Recent news stories report a suspicious holdup in approving Rep. Melvin Neufeld’s appointment as a board member of the Kansas Bioscience Authority.

As speaker of the Kansas House, the appointment was Neufeld’s to make, and he elected to appoint himself. This was in December before the Ingalls Republican was voted out of his position as a House leader.

In politics, it is fairly easy to offend individuals or create envy by being successful or taking tough stands on tough issues. Neufeld is a stand-up type of person who will let others know what he thinks about various issues. There is nothing wishy-washy about Neufeld, unlike far too many others in the Kansas Legislature.

It is reported Neufeld’s nomination is being held up because he has not submitted all of the documentation that apparently now is required of nominees for the 11-member KBA board. This board allocates millions of dollars to a wide range of programs and projects designed to encourage entrepreneurial efforts in bioscience fields, increase employment in these fields and attract new bioscience business to the state.

At the outset, the KBA was highly successful in creating new jobs, but, in recent years, KBA efforts mostly have been focused on allocating large sums of money to what appear to be promising projects but which have created relatively few new jobs. The NBAF project, which was initiated in the early years of KBA, is an exception.

According to reports about the Neufeld delay, nominees now need to provide birth certificates, high school and college transcripts, military discharge papers, naturalization materials, marriage license, divorce decrees, if appropriate, and a set of fingerprints. All of this information is sent to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

It is doubtful members of any other Kansas agency are required to provide a similar package of personal information. It is known that neither the chairman nor president of the KBA supplied such information. The same is likely true of most, if not all, of the current directors. Original KBA board members were not required to submit this information.

The Kansas University chancellor and Kansas State University president both serve as non-voting members of the board, but neither of them were required to supply such information. Members of the Kansas Board of Regents do not have this level of scrutiny.

The jealousy, envy and “get even” mindset of many in the Legislature is well known, and these elements are obvious in the comments of several legislators who question Neufeld’s appointment to the KBA board.

Senate President and fellow Republican Steven Morris of Hugoton said he would never think of appointing himself. Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley said he didn’t agree with self-appointments.

Others have other concerns, but the fact is a certain number of legislators do not want Neufeld on the KBA board for their own selfish or political reasons. Others — including most of the current board members — are nervous about Neufeld becoming a board member because he would make sure dollars are being spent in an appropriate manner and not based on political considerations.

Some of the lawmakers who talk so positively and self-righteously are individuals who say one thing and make commitments but then cannot be counted on to perform as they said they would. They talk out of both sides of their mouths.

Another factor is that former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, with the help of KBA president Tom Thornton and several other board members, wanted to have their own comfortable group without interference. With the ability to hand out millions and millions of dollars, the KBA can be a powerful tool for a governor or other kingmakers to try to control, by appointments and other means.

Neufeld would be a good, solid member of the board, good for Kansas. He would make sure dollars are being appropriated in a positive manner.

A strong, politically independent KBA can play a significant role in the continued development of Kansas, and Neufeld would add strength and fiscal honesty to the board.