The Net #13
Kansas Legislative Network News
April 24, 2009
Tom Thompson
Legislative Coordinator
Sierra Club Kansas Chapter
5001 Rock Creek Lane, Mission, KS 66205
Phone: 913-236-9161; cell: 913-687-2405;
email: tomnthompson@sbcglobal.net

Governor Sebelius Vetoes Two Bills!

Since the Kansas Legislature adjourned on April 3rd, Governor Kathleen Sebelius vetoed two bills opposed by the Sierra Club, Senate Substitute for substitute for HB 2014 the Holcomb bill and HB 2121 having an opposed dairy product labeling section. How legislators voted can be found at the end of this article with preferred votes in bold.

Much speculation has been expressed concerning the appointment of Sebelius by President Obama to the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services. In many past KLN’s I have talked about the “Governor” vetoing these bills not knowing whom the Governor would be. The Sierra Club is thankful that Sebelius was able to veto these bills and wish her farewell as she continues to progress through the appointment process.

DEE-FENCE

I was going to put the letter D and clip art of a picket fence like one often sees on signs in a crowd at a football game. In many ways, politics has similar tendencies. The best defense is a good offense and once you are ahead the defense is needed to keep the other side at bay.

The vetoes by Governor Sebelius put us in the drivers seat but it is up to all of us to stay there till the final gavel strikes sometime in early May when the veto session is over. Even then, we need to watch for the possibility of a “sudden death” override attempt at “sine die” the official end of the legislative session.

Sine die will occur, depending on when the veto session ends, in late May or even early June. At sine die, only veto override votes are allowed. This seldom happens because most legislators do not attend sine die because of other commitments making it difficult to get 84 votes together for an override. Stranger things have happened.

As part of the Sierra Club defense, Sierra Club members have been asked to contact their Representatives and Senators to thank them if they voted no and to encourage them to sustain the veto. If you have done this, thank you. Please remember, members are at home until April 29th. To reach them you must call them at home; you will only get a recorded message at their capital office. Starting April 29th, one should then call them at their offices in the capital.

Volunteers Needed to Fight
Holcomb Bill!

Concerning 2014, the Sierra Club is going one step further by having volunteers call voters in targeted precincts asking people to call their legislators to encourage them to sustain the veto. Targeted districts are in Johnson, Wyandotte and Sedgwick Counties. Volunteers are needed.

To help with this endeavor, please call Stephanie Cole, staffer for the Sierra Club Clean Coal Campaign, at 913-906-9332 or email her at stephaniercole@gmail.com. She will provide you with a phone list, a script and answer any questions you might have about this activity. Help will be needed until there is a veto override vote.

The veto session begins Wednesday, April 29. A veto override attempt on either 2014 or 2121 could occur at any time starting on the 29th until the end of the veto session. The veto session is scheduled to last five days but could last much longer.

As has been said before”, It ain’t over till its over.”

Tom Thompson
Legislative Coordinator

Senate vote:

Yeas: Abrams, Apple, Barnett, Brownlee, Bruce, Brungardt, Colyer, Donovan, Emler, Haley, Huelskamp, Kelsey, Lee, Lynn, Marshall, Masterson, McGinn, Morris, Ostmeyer, Owens, Petersen, Pilcher-Cook, Pyle, Reitz, Schmidt D, Schmidt V, Taddiken, Teichman, Umbarger, Vratil, Wagle.

Nays: Faust-Goudeau, Francisco, Hensley, Holland, Kelly, Kultala, Schodorf.
Absent or Not Voting: Steineger, Wysong.

House vote:

Yeas: Aurand, Bethell, Bowers, Brookens, A. Brown, Brunk, Burgess, Carlson, Colloton, Craft, Crum, DeGraaf, Donohoe, Faber, Feuerborn, Fund, George, Goico, Gordon, Grange, Hayzlett, Hermanson, Hineman, C. Holmes, M. Holmes, Horst, Huebert, Jack, Johnson, Kelley, Kerschen, King, Kinzer, Kleeb, Knox, Landwehr, Light, Lukert, Maloney, Mast, McLeland, Morrison, Moxley, Myers, Navinsky, Neufeld, O’Brien, O’Neal, Olson, Otto, Palmer, Patton, Pauls, Peck, Phelps, Powell, Prescott, Proehl, Rhoades, Roth, Schroe- der, Schwab, Schwartz, Seiwert, Shultz, Siegfreid, Swanson, Tafanelli, Vickrey, Wetta, Whitham, Williams, B. Wolf, Yoder.

Nays: Ballard, Benlon, T. Brown, Burroughs, Carlin, Crow, Davis, Dillmore, Finney, Flaharty, Frownfelter, Furtado, Garcia, D. Gatewood, S. Gatewood, Goyle, Hawk, Hen- derson, Henry, Huntington, Kuether, Lane, Loganbill, Long, Mah, McCray-Miller, Mengh- ini, Merrick, Neighbor, Peterson, Pottorff, Quigley, Rardin, Ruiz, Sawyer, Slattery, Sloan, Spalding, Svaty, Swenson, Talia, Tietze, Trimmer, Ward, Watkins, Winn, K. Wolf, Worley.
Present but not voting: None.
Absent or not voting: Grant, Hill, Kiegerl.

Tom

Tom Thompson
Legislative Coordinator
Sierra Club Kansas Chapter