Senate creates panel, has 2 new chairmen

Topeka — The Kansas Senate’s top leader has created a new committee to review criminal justice issues and name new chairmen for two other panels.

Senate President Susan Wagle said Tuesday that she formed the Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee to ease the workload of the Judiciary Committee, which handles criminal justice issues along with legislation dealing with court administration and civil lawsuits.

Wagle on Monday appointed Sen. Greg Smith of Overland Park, a former police officer, as chairman of the new, seven-member committee. Wagle is a Wichita Republican, and all of the chamber’s committee leaders are Republicans, in line with the GOP’s 32-8 majority.

The House created a similar committee in 2009. Wagle said more than a third of the bills considered by the Senate this year went through the Judiciary Committee.

“It was crazy, the amount of legislation we carried,” said Smith, who has served as the Judiciary Committee’s vice chairman.

The new committee’s vice chairman is Sen. Forrest Knox of Altoona, and its ranking Democrat is Sen. Pat Pettey, of Kansas City.

Wagle also appointed Sen. Rob Olson of Olathe as Utilities Committee chairman. He replaces former Sen. Pat Apple of Louisburg, appointed earlier this year to the state commission regulating utilities by Gov. Sam Brownback.

Olson gave up the chairmanship of the Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee. Wagle gave that position to Sen. Jeff Longbine of Emporia.