Members say the Kansas Conservative Caucus is meant to offer independent analysis of bills and policy issues that come before the Legislature.
A group of conservatives in the Kansas Legislature is setting up a kind of "think tank" to analyze bills and policy issues that come up during the session.
The Kansas Conservative Caucus filed articles of incorporation last month as a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation.
Organizers say its purpose will be to give a conservative analysis of bills and policy issues that come before the Legislature, and to give caucus members information they can use in making decisions.
"There has not been anything like it in Kansas," said Rep. Peggy Palmer, R-Wichita, who is one of the organizers of the conservative caucus.
"It's really unusual because this organization's exclusive focus will be to assist legislators during the session -- after they are elected," Palmer said. "The basic purpose of the group is to analyze bills."
Palmer said the caucus plans to analyze every bill that comes before the Legislature next year using four criteria that form the basis of conservative philosophy: limited government, free enterprise, individual liberties and family values.
So far, Palmer said, 27 legislators have signed up as members of the Kansas Conservative Caucus. Although she would not disclose the complete membership list, citing it as confidential, she said it includes both senators and representatives, Republicans and Democrats.
The articles of incorporation filed with the Kansas Secretary of State's office lists seven members of the board of directors.
In addition to Palmer, they are: Rep. Tim Carmody, R-Overland Park; Rep. Andrew Howell, R-Fort Scott; Rep. Mike Farmer, R-Wichita; Rep. Phill Kline, R-Shawnee; Sen. Tim Huelskamp, R-Fowler; and Sen. Stan Clark, R-Oakley.
The group also has hired a full-time executive director, Joan Hawkins of Lawrence, a recent graduate of the Kansas University Law School.
Hawkins worked during the 1998 session as an intern for former Rep. Cliff Franklin, R-Merriam. Hawkins worked during the 1999 session as a secretary in the legislative office of Republican Reps. Palmer, Brenda Landwehr and Patricia Lightner.
According to Kline, all of the money for the caucus has come from donations from the individual members.
Shortly after organizing, the group requested an opinion from the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission on whether the members could use campaign funds to pay membership dues in the caucus.
Carmody said the commission issued a preliminary opinion saying campaign funds could not be used for that purpose, but he said the caucus plans to ask for reconsideration of that opinion next month.
Palmer and other organizers of the caucus all credited Howell for coming up with the idea after he visited Texas a few years ago and saw a similar conservative caucus operating there.
The Texas Conservative Caucus has existed about 15 years, Palmer said. Similar caucuses also have been established in Washington, Mississippi, Alabama and Indiana.
-- Peter Hancock's phone message number is 832-7144. His e-mail address is phancock@ljworld.com.
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