Senate to take up medical marijuana bill

Lawmakers today will host a public hearing on a bill that would legalize marijuana for medical reasons. The hearing starts at 1:30 p.m. before the Senate Health Care Strategies Committee.

Senate Bill 556 would allow a medical necessity defense against prosecution for a person arrested for possession of marijuana or drug paraphernalia if the person could provide a signed document from a physician detailing his or her medical use of the drug.

Former Kansas Attorney General Robert Stephan supports the legislation and is expected to testify.

Topekan announces Ed Board candidacy

Topeka school board veteran Carolyn Campbell has announced her candidacy for the State Board of Education district that includes Lawrence.

Campbell, a Democrat, served on the Topeka school board for 12 years before stepping down last June. “My experience in Topeka makes me uniquely qualified to work on issues important to all Kansas children,” she said.

Campbell is seeking the position held by State Board of Education Chairman Bill Wagnon, a Democrat from Topeka, who is not running for re-election.

Campbell is executive secretary for Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, and she serves on the 2010 Commission, which studies education issues and makes recommendations to the Legislature.

More funds sought for safety-net clinics

More than 166,000 Kansans receive health care from one of the 33 safety-net clinics in the state, and more than half of those Kansans are uninsured, according to the Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved.

KAMU has proposed increasing state funding to provide health care services and using the safety-net clinics to enroll more people who may be eligible for Medicaid and HealthWave.

KAMU estimates it will cost about $8.6 million more to implement these proposals. The organization’s representatives will be in the Capitol on Tuesday to lobby lawmakers for the changes.

Anti-tax advocate Norquist visits Capitol

Anti-tax advocate Grover Norquist was brought to the Capitol last week by Americans for Prosperity-Kansas to testify against bills that would establish a carbon dioxide tax. Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, then raced to another committee to testify against a bill that would increase the state tax on cigarettes by 50 cents per pack.

Quote of the week

“I’ve been ordered not to work the bill. I’ll make no further comment. We are adjourned.”

– State Rep. Carl Holmes, R-Liberal and chairman of the House Energy and Utilities Committee, after taking four days of testimony on House Bill 2711, which would allow the construction of two coal-burning power plants in western Kansas

What’s next

9:30 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday: Hearing on Senate Bill 493, providing a statewide ban on smoking in indoor public places, before Senate Judiciary Committee, Room 123-South, Capitol. Supporters will speak on Tuesday and opponents on Wednesday.

3:30 p.m. Tuesday: Hearing on House Bill 2657, which deals with limitations on motorboat exhaust noise, before House Economic Development and Tourism Committee, Room 519-South, Capitol.

1:30 p.m. Thursday: Hearing on House Bill 2720, which designates part of Kansas Highway 10 as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial highway, before House Transportation Committee, Room 519-South, Capitol.