Editor’s note: The following column was written in response to the Journal-World’s invitation to members of the Kansas Legislature to share their thoughts about their hopes for Kansas and major issues facing the state.

Despite major storms affecting large areas of Kansas, in January, tax-only revenues are continuing to increase, being slightly up 0.4 percent or $2 million. Last year, to-date revenues were $2.905 billion compared to $3.15 billion or an increase of $245 million, 8.5 percent, over last year’s tax-only, fiscal year-to-date total.

This is encouraging and much needed to meet our ever-increasing financial obligations. Much of this new revenue is already committed to large increases in K-12 education over the next three years, an increase of approximately $466 million increase in 2007-09 and approximately $123 million in 2009-10.

It is important we fulfill this financial commitment for our children and the future of Kansas. We need to keep education strong – not only K-12, but also higher education – by starting to address maintenance and repairs at Kansas University and other colleges and universities.

Increased funding for vocational and technical schools is also needed. We currently have more need for training in this area for business and industry, as well as to provide more opportunity for skilled training for high school graduates and others in the work force who need continuing training to learn new skills or to be retrained for a different occupation.

The state’s responsibilities for health and medical care are increasing by approximately $53 million per year. A effort to improve this area is ongoing.

Economic development growth, with the help of a strong education program, can help us to support the needs of the people of Kansas and improve their quality of life.

The state also needs to promote renewable energy such as ethanol, biodiesel, wind and solar energy through appropriate legislative incentives and education. Ethanol production alone is expected to more than double the next 12 to 18 months.

We should help Kansas again become a net exporter of energy not only by promoting increased use of renewable energy, but by construction of additional conventional electrical generating capacity. We also should promote energy conservation through education and an energy assessment program with further incentives to conserve energy for the general public.

Lawmakers should promote necessary legislation and other activities to bring Kansas the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, a $451 million, 500,000-square-foot facility. NBAF will have national significance because the research conducted there will identify new ways to prevent or treat diseases that affect public health, animal health or our food supply. Discoveries made at the facility will help protect national health and national security.

The project will create up to 1,500 construction jobs and up to 500 high-paying research jobs. It will generate an estimated economic impact of $3.5 billion in its first 20 years and be a magnet for private biotechnology companies, professional and support infrastructure.

It will result in collaborative opportunities for existing universities and research institutions and help attract more top-flight researchers to the area.

In the area of tax relief and financial stability, the state should help our senior citizens by phasing out Kansas income tax on Social Security payments.

We also should phase in a reduction in the franchise tax especially for small business and work to reduce the unfunded liability of the Kansas Public Employee Retirement System.

– Sen. Roger C. Pine, a longtime farmer in the Lawrence area, represents the 3rd District, which includes northern Lawrence and Jefferson and Leavenworth counties. He is vice chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee and serves on the Senate Assessment and Taxation, Education and Utilities committees.