Topeka ? Members of a Kansas Senate committee were briefed on the Kansas National Guard, but without the guard’s marquee presenter.

Brig. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, new adjutant general for Kansas, was scheduled to brief the Federal and State Affairs Committee on Tuesday. But Tafanelli had to attend a meeting with Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. The adjutant general’s duties include command of Army and Air Guard activities, as well as serving as head of the state division of emergency management and director of homeland security.

The briefing was presented by Tafanelli’s chief of staff, Col. Alan Soldan, who told the committee about the operations of the Kansas National Guard, as well as ongoing state roles in training local emergency managers.

Tafanelli was appointed by Brownback to replace Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, who retired.