Brother and Sisters!
Kansas state employees are under attack; there’s simply no other way to put it. Whether it’s our jobs, pensions, or paychecks we are under constant assault. Privatization schemes are being considered for our jobs and pensions and there are even calls to underfund our paychecks.
They want to privatize our jobs!
Under a privatization scheme for any one state agency or service, the KOSE protected employees involved will certainly lose their rights under our union contract and be forced to adhere to the whims of some private contractor that will typically provide less pay and poor benefits. Of course, most workers affected by privatization schemes are not guaranteed to keep their jobs once an agency or service is outsourced.
They want to privatize and underfund our pensions!
Threats to our pensions by way of privatization or the lowering of the multiplier would be outright detrimental to our retirement security. For example, the state of Nebraska decided to privatize its public employee pension system thirty years ago and it resulted in mass hardship for its public employee retirees. Most were left with nothing from the mismanagement of their investments or high consulting fees from financial investment firms. And lowering the multiplier would mean that employees must put more money into KPERs without getting more compensation in return.
They want to underfund our paychecks!
When we fought hard to protect our paychecks at the legislature last session some legislators must have missed the point! The calls now to underfund our paychecks would result in more Kansas state employees falling even further behind the market rate putting us at the bottom of our regional pay scale.
Now is the time to act!
The upcoming legislative session starts on January 11th and we need to make a stand now and keep the pressure on these legislators who want to play games with our livelihoods. Below is a list of legislators from key committees that affect our jobs, pensions, and paychecks. Please take some time while you are on holiday vacation to contact these people and tell them not to play games with our livelihoods!
Writing a Letter or Email to a legislator:
Identify yourself: Name, address, and phone number.
Get to the point: Tell the legislator what your position is on an issue and explain why.
Use your personal background: Relate your position on an issue to your background or life experience.
Be professional: Address legislator by title, write legibly or type and be courteous.
Calling a legislator:
Be professional: Ask for the legislator by title and be courteous.
Identify yourself: Name and address.
Get to the point: Tell the legislator what your position is on an issue and explain why.
Use your personal background: Relate your position on an issue to your background or life experience.
Stay Positive: If the legislator does not share your views or fails to be sensitive to your issue, do not get argumentative. Please stay focused on your issue and why it is important to you and if the conversation needs to end please remain courteous.
Always leave room for a follow up conversation.
Key Legislators
House Speaker Mike O’Neal: 8 Windemere Ct. Hutchinson, 67502 Phone: (620) 663-9181 Email: mike.oneal@house.ks.gov
House Appropriations Committee members:
Rep. Kevin Yoder, Chair: 5817 W. 100 Terr. Overland Park, 66207 Phone: (913) 341-1028 Email: kevin.yoder@house.ks.gov
Rep. Barbara Craft: 110 S. Garfield. Junction City, 66441 Phone: (785) 238-1384 Email: barbra.craft@house.ks.gov
