Editor’s note: Sen. Mark Buhler, R-Lawrence, was appointed to fill out the remaining two years of the term of former Sen. Sandy Praeger, R-Lawrence. Buhler’s journal-style column will be published online throughout the 2003 session of the Legislature.

Monday February 24, 2003

Monday and Tuesday are the last two days that bills can come out of committee to the full Senate. It’s basically time to make decisions on the myriad of issues in committee. Over 100 bills are still in committee and will have to come out tomorrow or die.

Twenty seven bills were on general orders, meaning they were debated on the Senate floor. This all makes for a full day. The tax payers will get their moneys’ worth this week.

Tuesday February 25, 2003

Last day of committee work is today! Caucus at 7:15 a m to discuss bills coming to the floor that afternoon. You start to see some reason to all of this. Bills are being debated that you have heard in committee and you know something about. Many others you have read and have questions and some, usually from Judiciary, (oh we love our lawyers) you have no clue until it is discussed. You will learn who opposes and who favors a bill and sometimes why they have an interest.

Wednesday February 26, 2003

Two caucuses today and two sessions, lots of bills on General Orders. You debate bills, end debate and vote on a group of bills, begin debate again and stop for votes.

Many people are very impressed with the microphone, and they use it a lot! They take a long time to say their piece. Patience is a virtue. Debate is obviously a tenant of our democracy and it is practiced freely in both houses of government.

Thursday February 27, 2003

We debated all but three bills on the calendar today. Thirty debates on bills. We were in session or caucus from 8:00 a m to 7:00 p m. Final votes on these will occur tomorrow. There are many bills that passed. I will highlight some contentious ones – SB 101 cancels the Presidential Primary and an amendment changes the date of the primary to later in the month of August, from the 1st Tuesday to the 4th Tuesday. Many people believe voter turnout will be enhanced and the lag time from primary and general will “keep people’s interest because it’s a shorter time”. Some people believe it hurts or helps certain candidates or incumbents. I don’t share that philosophy. I supported it. It failed 20-20 on Thursday.

Friday February 28, 2003

Last day of turnaround, heard 3 more bills and reconsidered SB 101, the Presidential Primary bill with a change in the primary election dates. You may reconsider a bill if the body votes to reconsider it, which they did and now it passes 21-18. One new wrinkle, people vote and then they change their vote. Sometimes they actually change their mind, but most of the time they change so they can support the bill but be able to tell the folks back home they opposed it. I won’t do that, but some do!

Streamlined sale tax or Internet sales tax bill passed the Senate. This bill does not go into effect till 2006, it helps protect Maine Street businesses, we are all supposed to report and pay tax today on sales of any kind outside the State of Kansas, there will be thresholds before we’re finished so as not to negatively impact small business and many businesses are in favor of this because it will be uniform eventually and they’ll know the rules of the game. Today they have 50 states, 50 ways of doing it, if it’s done at all!

Credit Scoring Bill: Originially authored by Commissioner Praeger and tweaked severely in committee. This provides some protection on the use of Credit Scoring for insurance. We currently have no legislation in place.
If it becomes law the Insurance Department will have control of insurance companies’ use of credit scoring.

Turnaround means the house bill come to us (Senate) and ours go to them. Next week—their stuff! Now we’ll know what they’ve been up to for a month.