Praeger
Fun piece of Kansas political trivia: Of all the statewide officers elected in Kansas in 2006, only one — Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger — now remains in the job they were elected to do.
–Gov. Kathleen Sebelius resigned in 2009 to become U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.
–Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson became governor when Sebelius left. Parkinson picked Troy Findley to be lieutenant governor.
–Treasurer Lynn Jenkins resigned in 2009 after winning a seat in Congress. Sebelius appointed former legislator Dennis McKinney.
–Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh announced today that he’ll resign next week. Parkinson will pick his replacement.
Attorney General Paul Mor-rison resigned in the wake of scandal; Sebelius appointed Steve Six to fill out the term.
Palin
Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 20 for Sarah Palin’s May 2 appearance at Intrust Bank Arena.
Ticket prices have not been released. They should be available by Feb. 14.
Palin’s appearance, hosted by the Bethel Life School Association, is intended to raise money for scholarships and school equipment at Bethel Life School.
Tickets will be available at the Intrust Bank Arena box office, www.intrustbankarena.com and by calling 316-440-9000.
Those interested in helping to sponsor the event can con-tact the association at 316-285-4661 or email events@blsa.com.
2 hours and 42 minutes ago
Comcare, Sedgwick County’s mental health agency, will see $4.5 million in state budget cuts this year, director Marilyn Cook told commissioners this morning.
Included in the cuts are a 10 percent reduction in Medicaid rates, reduced mental health grants and elimination of family-centered care grants.
“It is significant,” Cook said of the funding cuts.
The Sedgwick County Development Disability Organization also will see a 10 percent cut in Medicaid and reduced grants, a loss of about $188,000 together.
The county’s department on aging will lose about $225,000, including $90,000 in Medicaid reductions and $135,000 in cuts to nutrition programs.
State budget cuts also will affect other departments, about $8 million altogether for the county.
Sedgwick County leaders today are holding their annual financial retreat, at which commissioners get a forecast for the year to help them prepare for budget time in July.
The county’s financial plan estimates that assessed property valuations, up about 5 percent last year, will be up less than 1 percent this year and will decline 1.5 percent next year.
Sales and use taxes are expected to be down about 2 percent this year compared with almost 6 percent last year.
The county expects to see its investments continue to fall. Investment income plummeted about 60 percent last year, and leaders estimate it to be down another 31 percent this year, not turning around until next year.
The retreat, open to the public, continues until 2 p.m. at the county fire district’s station near Wild West World, 7750 N. Wild West Drive.
TOPEKA – Kansas Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh announced Monday that he would be stepping down and taking a job in the private sector.
Thornburgh will leave his position effective Feb. 15. He will be joining Olathe-based NIC as the senior vice president of sales and marketing. The company provides government portals, online services and secure government payment processing programs.
“It has been a tremendous honor and privilege to serve my fellow Kansans as Secretary of State for the last 15 years. My family and I have been very blessed by this opportunity. The support and friendships we have received from countless Kansans has been invaluable. Thank you to the voters and my staff for making this experience possible. I am very proud of my record and the many accomplishments throughout my years of public service,” said Thornburgh in a written statement.
Thornburgh has previously said he did not plan to run for reelection as secretary of state.
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Below is a preliminary schedule of events for some House and Senate committees.
The schedules are subject to change and new schedules and agendas are posted daily for both the House and Senate here.
All hearings are open to the public, although seating is limited.
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Kurtis
Television journalist Bill Kurtis of Sedan has a new project starting, traveling the nation to chronicle positive stories from the recession.
At a campaign event for his sister, 4th District congressional candidate and state Sen. Jean Schodorf, R-Wichita, Kurtis said he is in discussions with a major financial services firm that wants to underwrite a series of documentary profiles and town meetings to find the silver lining in the economic downturn.
“We’re going to try and find the positive stories of people who have changed their lives for the better,” Kurtis said.
Some possible examples might be people who took advantage of being laid off to start their own business or do volunteer work.
Kurtis said he thinks a lot of people are tired of being battered by news of people beaten down by the economy and want to see people picking themselves up.
“As a journalist, I can just sense the feeling is out there,” he said.
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TOPEKA — Convenience store owners are urging lawmakers to allow them to sell full-strength beer, contending it would level the playing field. But liquor store owners fear changing the laws would cause them to close shop.
“They are attempting to stab me in the back and take 60 percent of my business,” said Wichita liquor store owner John Davis.
For 35 years, Davis has operated Davis Liquor. The enterprise has become a family affair with his wife and two children each owning their own stores.
He estimated that 60 percent of his sales come from beer. Allowing convenience and grocery stores to sell full-strength beer would pull away customers. If those stores want those customers, let them follow all the regulations he has to follow, Davis said.
Convenience and grocery stores can sell only beer that is no more than 3.2 percent alcohol. House Bill 2537 would remove that restriction. The House Federal and State Affairs Committee heard testimony at a standing-room-only hearing Thursday. The hearing continues Monday.
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Kansas has received $415,000 from a five-state, $2.1 million settlement with the Nationwide Insurance Co. over questionable annuities sold by Overland Park-based Waddell & Reed Inc., the Insurance Department announced Thursday.
The settlement ends about 10 years of complaints and litigation over the annuities, said Bob Hanson, an aide to Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger.
The insurance departments alleged that in 2000, Wadell & Reed, a multi-state financial-advising firm, asked Nationwide to develop annuities that the company could exchange for annuities that some Wadell & Reed clients held.
Annuities are life insurance policies that pay benefits over time, either for a set period or for the life of the policyholder.
The insurance departments alleged that the problem with the Nationwide annuities was that the death benefits were lower than the benefits in the annuities that customers exchanged for them, Hanson said.
Nationwide did not admit to any wrongdoing.
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Republican Senate hopeful Todd Tiahrt just picked up the endorsement of James Dobson, of Focus on the Family fame.
“I believe it is imperative that we elect Christian leaders who will fight for the principles that promote strong family values,” Dobson said.
“Todd has never cowered in the face of a tough fight. Whether it is defending the lives of the unborn, working to preserve parental rights or standing up for traditional marriage, he has been willing to fight important battles at a time when many chose to sit on the sidelines.”
Dobson continued, “Todd not only votes the right way, but he also speaks out and helps lead the fight to get conservative policies enacted. His activism is not a recent development, but a mark of his entire political career.”