Office of Speaker Neufeld: LAWMAKERS ACHIEVE MANY SUCCESSES DURING 2007-2008 LEGISLATIVE TERM

FROM THE OFFICE OF SPEAKER NEUFELD

May 29, 2008

Contact:
Sherriene Jones-Sontag
Office of Speaker Melvin Neufeld
785/296-2302


Topeka – The Kansas Legislature marked the end of the 2008 Legislative Session today with Sine Die.

“Despite what some have said, Kansas lawmakers worked hard this session and passed dozens of good laws. For anyone to say this session was all about coal and nothing else refuses to look at the entire work of the Kansas Legislature. In a very tight budget year, we were able to fund necessary programs and agencies and limited increases in new spending more effectively than previous legislatures,” Speaker Melvin Neufeld (R-Ingalls) said.

The Speaker highlighted some of the session’s achievements.



“We passed property tax relief for Kansas senior citizens and fourth year funding of the school finance plan. We allocated additional funding to shorten social services waiting lists and continued our course to reform our state’s health care system,” Speaker Neufeld said. “State employees now have a new pay system thanks to work that began with a House Special Committee I appointed. We had strong bi-partisan support for NBAF and the Cessna expansion. This all builds on our accomplishments during last year’s session.”

2008 Legislation by the numbers:

1466 bills carried over from 2007 session (765) or introduced during 2008 session (701)
184 bills will become law
7 bills vetoed by the Governor

Speaker Neufeld said while legislators worked hard to craft sound public policy, there were some disappointments.

“An overwhelming majority of Representatives and Senators serving all 105 Kansas counties voted in support of comprehensive energy legislation this session, but the Governor refused to listen and vetoed our efforts to return regulatory certainty to Kansas and guarantee reliable and affordable electricity for all Kansans,” Neufeld said. “And while we were unable to come to an agreement on immigration reform, we had serious debate about how our state should address this very important issue. I expect both of these issues to be back in front of the Legislature next year.”

Neufeld said House Republicans set aggressive agendas for the 2007-2008 legislative term and he is pleased with what they are able to check off.

“We kept our promise to Kansas students and their parents to fund schools. We cut the tax burden on Kansas families and businesses while limiting increased spending. We strengthened our laws against those who would do our most vulnerable harm. We began the long process of reforming our state’s health care system. We encouraged our state’s entrepreneurial spirit and brought more creditability to our state's electoral process,” Speaker Neufeld said.

Attached is a complete list of the 184 bills that will become law in 2008.