Chair, Kansas House Health & Human Services Committee

Members of the Kansas House Health & Human Services Committee

Dear Chair Landwehr and Members of the Committee:

Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony regarding House Bill 2330, the “Cannabis Compassion and Care Act”. We want to express our support for this bill and encourage the committee to approve the bill as proposed.

HB 2330 seeks to aid patients who are suffering and find cannabis to be the most effective treatment. The scope of this bill is limited to patients who suffer from specific illnesses. The science is clear – in certain cases cannabis is the safest and most effective therapy for patients. It is not only an act of compassion – but common sense – to provide a legal outlet for these patients. There are currently 16 states (as well as the District of Columbia) that have approved the use of medical cannabis. A recent CBS News poll found that 77% of respondents support the use of medical cannabis for approved patients. Support for medical cannabis is no longer a radical idea, but now has mainstream support. In addition, the Kansas Division of the Budget estimates that the state will actually see a revenue increase of almost $1,000,000 from the administration of the programs outlined in HB 2330.

It is time for Kansas to confirm our caring nature for those who are ill and in need of proper treatment. Please support these patients and the people of Kansas by forwarding HB 2330 to the full House for consideration.

Respectfully,

Al Terwelp

Chair, Libertarian Party of Kansas

12156 S Stanley Rd

Overbrook, KS 66524

785-665-7581

Please save the date and keep checking back for more details as they become available.

Heartland Libertarian Convention 2012
March 24th, 2012
Location TBD

Because of the expected large turnout, we have changed the meeting place. This month we will meet at Annie’s Place, 4014 SW Gage Center Drive, in Topeka. We’ll start gathering about 6:30 p.m., with the program starting at 7:00. Each attendee may order from the menu. Their prices are quite reasonable, ranging from $5.00 sandwiches and up.

I need to let Annie’s Place know how many will be there. If you have not already done so, please let me know if you plan to attend this meeting, and how many will be in your group.

Sharon DuBois
Email: liberty43@cox.net

You can read more about the situation in this editorial piece in the Topeka Capital Journal.

Below is the text from the flyer put out by LNEK.  You can download that flyer here as a PDF, or here as a GIF.

Citizens of Topeka:

April 20^th 2011

The Libertarian Party of Kansas (LPKS) held its 2011 State Convention and the outcome probably has some Republicans and Democrats wondering if the Libertarians are finally getting serious.  The first sign of a different attitude happened when the Party chose Al Terwelp as Chair.  Terwelp who works in advertising and marketing explained “The principles and values of the Libertarian Party of Kansas are those of Kansans.  Our liberty-based ideas have always been strong, but how we have shared those ideas has been weak.  We are going to communicate what the Libertarian Party is all about through new media forms with a more consistent brand.”

In a demonstration of the Libertarian Party’s new commitment to better communication of their principles and ideas, the party membership made a move that caught many by surprise; they chose to dramatically update the LPKS’s nearly one decade old Party Platform and their nearly four decade old Statement of Principle.

The party’s Statement of Principle now begins:

“We, the Members of the Libertarian Party of Kansas, believe in the people of Kansas.  We hold that all adults are capable of deciding what is best for themselves, their families, and their communities.  We recognize that all individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner they choose.”

Party Media Spokesperson, Stacey Davis, says that the new Statement of Principle holds true to the values of the party and is one that the vast majority of Kansans will identify with.  “We Kansans just want to be treated like adults and that is what the Libertarian Party of Kansas is all about.  Most Kansans are Libertarians; they just don’t know it yet…but they will soon.”

The new Platform and Statement of Principle are available on the Libertarian Party of Kansas’ website, www.LPKS.org which was redesigned in 2010 and is described by many as the most attractive and modern political website in Kansas.

The Libertarian Party of Kansas officers elected during the 2011 state convention include:

###

Mr. Al Terwelp

Chair, Libertarian Party of Kansas

785-665-7581

Chair@LPKS.org

Mr. Stacey Davis

Media Spokesperson, Libertarian Party of Kansas

785-231-9524

Policy@LPKS.org

Website:  www.LPKS.org

We encourage all our Libertarian members to attend one of these meetings and if you do go, lets show others how passionate, polite and informed and we are.

