Legislative Priorities
Legislative priorities are
issues of primary importance to Sedgwick County and may
involve the County introducing legislation and/or taking
the lead on guiding such legislation through the
legislative process. The following are the legislative
priorities for Sedgwick County for the 2008 Legislative
Session:
Transportation
Affordable Airfares for Kansas. South
Central Kansas serves as a business, entertainment, and
transportation hub to approximately 2/3 of the State.
It is also the home of the largest commercial airport,
Mid-Continent Airport. Last year, legislation passed
that provided $25 million over the next five years to
keep Mid-Continent airfares low. Sedgwick County would
like to look at changing some of the language in the
statute to better clarify the agreement and process.
Support maintaining Special City/County Highway Fund.
Sedgwick County supports the continued funding of
the Special City/County Highway fund. This fund was
created over 25 years ago to prevent the deterioration
of city and county roads and streets.
Support Comprehensive Transportation Program (CTP).
Sedgwick County continues to urge the Legislature to
support this program conditional upon the additional
funding not coming at the expense of reductions or
capping in state revenue sharing to local units of
government. These funds would be used on improvement
projects such as:
-
Expansion of U.S. 54 to a four-lane to Mullinville
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Rehabilitation of the 47th Street bridge
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Obtaining right-of-way for a North-west bypass
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I-235 and Kellogg interchange
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I-235 and Central interchange
Economic Development
Support of Kansas Aviation. Aviation provides
Kansans jobs: 36,500 with another 2.9 created for every
aviation position. It is critical that Sedgwick County
and the State protect these jobs by supporting aviation
companies, research and training. Aviation business
partners have indicated the desire to have one entity in
which to find qualified employees. Sedgwick County, in
partnership with business and education leaders, is
answering this and the research and training need
through the creation of the Center for Aviation Training
at the Jabara Campus and Workforce Alliance. The Center
for Aviation Training facility in conjunction with the
National Institute for Aviation Research and Wichita
Area Technical College will create a general aviation
cluster in Wichita that will provide first-rate training
and research for years to come. Workforce Alliance
offers employers a one-stop shop to find qualified
employees, speeding up the process for hiring trained
individuals. This benefits the individuals, the
companies and the community.
Preserving Sedgwick County’s Statewide Homeownership
Program. Sedgwick and Shawnee counties have
co-issued this single-family revenue bond program for
nearly 20 years. This program has provided good home
buying options across the state of Kansas for first time
homebuyers of limited financial means. There have been
attempts during past legislative sessions to create a
statewide homeownership program to be operated by the
state of Kansas. Sedgwick County opposes legislation
that would create a new state bureaucracy.
Public Safety
Jail
Overcrowding. Sedgwick County supports legislative
efforts to ease overcrowding in the Sedgwick County jail
and opposes efforts by the State Department of
Corrections to shift inmates that belong in the state
correctional system to county jails. This problem has
posed a significant financial burden in recent years
because of suspended or delayed payments to counties for
the housing of state prisoners. Furthermore, legislation
such as Senate Bill 341 which lengthens the time inmates
stay in our county jail or legislation that adds inmates
to the system are unfunded mandates on counties.
Sedgwick County is in the process of building yet
another expansion of the county jail. The burden of the
expense for another jail expansion falls squarely on the
citizens of Sedgwick County and has resulted in an
increase in local taxes.
Special KEPRS Fund for Detention Officers. Sedgwick
County is supportive of creating a new category of
retirement in KEPRS that would give detention officers
retirement benefits that are similar to state correction
officers. This legislation would give counties the
option of using this retirement plan to attract and
maintain applicants in this difficult career field.
Palm Prints. It is not
necessary to repeatedly palm print career criminals.
Palm prints should be required every three to five
years. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation should be
responsible for tracking palm prints, as well as
offenders that need DNA samples taken, and make those
records available to law enforcement agencies.
DNA Samples. The
requirements proposed in SB 237 would place an undue
burden on law enforcement agencies. DNA samples should
not be required until probable cause is found.
Temporary Sentence Furlough in
the Event of a Natural Disaster or other Catastrophic
Even. Natural disasters and catastrophic events
such as tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, pandemic flu
severely impact that ability to adequately care for,
house and supervise inmates. Sedgwick County supports
legislation that would temporary furlough sentences
during such events.
Sentence departure for
critically or terminally ill felony offenders. The
medical needs of critically or terminally ill felony
offenders are often best met outside of a detention
facility. Sedgwick County supports providing judges
with the ability to depart from sentencing guidelines
when dealing with such offenders.
Oppose consolidation of correctional field services.
Sedgwick County opposes any statewide mandate to
consolidate correctional field services. The Kansas
Sentencing Commission periodically considers introducing
legislation that would create a new state agency to
administer correctional field services. Sedgwick County
supports the current system that allows local
communities to decide whether to consolidate or not.
