed the bill out of committee unfavorably on
Wednesday. It has not been heard on the House floor, but I
felt the move was both premature and irresponsible. Given the
inactivity of the House Appropriations Committee, it is nonsensical
to vote on possible revenue streams until we know how much money we
need or what that money will pay for.
I am not ready to endorse or reject any revenue proposal just yet.
I will consider both sides with a singular focus on what is best
for our district and state. However, it is important to point
out that Governor Parkinson's budget proposal does not increase
state spending. If his revenue package passes, it will only
maintain current funding levels. After five rounds of cuts,
those funding levels have been reduced by over $1 billion.
Ultimately, state government can't keep you safe, educate your
children, or help you through this difficult economic time unless
it has the funds to operate.
I am interested in your honest feedback on these discussions.
Should we maintain state services or should we seriously consider a
revenue package of some kind? Please contact me and tell me
what you think.
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Kansas
Bioscience Authority visits Capitol,
announces new investments
The Kansas
Bioscience Authority visited the Capitol this week to announce $4.4
million in new investments to advance the state's national
leadership in animal health, human health, and bioenergy.
Some of the new
investments include:
- $1.8
million to the University of Kansas over five years to support
research to develop novel drugs that treat and prevent
cancers.
- TVAX
Biomedical of Lenexa was awarded $600,000 to support an FDA
approved study for a patented brain cancer treatment that uses
a patient's own immune cells to fight the disease.
- Lawrence-based
ReLive for Kids will receive $50,000 as a partial match to a
$106,000 Small Business Innovation Research grant from the
National Institutes of Health to further develop a
cognitive-behavioral headache management system for teens.
- A
research team at Kansas State University was approved for
$500,000 to develop novel vaccines to combat a serious viral
disease threatening swine and swine production globally.
In Topeka, the KBA also issued its 2009 progress
report and delivered it to the Legislature. In the report,
the KBA highlighted that a national site selection magazine ranked
Kansas as #9 in the nation on its Top 10 list of states for
biotechnology. In addition, Kansas was officially selected as
the home of the $650 million National Bio and Agro-Defense
Facility, which will have an estimated $3.65 billion economic
impact as it becomes the world's preeminent research center to
protect the food supply and agriculture economy.
These investments have brought a lot to
Kansas. Through December 2009, the realized outcomes of KBA investments
have had a cumulative impact of 1,170 new jobs, $112 million in
capital investment, $46.6 million in research funding, $30.8
million in equity investments in bioscience companies, and an
estimated $76.7 million in new wages. |
Keep
in Touch
It is a great honor to serve as your state representative,
particularly during this difficult economic time. I deeply
value and need your input on the various issues facing state
government. Again, I am here to serve and represent you, and
communication between us is vital. Please feel free to
contact me with any comments and questions. My office address
is Room L-8, Docking State Office Building, Topeka, KS 66612.
You can reach me at (785) 296-7665 or call me at home at (913)
362-7528. Additionally, you can e-mail me at mike@mikeslattery.org. |
Paid for By
Slattery for
Kansas House
Aaron Otto
Treasurer
PO Box 1171
Mission KS 66222 |
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