photo by: Ashley Hocking

Mike Amyx, a Democratic representative of the 45th District of Kansas, engages in discussion at the community conversation about public safety on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019, at Lawrence High School. Amyx is a former Lawrence mayor and city commissioner.

Rep. Mike Amyx has been appointed to the Kansas Legislature’s higher education budget committee, according to a press release this week from Speaker of the House Ron Ryckman Jr.

Amyx, D-Lawrence, said he was looking forward to serving on the committee but that it would be “a lot of learning, I can tell you that.”

Higher education advocates in the state have been pushing for the restoration of the higher education budget after a $30.7 million cut in 2016 by then-Gov. Sam Brownback. And many professors at the University of Kansas think an increase in higher education funding will help improve the institution’s research profile and status in the Association of American Universities.

“Money is obviously the huge issue,” Amyx said. “I think a lot of the things we are trying to do is get back to where we need to be.”

Amyx is the only Lawrence-area representative serving on the committee. He said that as someone who has served in local government, he recognized the positive impact a university has on its community as well as on the whole state.

Since his appointment to the committee, Amyx said he has already heard from people across the state, some simply to offer congratulations.

“It’s a big thing,” he noted.

Amyx said he knew all of the other committee members and that he planned to “get caught up real quick” when the session commences on Jan. 13.

Lawrence-area representatives and senators will sit on the following committees in 2020:

•Amyx: Local government, higher education budget, general government budget.

•Rep. Barbara Ballard: Appropriations, transportation, social services budget.

•Rep. Dennis “Boog” Highberger: Federal and state affairs, corrections/juvenile justice, judiciary.

•Rep. Eileen Horn: Rural revitalization, health and human services, agriculture.

•Sen. Tom Holland: Commerce, assessment and taxation, Senate select committee on federal tax code implementation, joint committee on information technology.

•Sen. Marci Francisco: Joint committee on state-tribal relations, agriculture and natural resources, utilities, joint committee on state building construction, statewide broadband expansion planning task force, federal and state affairs.