General Government
LAVTR. Sedgwick County
supports the return of demand transfers. Without full
funding from the Local Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Program
a greater share of the tax burden is transferred to
local citizens to support the essential operations of
County government.
Eminent Domain.
Sedgwick County supports reasonable use of eminent
domain for the purpose of economic development.
Special care must be used not to limit eminent domain in
such a way that it would inhibit government’s ability to
provide needed services to its citizens. This includes
the ability to sell land condemned but not needed for
infrastructure improvements and use of eminent domain
for urban renewal projects.
Annexation. There has been recent legislation that
would have required all unilateral annexations by a city
to be approved by the Board of County Commissioners
before being effective. Sedgwick County would not
support legislation that would have the BOCC approve all
such unilateral annexations.
County Sales Tax. Sedgwick County is supportive of
legislation that gives counties the same sales tax
options as cities.
Support Streamline Sales Tax.
Sedgwick County supports legislative efforts to
modernize and streamline the sales tax system and level
the playing field among Main Street business, mail order
and internet retailers. The sales tax is a vital
component of local government revenue mix and reducing
sales tax revenue will put increased burden on property
tax.
Support Alternative Taxing Authority. Sedgwick
County supports legislative initiatives that will allow
the County additional options to collect necessary
revenue. With the loss of demand transfer funds,
Sedgwick County is receiving less money from the state
needed to fund vital county services. This leaves the
County with the unfortunate options of cutting needed
services or raising ad valorem property taxes, as was
seen in this year’s Sedgwick County budget process. That
is why the Legislative Division of Post Audit concluded
in February, 2003, in a report entitled, Financing
Local Governments: Determining How To Avoid Future
Problems Caused By State Revenue Shortfalls, that
local governments need additional options to raise
revenues so as not to be dependent on state funds.
Support County Home Rule. Sedgwick County strongly
supports county home rule—which has been afforded to
counties by state law since 1974. Local governments
should be allowed the largest measure of self-governance
based on the belief that government closest to the
people is that government which governs best. Sedgwick
County opposes legislation that would preempt a county’s
home rule authority and supports legislation broadening
county home powers, including constitutional home rule,
if such an initiative is proposed.
Support maintaining Open Government. Sedgwick County
is very supportive of open government and liberal access
to public records, but the current exceptions to
disclosure are important for a number of sound public
policy reasons, including safeguarding the privacy of
citizens conducting business with the County and
allowing for the effective transaction of county
business.
Support use of Internet Website for Legal Publications.
Sedgwick County supports allowing local governments the
option of publishing legal notices on an internet
website. Currently, the Sedgwick County website
receives an average of more than 157,600 hits per day.
The circulation of the current legal publication
newspaper, The Daily Reporter, is only 1,200. It is
therefore believed that more residents will be reached
via the internet to see the notices.
Support maintaining exemptions in open meeting laws.
Sedgwick County is very supportive of open government
and access to public meetings, but the current
exceptions that allow for executive sessions should be
maintained. Sedgwick County is opposed to requiring the
taping of executive sessions.
Oppose unfunded state mandates. Sedgwick County
opposes any action by the Legislature that creates an
unfunded mandate on counties. If the State deems it
necessary to control or manage how counties operate,
then sufficient funds should be provided to meet the
cost of imposing such requirements on counties.
Oppose a tax lid on cities and counties. Sedgwick
County believes that the citizens of this County,
through their duly elected county commissioners, are
fully capable of making responsible spending decisions
and enacting budgets without state imposed limitations.
Local government officials are in the best position to
determine the appropriate level of spending for vital
services in their communities. Sedgwick County
therefore opposes any attempt by the legislature to
mandate such spending limitations.
Oppose further restrictions on county management of
right-of ways. Local government should not be
restricted from managing public rights-of-way in its
best interest and for the protection of its citizens.
Sedgwick County opposes any attempt to restrict
counties’ authority in public rights-of-way including
the collection of franchise fees and/or the ability to
enter into franchise agreements.
Oppose consolidation of correctional field services.
Sedgwick County opposes any statewide mandate to
consolidate correctional field services. The Kansas
Sentencing Commission periodically considers introducing
legislation that would create a new state agency to
administer correctional field services. Sedgwick County
supports the current system that allows local
communities to decide whether to consolidate or not.
Oppose mandatory consolidation. Sedgwick County
opposes mandatory consolidation of local governments or
the services they provide. Sedgwick County currently
shares a number of services with cities within the
County in order to operate more efficiently and to make
the best use of taxpayer resources. Sedgwick County
supports legislative changes that remove statutory
limitations on consolidation of functions or services.
