Office of Speaker Neufeld: REPS. RHOADES & WHITHAM APPOINTED TO MEASUREMENT COMMISSION

FROM THE OFFICE OF SPEAKER NEUFELD

July 01, 2008

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

Rep. Marc Rhoades, 316/284-9725
Rep. Jeff Whitham, 620/875-5417


Topeka – Kansas Speaker of the House of Representatives Melvin Neufeld (R-Ingalls) announced today he has appointed Reps. Jeff Whitham (R-Garden City) and Marc Rhoades (R-Newton) to represent the House on the Kansas Performance Measurement Commission.

“By carefully assessing the effectiveness of state programs we should be able to find those that need improvement or no longer meet the needs of Kansans – making state government more effective and cost-efficient,” Speaker Neufeld said. “Reps. Whitman and Rhoades are among the best in the House when it comes to studying the issues and carefully evaluating the details of legislation before them. That thoroughness is what the commission needs to succeed and excel in its work for Kansas taxpayers.”

The 2008 Legislature established the commission through the passage of Sub. for Sub. for Senate Bill 316 – the Kansas Governmental Operations Accountability Law. The 11-member commission will contract with a private consultant to design a performance measurement management system for the State.

“We should be able to come up with some quantitative measurements to help assess how effective some state programs are operating, and, to help determine if those programs are carrying out their mission. I expect we will share this information with legislators and the public as we put a system in place,” Rep. Whitham said.

SB 316 also established the Kansas Taxpayer Transparency Act and directs the State Post Auditor to audit at least four state agencies each year to determine whether they are still needed and if so, decide how they could operate more efficiently.