Here are today’s headlines from Kansas government:The new session(KTKA) State revenues up for lawmakers: The legislative session for 2007 starts today and for the first time in a long time, the state has money to spend.(Hutchinson News) Neufeld takes over the House: He’s already received the gavel and moved into the office. However, it’s not until today, when the Kansas Legislature convenes for the 2007 session, that Rep. Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, officially begins his reign as House Speaker.(Wichita Eagle) Schools could spank under proposal: One Kansas senator thinks that a quarter-inch of pine might be part of the solution to school disciplinary problems. Sen. Phil Journey, R-Wichita, plans to introduce a bill on Monday that would shield educators from legal liability for administering corporal punishment to students.(Wichita Eagle) Pre-schools in legislative focus: Some of the most important players in this year’s legislative session are squishing fingerpaint, wearing princess crowns, singing “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and learning to cut their food. They’re not in the Capitol building in Topeka. They’re in homes, child-care centers and preschools all over the state. They pay attention to Elmo, not the news.(Kansas Health Institute News Service) Numerous health proposals on tap for the session: The 2006 governor’s race is run and done, but the major health issue of that campaign is drawing new breath for the 2007 Legislature.(LJW) Crisis-free session starts: For the first time in years, state lawmakers start their legislative session with no imminent crisis before them. The state’s fiscal foundation has recovered from the post-9/ll revenue collapse, and the dismissal last year of the long-running school finance lawsuit gives the Legislature some room to run. (LJW) Balance required to work in Legislature: The legislative session may often look like a three-ring circus, but beneath the chaos is a kind of balance that requires trapeze-artist-like political skills to get things done.The Inaugural(KTKA) Inaugural events ring in the new: It was a celebration of the “Best of Kansas” Sunday in downtown Topeka. From local celebrities to Mr. Ichabod, to the rhythmic beats of the Topeka High drum line, there was something for everyone to enjoy at the Main Street Family Festival. “It’s a great way to celebrate a peaceful transition of office and also see what’s remarkable about this wonderful state,” said Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. The event is just one of many that Sebelius and Kansas’ six statewide elected officials have attended for the 2007 Kansas Inaugural.Kansas Board of Education(KC Star) Ed board considering ways to offset teacher shortage: Some teachers leave Kansas classrooms after only a few years in the field, burned out and fed up with their career. Some leave because they’ve hit the age and years of service combination that allows them to retire. And not enough new teachers are stepping up to take their places, leaving the state with a looming teacher shortage. The Kansas Board of Education will take up the issue Tuesday in what one official hopes will be the first step in reversing the trend.