RYCKMAN RECAP, Ron Ryckman, 38th District Senator

The “hot and cold” unpredictability of things during Week 11 of the Legislature was a lot like the weather, as we had the highest March temperature on record in more than a century (95 degrees) one day, followed by a drop to half that the next. Inside the Statehouse, there were similar periods of intense “heated” action, with intervening “lulls” that had us feeling like we were supposed to be someplace, but just weren’t sure where. It kind of reminded me of the story my staff assistant told me from his days on Capitol Hill in Washington about running into a Congressman between evening receptions in the Rayburn House Office Building elevator. Noticing that the Representative was looking at one of those scheduling cards we used to carry around before the days of cell phones, he asked “Looking to see where you’re going next, Mr. Chairman?” to which the Member replied, “No, I’m trying to figure out where the hell I am.”

That’s kind of the pattern around here right before Adjournment when we bounce from caucus to session to conferences to “down time” for things to get processed, then repeat it all again. Just out of curiosity, I counted the formal requests for House and Senate conferences and noted there were more than 70 in one day alone. Imagine just trying to handle the time and room availability for that kind of volume. Indeed, twice my Local Government Committee had to wait 15 minutes for another meeting to conclude, causing us to then be late ourselves. Things also tend to overlap, such that conferees are working while their respective bodies are in session, leading to a “Call of the Senate” for the Sergeant-at-Arms to summon members to the floor for a vote.

Confused?

Someone told me I needed to get one of those new GPS devices for seniors that not only tell you how to get to your destination but why you’re going there.

There were actually “only” 76 total votes by the Senate this week (including two veto overrides), but since some of those were on conference reports that “bundled” as many as five bills, that number is not a true reflection of the volume of legislation on which we acted. Moreover, one of them was on the 397-page budget and another the Chiefs’ move-to-Kansas incentive, so we’re talking billions of dollars in consequential impact.

There were surprises both ways on measures of considerable interest that made it and those that didn’t. One in particular that did was SB 20 having to do with “340b” pharmaceutical pricing and payment (104-17 House; 32-8 Senate) — and one that didn’t, HB 2422 on App Store Accountability (34-6 Senate, but “non-concurred” by the House 69-55). The formal terminology for failure to resolve differences without bothering to hold a conference is “The Senate agrees to disagree,” but whether or not that will work at home I can’t say.

One thing I can say is that there is nothing more fulfilling as a senator than to be able to declare success on a constituent service inquiry. That happened this week on a request from one of my mayors for help in getting an expedited inspection to facilitate the opening of a day care center. I called the State Fire Marshal, with whom I had become pretty well-acquainted during all our wildfires earlier this year, and he responded almost immediately with clarification and guidance on what was needed. He even offered to — and did — go beyond his normal jurisdictional purview to follow up with Childcare Licensing and speed the approval process. I can’t tell you how gratifying and refreshing it is to interact with such dedicated public servants who truly have the interests of Kansas citizens at heart. Maybe I can even ask him to “light some fires” to help us get a property tax relief measure through when we come back for veto session.

I also want to give a special “shout-out” to the Dodge and Liberal visitor’s centers and chambers, as well the Dalton Hideout curators, for their generosity in contributing most impressive gift packages for the Annual Special Olympics Shrimp Peel fundraiser the Legislature held this week. With their help, we raised a record $56,905. That’s not quite as much as the $140,994 grant just announced for Signal Upgrades in Liberal, but it’s for an equally worthy cause.

I’ll be back in Topeka for the just-mentioned veto session on April 8, but if I weren’t, I’d be joining many of you for the KDOT Open House discussion at the Community College Union from 5:30-7:30 p.m. that day on the planned U.S. 54/83 expansion.

Favorite headline of the week: “Students protest bill to curb student protests.” Happy First Adjournment (as of midnight Friday) — with Easter soon to follow; as always, I am honored to be serving as your “voice” in Topeka.