It’s unfortunate there’s not a third choice in this situation. Although Rep. Lee Tafanelli, R-Ozawkie, was duly re-elected last month to his seat in the Kansas House, he isn’t expected to be in his statehouse seat in January. That’s because Tafanelli also is a lieutenant colonel in the Kansas Army National Guard and the unit he commands is scheduled to leave for Iraq in late December or early January. The 891st Engineer Battalion is expected to be in Iraq for up to a year.

While Tafanelli certainly deserves the support and gratitude of Kansans and all Americans for fulfilling his duty to the National Guard, he will be unable for the next year to fulfill his duty to represent the people of the 47th District, which includes all of Jefferson County and part of Atchison County.

Unfortunately there is no provision to formally allow a temporary substitute to be named. Tafanelli must decide whether to hold onto his legislative seat, but leave it essentially empty for the next year, or resign and allow the county Republican committee to name a replacement. When he finishes his duty, he then would have to run again to reclaim his seat. The only other option would be some sort of friendly agreement that an appointed replacement would fill the seat only temporarily and resign so Tafanelli could be reappointed when he returns home.

It’s not an easy decision, but it doesn’t seem right to leave the people of this district unrepresented for as much as a year. It’s great that Tafanelli is serving his country in this way, but the people of Jefferson and Atchison counties deserve to have a representative in the Legislature. It may be a tough pill to swallow, but it seems Tafanelli has a responsibility to the residents of his district to pass his legislative duties on to someone else while he serves in the Mideast.