1) 2006 Legislature Convenes

With the cloud of school funding hanging over their heads, the 2006 Legislature convened to begin its work for the year on Monday, January 9, 2006. That same day the Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit released its study regarding the financing of public schools. The study found that a minimum of $316 million in additional funding would be necessary to meet suitability standards and the Kansas Supreme Court mandate. This poses an incredible challenge for legislators to meet. With a prevailing attitude of “no new taxes,” it will be especially difficult to resolve this issue.

Cities in Kansas will be working with the Legislature on a number of key issues including the proposed machinery and equipment property tax exemption, eminent domain, telecommunications franchises, and investment of idle funds, among others.

It is very important for city officials to become engaged in the legislative process. The League News will be sent weekly throughout the session to keep city officials apprised of happenings here in Topeka. In addition, Legislative Alerts will be sent whenever there is a need for immediate action by city officials. Finally, we hope to see you all in Topeka on City Hall Day, January 26, 2006. For more information, go to our website at www.lkm.org/legislative/city-hall-daypop.html.

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2) City Hall Day at the Capitol to be Held Thursday, January 26

LKM’s City Hall Day at the Capitol is an annual event designed to increase the visibility of local government issues. Now in its fifth year, the event will feature speeches by legislative leaders and Governor Kathleen Sebelius. The event will also include a legislative lunch, exhibits in the Statehouse highlighting various cities, and the announcement of the winners of the "If I Were A Mayor..." Youth Essay Contest.

City Hall Day participants can also use the opportunity to meet personally with their legislators, while others will testify in Legislative committees regarding issues important to local government.

There is still time to register for this important event. To register, please go to www.lkm.org/legislative/2006cityhalldayreg.aspx. The event costs $25 and includes lunch.

We hope that you will use this opportunity to see state government in action and take time to visit with your legislators about issues that are important to your community.

Presentations will include briefings by legislative leaders and League staff beginning at 9:30 a.m. and ending by noon. Lunch will be provided from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the State Capitol in Topeka.

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3) Crisis Leadership For City and County Officials

Working from the manual, How to Lead During Bioattacks with the Public's Trust and Help, LKM presents a training that will offer recommendations to better prepare and respond to a biological attack. The training provides "best principles and practices" guidance that will benefit local planning for bioterrorism and other infectious disease threats. It will be held on February 13 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Topeka.

The training counts as four MLA Elective Course credits and there are absolutely no registration fees associated with this event. In fact, each attendee will receive a $40 reimbursement for enrolling and participating in this session! Registration is limited to the first 100 applicants.

To register, please go to www.lkm.org/register/mla. More information about this and other MLA programs can be found on the LKM website at www.lkm.org, or by calling (785) 354-9565.

This training is provided in cooperation with the Kansas Health Foundation, Kansas Association of Counties, Kansas Association of Local Health Departments, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, League of Kansas Municipalities, Office of Local and Rural Health, and St. Louis University.

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4) NIMS Training

The Kansas Division of Emergency Management (KDEM) invites you to attend the broadcast video conference sessions that have been scheduled around the state. As you know, compliance with NIMS (National Incident Management System) is not an option, but mandatory to receive continued federal funding assistance in FY 2007. Currently, KDEM has eight locations to make it easier for all students to attend any of the sessions. This is a four hour class offered in January, February, and March.

For a flyer about the NIMS sessions, go to: http://www.accesskansas.org/kdem/pdf/training/Brochures/NIMS%20DL%200113_0207_0301_06.pdf.

More information can be found at: http://www.accesskansas.org/kdem/nims/ or by calling the Training Office at (785) 274-1412.

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For a PDF Version of the League News, Click Here