Support a cost-share program to help owners rehabilitate
deficient dams. Sedgwick County supports a state
cost-share fund that would pay the majority of costs to
rehabilitate or remove deficient dams. Dams become
hazardous for several reasons, including reasons
external to the dam’s owner. This fund will reduce the
number of potentially hazardous dams in the state, which
in turn benefits all Kansans.
Solid Waste Management. Sedgwick County opposes any
restrictions to a county’s authority to manage its solid
waste through an effective planning and management
system.
Water Issues. Sedgwick County recognizes the need
to protect natural resources for future use. While
officials have taken action to ensure the availability
of these resources it is difficult to develop a workable
plan without assistance from surrounding counties and
the State government.
Construction Manager at Risk. Sedgwick County
supports the ability for local governments to utilize a
Construction Manager rather than the design-bid-build
process.
Health and Human Services
Support of the Advanced
Education in General Dentistry program. The
Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) program
provides an additional year of training for recent
dental school graduates. As Kansas does not have a
dental school this programs serves to attract young
dentists to the State with the goal of increasing the
oral health care workforce of the State as well as
increase underserved populations’ access to oral health
care.
Support Dental Medicaid Program.
Sedgwick County is supportive of adding dental care for
adults on Medicaid. This would help reduce unnecessary
healthcare problems for pregnant women, the elderly, and
the disabled.
Support Maternal Child Health
Initiatives by Local Health Departments. Sedgwick
County supports efforts and funding that increase the
health of expectant mothers and their babies.
Support Measures to Increase
Access to Healthcare. Sedgwick County is supportive
of policies and programs that increase access to
healthcare for all residents.
Support the Reuse/Recycling of
Unused Prescription Drugs. Sedgwick County supports
the expansion of current law to allow the donation and
redistribution of unused prescription drugs to those who
meet eligibility criteria.
Support State Funding for
Mentally Retarded and/or Developmentally Disabled
Citizens with Challenging Behavior. More than 2,000
people in Sedgwick County are currently eligible to
receive support and services through the Developmental
Disabilities service system. While the vast majority of
those individuals can be supported with typical
community programs, perhaps as many as five percent
engage in severe violent and destructive behaviors that
place them and others around them at risk of harm.
Kansas has done a good job of minimizing use of state
hospitals to meet the needs of individuals with
disabilities, however there continues to be a need for
specialized support for individuals whose behavior
makes it difficult or impossible to serve them safely in
traditional community programs. Existing programs of
Parsons State Hospital and Kansas Neurological Institute
must be utilized to provide time-limited support
options for those individuals who cannot be supported
safely in their home communities rather than serving as
a lifelong home for people whose needs can be met with
great success by community programs.
Maintain the
Children's Initiative Funding (CIF) of $10 million.
This
funding is currently being received from
SRS and is used to subsidize part of the children's SED
waiver program, to pay for the Family System of
Care services (parent support and children's case
management), violence prevention services in schools and
therapeutic services to preschoolers. This money has
been available to the Community Mental Health System for
several years and it is possible that the Governor may
be looking at this money to fund an expansion of the
CHIP program.
Support amending K.S.A.
76-374 to Include Psychiatric Residencies
in the KU Medical Student Loan and Scholarship Program.
This scholarship and loan repayment program is not
currently open to psychiatric residents and would
benefit Sedgwick County and the State has a whole as
more students train to become psychiatric practitioners.
Support the Allocation of
Sufficient
Inpatient Psychiatric Resources
Sedgwick County maintains that the State must
define the future role of the State hospital system,
develop a system of regional, State-operated inpatient
units and insure adequate reimbursement for inpatient
units. Sedgwick County proposes that SRS evaluate and
fund safe transportation for mental health consumers to
State psychiatric facilities to ease the staff and
financial burden now placed on counties.
Support continued full funding
of Home and Community Based Services for the Frail
Elderly waiver (HCBS-FE) in FY 2008. The HCBS-FE
waiver program prevents the premature
institutionalization of Kansas’ senior population.
Senior services should be based on the functional needs
of the senior. By keeping seniors in the community as
long as possible, last year, the waiver program saved
the state 60 percent over the cost of institutional
care.
Support full funding of the Senior Care Act and urges
funding of preventive services under the Senior Care
Act. The area of preventive services was amended
into Senior Care in 2005 but no funding was added for
these services. It is time that the State of Kansas sees
the importance of investing in preventive health and
disease management for seniors. Programs that promote
healthy aging have been documented to provide a better
quality of life for the senior and reduced health care
costs for the state.
Support the Promotion of
Employment Programs and Policies that Meet the Needs of
Older Workers. Sedgwick County supports changes in
the state Workforce Investment Act guidelines to address
the special needs of older job seekers, and to increase
funding of the Older Kansans Employment Program (OKEP).
