It has been an odd week with the bitter cold and with the passing of two men (one local and one national) who have been vital to the conservative movement, State Senator Bud Estes (R-Dodge City), and conservative radio host, Rush Limbaugh. We are in prayer for both the Estes and Limbaugh families.
Even with the bitter cold outside, there has still been a decent amount of activity inside the Capitol that affects family values. Here are some of the bills that are winding their way through the legislature that may be of interest to you and your family:
Educational Freedom:
- H.B. 2119 will create the Student Empowerment Act for at-risk students.
- S.B. 61 will expand the existing low-income Student Tax Credit Scholarship that has already successfully helped hundreds of Kansas students have access to educational opportunities. It was passed by the Senate last week 24-14.
Election Integrity:
- HB 2054 will limit who may deliver advanced ballots and work to better enforce our current ballot harvesting prohibitions.
- HB 2183 will work to ensure the balance of power between the branches of government is respected in order to protect the election process.
- HB 2319 would shorten the time frame in which advanced ballots can be returned.
- HB 2339 was heard in committee this week and will expand the crime of election tampering.
Vocational Freedom:
- HB 2066 expands expedited licensing laws to other residential (or those intending to reside) applicants in Kansas. These types of laws free families to make the best work and family decisions for their particular circumstances. It also encourages families to move to our state by removing onerous and unnecessary regulations.
Medical Marijuana
- HB 2184 would legalize the use of marijuana for certain medical purposes. We are watching this bill closely because bills like this often are used as a gateway to legalize recreational marijuana which is known to impact families in a multitude of ways.
Be on the lookout for more information about how we are working to protect mothers and babies through Value Them Both. And there is still time to contact your Senators about the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act.
There is a lot of activity in Kansas and we are so thankful to partner with you in protecting faith, family, and freedom!
For Kansas,
Brittany Jones, Esq.
Director of Advocacy