For more information

contact Ron Keefover,

Education-Information Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                                            April 11, 2011

A rigorous schedule of statewide community meetings to hear citizens’ comments and suggestions about improving Kansas court operations and case dispositions was released today by the Blue Ribbon Commission, a 25-member study group that will make recommendations for improvements to the Supreme Court.

The first of 19 public meetings will be conducted in Norton on April 18 to hear local concerns and suggestions to improve access and efficiency in the state’s court system, according to Court of Appeals Judge Patrick McAnany, Commission chairman.

The Blue Ribbon Commission was appointed by the state Supreme Court from across the state to undertake a complete review of the court system, the first such since the 1970s, when the Kansas courts were unified.

“The commission will consider such issues as the number of court locations needed to provide access to justice, the services to be provided in each court location, hours of operation, appropriate use of technology, cost containment or reductions, and flexibility in the use of human resources,” McAnany said. “However, the Commission is not limited to those subjects and has the authority to review other operational efficiencies associated with the court system.”

Conducting the public meetings in Norton will be Commission members Donna Elliott, Clerk of the District Court, Hill City; District Magistrate Judge Richard Flax, Wakeeney; and Chief District Judge Kim Cudney, Greenleaf. The meetings will be in the Prairie Land Electric Cooperative Building in Norton. The first of the two meetings will be at 4 p.m. to accommodate local officials who wish to attend and make their comments. A second meeting to hear comments and suggestions from the general public will begin at 6 p.m. in the same location.

Judge McAnany said the issues Commission members are especially interested in hearing about at the meeting include:

• What should be done to give the courts flexibility to adjust manpower or court facilities as workloads or funding for the courts change?
• Are there court services that could be better provided regionally, electronically, or at one central statewide location?
• How could we use technology to improve the court system?
• Are there certain court services that must be kept at the county level?
• What other concerns or issues should the Commission consider?

Judge McAnany said the Blue Ribbon Commission has not arrived at any recommendations to make to the Supreme Court, but is meeting at 18 locations throughout the state in April and May as a fact-finding mission.  Once the meetings are concluded, the Commission will meet and consider all suggestions and concerns expressed during them.

In addition to the information obtained from the scheduled meetings, the Blue Ribbon Commission will have the results of a weighted caseload study of both judicial and non-judicial staff time required to process the court system cases. The weighted caseload study is the first review in Kansas history to accurately measure the time and personnel required to process cases by considering such influences as case complexity, the driving time for some judges in less populated areas to travel from court to court within their district, as well as the administrative burdens.

Once the Commission completes its work, it will submit its report to the Supreme Court. It is expected that the report will contain recommendations for action the Court can take on its own authority, as well as action that may require legislative approval or constitutional change.

Besides the opportunity to make suggestions or concerns known at the community meetings, community members are encouraged to send their suggestions and comments by e-mail addressed to: KSCourtStudyBRC@kscourts.org.  The meeting schedule may be found at http://www.kscourts.org/Judicial-Branch-Review/Blue_Ribbon_Commission/default.asp, a website that has been set up to assist those interested in finding more information about the Commission.

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Dear Friend of Liberty,

Since the beginning of March, we’ve had eight Libertarians elected or re-elected to office.

Two of the most prominent winners were Andrew Gray, who was just elected to the city council of Topeka, Kansas, and Doug Burlison, who was just re-elected to the city council of Springfield, Missouri…..<read the rest of the article below>

http://www.lp.org/blogs/staff/lp-monday-message-candidates-and-elected-libertarians

You can find the new Statement of Principles and Platform on the About Page.

The time has arrived for the annual convention for the Libertarian Party of Kansas (LPKS). It will be held Sunday April 17th 2011 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm at the Big Gage Shelter House. It is the building located in the same parking lot as the Topeka Zoo in Gage Park (Map to Zoo).  This is also where the 2010 LPKS state convention was held.  

The LPKS welcomes all to attend this convention of the fastest growing political party in Kansas. We are the Party that believes and practices that every voice is just as equal as any other. You can have a voice and it will be listened to. Below are the major agenda items for this year’s convention.

