Insurance pilot scuttled

House Democrats were steamed last week after defeat of a proposal that would have started a pilot project in which employers with fewer than 30 workers could have joined the state employee health insurance program.

The project would have provided health insurance for up to a total of 1,000 private sector employees and would have been studied after one year to determine whether it was a good idea.

But the measure was defeated almost entirely on party lines 80-45.

Speaker burns grass bill

Biology students at Shawnee Mission South High School in the district of Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Overland Park, sought legislation to designate the little bluestem, or schizachyrium scoparium, as the state grass of Kansas.

But the measure died last week.

House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka, said he didn’t see the need to take up the Legislature’s time with such legislation. Plus, he said, the bill’s death was an important lesson for the students and Yoder. “Seeing your bill go down in flames is a real lesson in life,” he said.

Campaign finance

In the rush before the first major legislative deadline last week, Rep. Paul Davis, D-Lawrence, tried to amend a bill by adding a campaign finance reform package sought by a bipartisan House group.

The measure would require the disclosure of financing behind so-called “issue ads,” timely disclosure of late political contributions and expenditures, disclosure of political advertising over the telephone, and identification of candidates whom political action committees and party committees hope to elect or defeat.

But Davis’ effort was ruled not germane to the original bill, which dealt with trusts. Still, he said, he hoped that there would be votes on the reform measures before the session ends. Legislative leaders indicated some kind of campaign finance reform package would be voted on this year.

Teacher survey

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is making the pitch for teachers to take a survey on their working conditions. The anonymous survey given to randomly selected educators is sponsored by the Kansas National Education Assn., United School Administrators and Kansas Association of School Boards.

The survey seeks to find out whether teachers believe they have the necessary time and tools to properly teach, and whether they have to spend too much time on administrative and noninstructional time.

In urging teachers to take the survey, Sebelius writes, “Your insights will provide valuable information in our efforts to enhance the teaching and learning environment in our schools.”

Quote of the week:

I live with that pain every single day because I killed a baby.”

– Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, telling the House that she had an abortion, and urging colleagues to vote for a bill that regulated only abortion clinics.

Things to watch:

9 a.m. Wednesday through Friday: Hearings on three-year, $500 million school finance plan before Select Committee on School Finance in Room 519-South, Capitol.

1:30 p.m. Wednesday: Consideration of HB 2615, which would repeal in-state tuition to some undocumented immigrants before House Federal and State Affairs Committee in Room 313-South, Capitol.

1:30 p.m. Wednesday: Hearing and possible action on SB 537, which would prohibit use of mercury in child vaccines, before the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, Room 231-North, Capitol