Core Principles
Core
principles are policy statements and philosophical
positions that the County takes to address a variety of
issues that may or may not be raised in the 2007
Legislative Session. Legislation regarding some of
these policy statements or issues may end up becoming a
priority issue for Sedgwick County. The following are
the core principles for Sedgwick County:
Support continued State funding
for essential county services. Each year, the State
of Kansas provides funding for essential county services
and programs. In many cases this comes as the result of
the County taking over services previously handled by
the State. For the most part, this partnership between
local and state government has worked very well. But,
unfortunately, because of the state’s recent budget
problems, state funding for these programs has become
more uncertain from year to year, putting counties in
the unenviable position of either cutting back on needed
services or raising property taxes. Sedgwick County
supports efforts by the Kansas Legislature to fully fund
these programs at existing levels. Some of the programs
funded by the state are as follows:
Sedgwick County Health Department. The Sedgwick
County Health Department is very dependent upon funding
from the State of Kansas through the Kansas Department
of Health & Environment. State funding for essential
public health services through the Kansas Department of
Health and Environment to the Sedgwick County Health
Department has remained flat or decreased for most
programs in the last several years. State funding for
core public health services, excluding Women Infants and
Children, Tuberculosis (funding unknown for 07) and
Public Health Emergency Management, decreased by
$112,237 or 5.9%, from FY06 to 07. Continued state
funding is critical to provide essential public health
services including public health emergency management,
reducing health disparities, monitoring health status,
providing immunizations and providing health education
programs to reduce chronic diseases by increasing
physical activity and good nutrition while decreasing
tobacco use and exposure.
Juvenile Justice Funding.
The Juvenile Justice system is a state and local
government partnership that shifts service delivery for
certain juvenile offenders away from state institutions
to communities. State funding for communities has
dropped from $21.25 million to $14.79 million since
2001, and funding has been flat since 2005. At the same
time state funding was decreasing, federal funding for
communities decreased from $4 million to just over $1
million. The combined impacts have fragmented and
diluted local intervention and graduated sanctions
services and have reversed many of the improvements
achieved through Juvenile Justice Reform. Sedgwick
County supports comprehensive community-based services
as envisioned in the original Juvenile Justice Reform
Act and has provided local funding to maintain essential
staffing levels in the core programs while the State has
dealt with more pressing budget issues. Juvenile
Justice funding has now reached the critical level and
must be addressed this legislative session.
Sedgwick County supports the
Juvenile Justice Authority budget request for $4.5
million restorative funding in FY 2008. $3.5 million of
these dollars would be direct grants to communities for
core programs. The other $1.0 million would be used to
leverage community contributions through a voluntary
grant match system. Failure to inject this money into
the system will cost the state more in the long run by
having more youth in juvenile correctional facilities,
in adult jails, or in the adult corrections system.
Funding for Community Corrections Adult Residential
Centers. Community residential programs exist in
Sedgwick County to serve the most high risk felony
offenders assigned to community corrections. This
program provides an important community-based
alternative to prison. Currently the Adult Residential
Center is dealing with higher incidence of serious
mental illnesses, substance abuse and waiting lists.
Despite these obstacles, the program has been funded
flat for the last ten years, damaging operations and
shifting costs to the County.
Fully funded residential programs
provide a cost-efficient alternative to prison and a
critical link to keeping offenders from entering the
state prison system. Sedgwick County therefore supports
increasing funding for Community Corrections Adult
Residential Centers and an annual cost of living
increase to cover expenses similar to cost of living
adjustments made for state agencies.
Use
of the Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R).
The 2007 Kansas Legislative enacted a Risk Reduction
Initiative (Senate Bill 14) to make system improvements
in Community Corrections Act agencies throughout
Kansas. The new initiative provides funding to
implement evidence based practices and programs that are
proven to reduce recidivism. One of the essential
elements to implement evidence based practices is an
objective tool to assess offender risks and needs.
Community Corrections and State Parole have been using
the Level of Service Inventory – Revised (LSI-R) since
2003. The LSI-R identifies the level of service needed
for an offender to become a productive member of the
community, thus allowing correctional programs to target
intensive resources to those offenders at the highest
risk to re-offend. In fact, research has shown that we
can make low risk offenders worse (more likely to
re-offend) by providing intensive supervision when it’s
not needed.
The
Office of Judicial Administration is responsible for the
operation of probation services for the District Courts,
through Court Services Officers. They serve a large
misdemeanor and felony probation population, but do not
use the LSI-R screening instrument. When offenders on
probation with Court Services violate their probation
conditions, they may be sent to local jails, Community
Corrections of Prison. Use of the LSI-R could provide
the Judiciary and Court Service Officers with useful
information in making sentencing recommendations and
decisions, resulting in more efficient use of
correctional resources.
