Heated battle over smoking ban

When the statewide smoking ban was on the line, the Johnson County delegation to the Kansas House came through. It was far from unanimous, but still a solid bloc of votes was delivered to halt death and disease from secondhand tobacco smoke.

The tally was 68 to 54.

The Johnson County vote broke down this way: 14 to send the Senate-passed smoke-free legislation to Gov. Mark Parkinson, seven against.

Legislative records show that Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Overland Park, was “absent or not voting.”

The yeas: Reps. Lisa Benlon, D-Overland Park; Barbara Bollier, R-Mission Hills; Patricia Colloton, R-Leawood; Dolores Furtado, D-Overland Park; S. Mike Kiegerl, R-Olathe; Marvin G. Kleeb, R-Overland Park; Cindy Neighbor, D-Shawnee; Jill Quigley, R-Lenexa; Gene Rardin, D-Overland Park; Mike Slattery, D-Mission; Sheryl Spalding, R-Overland Park; Milack Talia, D-Shawnee; Kay Wolf, R-Prairie Village; and Ron Worley, R-Lenexa.

The nays: Reps. Anthony R. Brown, R-Eudora; Owen Donohoe, R-Shawnee; Lance Kinzer, R-Olathe; Ray Merrick, R-Stilwell; and Rob Olson, Scott Schwab and Arlen Siegfreid, all Olathe Republicans.

2010 Census: Do not miss it

Soon you will receive your census questionnaire. Fill it out and return it by mail. That is the civic thing to do. An accurate count, with everyone participating, will ensure that our state and community receive our fair share of benefits and representation in government.

The distribution of more than $400 billion a year in federal funding will be based on the population recorded in the decennial census. That involves such programs as highway construction and school lunches.

Representation in the U.S. House is keyed to population. The 435 seats will be divided among the states based on the new head count. Literally, every individual counts in our representative democracy.

Letters to the editor

We need to invest in our schools

As a parent of young children in the Shawnee Mission School District, I am appalled at the shortsighted decision of the school board to abandon pushing the Kansas Legislature for a revenue increase in favor of pursuing solely increased local authority. Not only does it send the wrong message to less-privileged districts around the state, I believe that it will backfire, resulting in no significant additional funding for the district and another year of heartbreaking and harmful cuts.

Of course I want my children to attend excellent schools. I’ll willingly pay higher taxes to support them, at the local and state levels. But part of the education I want for my kids is the lesson that societies come with collective responsibilities, and there is no healthy future without investment in all.

Melinda Lewis

Prairie Village 

America needs health care reform

Currently, Congress is wringing hands over what to do with the health care bill.  While its fate lies in limbo, the impact of the bill should not be lost during this interlude. Nor should the brief delay underestimate the importance of assuring the bill’s timely passage.

Talk Back

Talk Back calls from our readers...

 Destroying small business

Why are Democrats trying to destroy small business? All the massive spending and bailouts have done nothing to help small business. Instead, the Democratic Congress supports the cap and trade bill, which will increase the cost of fuel, the cost of transportation, the cost of goods made and sold, and also increase our taxes. In other words, make it impossible for small business to succeed.

Job well done

This is in regards to “Don’t need gifts” Feb. 24 for mail carriers. If you think your mail carrier does a great job and goes above and beyond what he has to do – because some mail carriers, I know, look after elderly people and other things in the neighborhood – then by all means, I think they should give a gift to show their appreciation. Everybody likes to be recognized for doing a good job.

Paper waste

The recycling centers don’t accept shredded paper for recycling. That’s a huge amount of recyclable material going to waste. Is there anywhere here that does accept shredded paper?