UNDER THE DOME

Virtual Legislature

The House Health and Human Services Committee and the Senate Utilities Committee are doing a little digital trailblazing.

The committees and their staffs are equipped with special laptop computers so they can do all their committee work via the Internet. The “electronic” committees meet in a specially renovated room, 526 in the Capitol.

“This allows every citizen to see everything that goes on,” said Rep. R.J. Wilson, D-Pittsburg. “It’s aimed at openness and access, and frankly scares some legislators.”

The effort is pretty much the brainchild of Rep. Jim Morrison, R-Colby, who is the computer expert of the Legislature. A Web-cam view of the committee is several clicks away. Go to www.kslegislature.org, then click on committees, then minutes and meetings of either the House or Senate committees, then on either the House Health and Human Services Committee or the Senate Utilities Committee. Lawmakers say it is the first attempt at “electronic” committees in the nation.

Lecompton will need a big road sign

Sen. Derek Schmidt, R-Independence, has a bill that would allow the hometowns of Kansas governors to put up special highway signs proclaiming that fact. A governor’s hometown would be determined by what town they listed on the ballot. He said he’s thinking of extending his proposal to include territorial governors, which would put Lecompton on the map because nearly all the territorial governors listed Lecompton as their hometown.

Planned Parenthood v. Barbieri-Lightner

Abortion-rights activists will rally at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Capitol to mark the 31st anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Planned Parenthood is criticizing Rep. Patricia Barbieri-Lightner, R-Overland Park, for authoring a resolution urging Congress to suspend FDA approval of RU-486, the abortion-inducing pill. Barbieri-Lightner is a candidate in the August primary to be the Republican nominee for the 3rd Congressional District, which includes the eastern part of Lawrence. The incumbent is Democrat Dennis Moore.

March madness

Iowa may narrow the bracket of Democratic presidential candidates today, but Kansas could play “a pivotal role” in the selection process. At least that’s the spin from the Kansas Democratic Party. Pat Murray, the party’s executive director, said the race could still be wide open by the day of the Kansas caucuses — March 13 — even though most of the major primaries and caucuses will have been decided.

Three Democratic presidential candidates have filed to participate in the Kansas contest. They are retired Gen. Wesley Clark, and U.S. Sens. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., and John Kerry, D-Mass. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean is considering a petition drive to get in the Kansas caucus.

Senators a select group

Five members of the 40-member Senate weren’t elected at the polls but selected by precinct chairmen and chairwomen to fill out the remainder of the terms of senators who either retired or were elected to higher office. The “unelected” include Mark Buhler, R-Lawrence; Bill Bunten, R-Topeka; Donald Betts, D-Wichita; Henry Helgerson, D-Wichita; and Phillip Journey, R-Haysville. Buhler replaced Sandy Praeger, who was elected insurance commissioner last year; Bunten replaced Lynn Jenkins, who was elected state treasurer; Betts, the youngest member of the Senate at 25, replaced the oldest member of the Legislature, U.L. “Rip” Gooch, who retired at age 80; Helgerson replaced Paul Feleciano, who was appointed to the Kansas Board of Paroles; and Journey replaced Nancey Harrington, who retired because of health reasons.

HEARD IN THE HALLS

Did you know?

Impress your neighbors with these facts heard in the Statehouse:

• Kansas has more cattle than people.
• 40 percent of Kansas milk is consumed here; 60 percent is exported.

Schedule

Lawmakers won’t meet today because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. On Tuesday, the House convenes at 11 a.m.; the Senate convenes at 2:30 p.m.

Committees

• Commerce, 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Room 123 in the Capitol; Sen. Nick Jordan, R-Shawnee, and Rep. Kenny Wilk, R-Lansing, provide an overview of their proposal to spur life sciences research.
• Financial Institutions and Insurance, 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Room 234 in the Capitol; a report from Health Insurance working group.
• Judiciary, 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Room 123 in the Capitol; Hearing on Senate Bill 158, which calls for a moratorium on the death penalty.
• House-Senate transportation committees, 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Memorial Hall auditorium, 120 W. 10th St.; highway funding.