Thursday, March 29, 2007

Lake level dominates local concerns

by Clarke Davis

A rundown of current issues before the Kansas Legislature was brought to Perry by Sen. Roger Pine, R-Lawrence, and Rep. Lee Tafanelli, R-Ozawkie, Saturday morning.

The Jefferson County Republican Party sponsored their appearance at the American Legion Building serving up biscuits and gravy.

Tafanelli had left the capitol at 3:30 that morning where the House members were doing some “contentious wrangling” over the expansion of gaming in Kansas.

He had to be back in Topeka by 10 o’clock for a joint Senate-House session on appropriations.

While the legislators covered a wide range of topics from renewable energy to health care, it was the water level in Perry Lake that most concerned some locals.

It’s the premise of those invested in the recreation industry that the economic interests of this industry now outweigh those of the barge industry and that lowering lake levels in Kansas at the heighth of the boating season has disastrous consequences.

Tafanelli, who said he has spent a lot of time on this subject, indicated the only way for the state to have control over a federal reservoir was to purchase the water storage capacity.

“It’s not cheap to buy a lake,” he said.

Tafanelli said if the state bought the water it could control what was released, but it would also have to assume much of the operating and maintenance costs that go along with it.

The legislator explained that the government was working under an agreement that goes back to 1944 when flood control and navigation were the two top priorities and those have not changed.

He agreed that lowering the lake to aid a couple of barge companies often doesn’t make sense.

“We can lower the lake six feet and it might raise the river two inches,” he said. “By the time it gets to St. Louis, it’s negligible.”

Tafanelli said that a deviation in the release rate has been requested the past two out of three years, but there had been no determination for this summer and fall.

The availability of ethanol fuel, tax exempt status for hospice organizations, and the severing of parental rights over foster children were other concerns from those attending.

Pine reported that businesses would see a reduction in the unemployment tax and that workers would not have a waiting period when laid off work.

A farm winery bill has been approved, Pine said, that will allow them to operate under a Class B Club license so they can be in the catering business.

Schools will be required to develop policies dealing with bullying in school.

“Bullying has been going on as far back as I can remember,” Pine said.

Schools will now have to deal with it.

The legislators also spoke on property tax relief for seniors, money for maintenance of university buildings, and economic development issues currently in the works.