Topeka ? Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Tuesday launched a weekly electronic newsletter intended to keep state employees and other Kansans informed about issues and what the Governor’s Office was doing.

“So many times when I travel around the state talking to different communities and taking part in activities, I wish I could tell more people about it.

“We have great things happening around the state, and this ‘E-News’ will enable us to share some highlights that I am able to be a part of,” Sebelius said.

The first edition includes two photos of Sebelius — one at the Aug. 11 opening of the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu assembly line at the General Motors Plant in Fairfax, and the other at the July 22 dedication of the Dole Institute of Politics in Lawrence.

In “E-News,” Sebelius also touts that her budget efficiency task forces have identified $60 million in savings. “Our work, rooting out waste and inefficiencies and finding ways to work smarter, will continue,” she said.

Carol Williams, executive director of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, said she was surprised when she received the e-mail but that there was nothing improper about it.

“Until she starts saying, ‘Vote for me,’ she’s not campaigning, and those e-mails don’t violate any kind of misuse of state funding,” Williams said. “It will be interesting to see what she uses this for.”

If the message seemed self-promoting, that didn’t bother House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka. “She wouldn’t be the first governor in Kansas to promote themself,” Mays said.

“Ideally any publication that comes out of the state is for the purpose of benefiting citizens,” he added.

Sebelius’ communications office said the governors of Hawaii and Washington also used electronic newsletters to communicate with the public.

James Hollingsworth, executive director of the Information Network of Kansas, a state agency that distributes the newsletter, said the cost of distribution was minimal.

The only cost was the time it took to develop the list of e-mail addresses for newsletter recipients.

“E-News” was sent to more than 10,000 e-mail addresses. About 50 couldn’t be delivered, some of those because of firewalls, Hollingsworth said.

Hollingsworth said the “E-News” would be an efficient way for Sebelius to get information to the public quickly.

“Several governors are doing this. It’s an efficient way to do delivery like that,” he said.