Compromise reached on ‘Amanda’s Law’

State Sen. Terry Bruce, R-Hutchinson, said senators have reached a compromise on a bill aimed at testing for drugs and alcohol in drivers involved in fatal wrecks.

“This is for the most serious of the serious accidents and having a mandatory test,” said Bruce, who chaired a subcommittee that worked on House Bill 2617.

The bill would have required mandatory drug testing at fatal or serious accidents, but some senators raised concerns that such a broad requirement violated constitutional rights.

Bruce’s subcommittee narrowed the required testing to only drivers who committed traffic offenses that caused fatal accidents.

The measure was initiated in response to the 2007 wreck in Basehor that killed Tonganoxie native Amanda Bixby. The driver who caused the wreck wasn’t tested for drugs. The subcommittee proposal will probably go to the full Senate Judiciary Committee this week.

KU proposal would reduce textbook costs

A proposal aimed at reducing the cost of textbooks for college students was attached to another bill by Rep. Paul Davis, D-Lawrence.

Davis said the amendment, which was approved by the House, was proposed by Kansas University students and KU Student Body President Hannah Love.

Under the proposal, faculty and staff would have to consider the least costly practice when assigning textbooks when educational content is comparable. The measure now goes back to the Senate.

Sides clash over obscenity measure

House members are considering an amendment to a Senate education bill that could make it easier to prosecute teachers if they use what are considered obscene materials in their teaching.

Sen. Karin Brownlee, R-Olathe, said the measure – Senate Bill 492 – will keep pornography or other sexually oriented material away from children. But opponents say the amendment is meant to intimidate teachers to steer clear of any controversial materials.

Wilk, Helmstetter on KTEC board

Rep. Kenny Wilk, R-Lansing, and Michael Helmstetter, senior vice president and director of research operations at the Midwest Research Institute, have been chosen to serve on the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corp.

They were selected by House Speaker Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, to serve on the 20-member board of KTEC, which is a public-private partnership to promote technology-based economic development.

Quote of the week

“Tying up everything ends up being a way to play ‘Let’s Make a Deal.'”

– Gov. Kathleen Sebelius complaining about alleged deal-making to get votes to overturn her planned veto of legislation calling for coal-fired power plants in western Kansas.

What’s next

9:15 a.m. Monday – Hearing on Senate Bill 586, incentives to encourage development of nuclear power by utilities and authorizing recovery of certain costs, before House Energy and Utilities Committee, Room 783, Docking Building.

1:30 p.m. Monday – Hearing on House Concurrent Resolution 5033, urging the United States to withdraw from NAFTA, before House Federal and State Affairs Committee, Room 313-South, Capitol.