1) Opening Remarks – Andrew Gray, LPKS Chair, will host a general discussion about the state of the Party.  Open remarks will be followed by a question and answer period.

2) KELA Presentation – There will be an in-depth discussion about progress made by the creation and advancement of the Kansas Education Liberty Act (KELA). This discussion will be moderated by Vice Chair Al Terwelp and Policy Researcher Stacey Davis.

3) Platform Revisions Discussion and Vote – It has been a number of years since our LPKS Platform has been updated. As with all political thoughts and actions, our platform needs to continually be renewed to reflect the condition of Kansans. The Platform Committee will be discussing the recommended changes to adjust to the current times and to maintain our integrity. The recommended platform will be voted upon by those in attendance and other suggestions will be taken from those in attendance. The suggestions can be made by anyone in attendance but can only be voted upon by those who are registered Libertarians.

4) Election of LPKS Officers – The last item will be the election of Party officers. All the positions (Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Coordinators for Congressional Districts of 1, 2, 3, 4) will be up for election. The only position not for election is Policy Researcher which is an appointed position. Anyone who is a registered Libertarian can run for the positions of Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary or Treasurer. A person must reside in the appropriate Congressional District to be eligible for election to the position of District Coordinator. If you are interested in running for one of these positions, please contact  Mike Kerner (current LPKS Secretary) at Secretary@lpks.org to make clear your intent. Any registered Libertarian may also announce during the convention their intention to run for one of the LPKS officer positions.

The more detailed Proposed Agenda is available here

If you have any other questions feel free to email me at Chair@lpks.org or call me at 785.231.4367.

Andrew P. Gray
Chair – Libertarian Party of Kansas

March 10, 2011

School Choice Closer for Kansans

With the introduction of HB2367, Kansas is one step closer to becoming a national leader in school choice.

Supporters of this bill say its passage will strengthen public schools, empower parents and communities to be more involved in the education of our children, help children from low-income families have equal access all educational settings, and lower the tax burden of the people of Kansas.

The proposed law, the Kansas Education Liberty Act (KELA), authorizes specific non-profit organizations to grant scholarships to students to attend a qualified private or public school of their parents’ choice.  These scholarships are funded through tax-credit eligible contributions from individual Kansans and corporations.   The bill’s author, Stacey Davis, says that by empowering parents to be directly responsible for their children’s educational setting, Kansas increases parental involvement, widely accepted as the number one indicator of educational success.  They also argue that by inviting Kansas individuals and corporations to take an active and voluntary role in funding education, we gain a level of community involvement that will be equally powerful in helping our children achieve their potential.\

Supporters of KELA also say their plan will save state taxpayers an average of $2,682 per student who chooses to accept a KELA scholarship.   While the state’s tax receipts will be reduced by the tax-credits associated with funding each KELA scholarship, the amount of reduction is significantly less than what the state government currently spends educating that child in a public school.

Al Terwelp, Lead Promoter of KELA, says that public schools win as well.  He explains that public schools will still have access to the majority of the federal and local taxpayer funding they currently receive; so with each struggling student who chooses another educational setting, public schools will have more funding per remaining student.  Those remaining students will also enjoy the benefits of smaller classrooms and more focused teachers as students who are currently struggling are presented with the option to find an educational setting that better meets their individual needs.

When asked how he knows this will work, Davis tells us, “It’s simple really; I know it will work because it already has worked in other states.  The Kansas Education Liberty Act emulates the best characteristics of eighteen different school choice programs already in place in eleven states and the District of Columbia.  Those existing school choice programs already successfully serve over 180,000 American students.  Davis adds, “We’re not reinventing the wheel here, we’re just making it better.  When we pass this piece of legislation, it will be the model that other states emulate.”

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Mr. Stacey Davis, Policy Researcher LPKS

Author and Lead Promoter of KELA

785.231.9524
Policy@lpks.org

Mr. Al Terwelp, Vice Chair LPKS

Lead Promoter of KELA

785-665-7581

bigalkansas@gmail.com

Website: www.SupportKELA.com