Rep. J. David Crum: 2903 Lakeshore Dr. Augusta, 67010 Phone: (316) 775-6826 Email: david.crumb@house.ks.gov
Rep. Peter DeGraaf: 1445 E 119th. Mulvane, 67110 Phone: (316) 777-0715 Email: peter.degraaf@house.ks.gov
Rep. Owen Donohoe: 6265 Arapahoe. Shawnee, 66226 Phone: (913) 441-9042 Email: owen.donohoe@house.ks.gov
Rep. James Faber: HC 2, Box 130. Brewster, 67732 Phone: (785) 649-2619 Email: john.faber@house.ks.gov
Rep. Mitch Holmes: 211 S.E. 20th Ave. St. John, 67576 Phone: (620) 234-5834 Email: mitch.holmes@house.ks.gov
Rep. Kasha Kelley: PO Box 1111. Arkansas City, 67005 Phone: (620) 442-2460 Email: kasha.kelley@house.ks.gov
Rep. Bill Light: PO Box 287. Rolla, 67954 Phone: (620) 593-4749 Email: bill.light@house.ks.gov
Rep. Peggy Mast: 765 Road 110. Emporia, 66801 Phone: (620) 343-2465 Email: peggy.mast@house.ks.gov
Rep. Joe McLeland: 431 S. Westfield. Wichita, 67209 Phone: (316) 722-8804 Email: joe.mcleland@house.ks.gov
Rep. Lee Tafanelli: 7075 122nd St. Ozawkie, 66070 Phone: (785) 945-3808 Email: lee.tafanelli@house.ks.gov
Rep. Jeff Whitham: 1308 Cloud Circle. Garden City, 67846 Phone: (620) 275-5417 Email: jeff.whitham@house.ks.gov
Rep. Bill Feuerborn, Ranking Member: 1600 Park Rd. Garnett, 66032 Phone: (785) 448-6457 Email: bill.feuerborn@house.ks.gov
Rep. Barbra Ballard: 1532 Alvamar Dr. Lawrence, 66047 Phone: (785) 841-0063 Email: Barbra.ballard@house.ks.gov
Rep. Tom Burroughs: 3131 S. 73rd Terr. Kansas City, 66106 Phone: (913) 375-1956 Email: tom.burroughs@house.ks.gov
Rep. Sydney Carlin: 1650 Sunnyslope Ln. Manhattan, 66502 Phone: (785) 539-6612 Email: sydney.carlin@house.ks.gov
Rep. Jerry Henry: 3515 Neosho Rd. Cummings, 66016 Phone: (913) 296-2050 Email: jerry.henry@house.ks.gov
Rep. Harold Lane: 1308 S. Kansas Ave. Topeka, 66612 Phone: (785) 232-3610 Email: harold.lane@house.ks.gov
Rep. Tom Sawyer: 1041 S. Elizabeth St. Wichita, 67213 Phone: (316) 265-7096 Email: tom.sawyer@house.ks.gov
Rep. Jim Ward: 3100 E. Clark. Wichita, 67211 Phone: (316) 683-3609 Email: jim.ward@house.ks.gov
Rep. Jerry Williams: 21225 Kiowa Rd. Chanute, 66720 Phone: (620) 431-0172 Email: jerry.williams@house.ks.gov
Senate Ways and Means Committee
Se. Jay Elmer, Chair: 1457 Shawnee Rd. Lindsborg, 67456 Phone: (785) 227-2887 Email: jay.elmer@senate.ks.gov
Sen. Carolyn McGinn, Vice Chair: 11047 N. 87 West. Sedgwick, 67135 Phone: (316) 772-0147 Email: carolyn.mcginn@senate.ks.gov
Sen. John Vratil, Vice Chair: 9534 Lee Blvd. Leawood, 66206 Phone: (913) 341-7559 Email: john.vratil@senate.ks.gov
Sen. Ty Masterson: 5 Flannigan Dr. Augusta, 67010 Phone: (316) 775-1228 Email: ty.masterson@senate.ks.gov
Sen. Vicki Schmidt: 2919 SW Randolph Ct. Topeka, 66611 Phone: (785) 267-4686 Email: Vicki.schmidt@senate.ks.gov
Sen. Jean Schodorf: 3019 Benjamin Ct. Wichita, 67204 Phone: (316) 831-0229 Email: jean.schodorf@senate.ks.gov
Sen. Mark Taddiken: 2614 Hackberry Rd. Clifton, 66937 Phone: (785) 926-3325 Email: mark.taddiken@senate.ks.gov
Sen. Ruth Teichman: 434 E. Old Hwy 50. Stafford, 67578 Phone: (620) 234-5159 Email: ruth.teichman@senate.ks.gov
Sen. Dwayne Umbarger: 1582 70th Rd. Thayer, 66776 Phone: (620) 839-5458 Email: Dwayne.umbarger@senate.ks.gov
Sen. David Wysong: 6630 Indian Ln. Mission Hills, 66208 Phone; (913) 384-9700 Email: david.wysong@senate.ks.gov
Sen. Laura Kelly, Ranking Member: 234 SW Greenwood Ave. Topeka, 66606 Phone: (785) 357-5304 Email: laura.kelly@senate.ks.gov
Sen. Kelly Kultala: 12232 Hubbard Rd. Kansas City, 66109 Phone: (913) 721-0055 Email: Kelly.kultala@senate.ks.gov
Sen. Janis Lee: 2032 90th Rd. Kensington, 66951 Phone: (785) 476-2294 Email: Janis.lee@senate.ks.gov
