The Dotte

Opinion: Karin Brownlee’s Court-Packing Scheme

Fair and balanced.

That’s how Kansas House Republicans might describe a workers’ compensation reform bill they gave preliminary approval to on Friday. But here’s how the Topeka Capitol Journal described House Bill 2531 which changes the process for selecting administrative law judges for disputed Kansas workers’ compensation and unemployment cases:

“The bill, championed by Kansas Labor Secretary Karin Brownlee, would hand to business interests control of picking members of a new board that would assume responsibility for judicial appointments. Business groups would be guaranteed six seats on the board, while labor would have one seat.”

Legislation like HB 2531 hurts communities like ours the most.

This stacks the deck against workers who are injured on the job. Thank you to all of our Representatives who stood with Kansas workers and have opposed this bill, unfortunately not all Reps are like ours and are more interested in valuing their big business campaign contributors over the hard working families in our State. 

Karin Brownlee and business groups will choose SIX of the new seven-member panel that picks judges for work comp and UI cases. The Kansas AFL-CIO would pick the seventh.

Brownlee and House Republicans are trying to blow up a process that has resulted in truly impartial judges that both employees and employers can trust.

You are probably outraged, and you should be.

So, before the final House vote on this bill, Kansas workers need you to make your voice heard.

Click here for a list of key Representatives to call before the vote and our notes on the bill. The vote could come as soon as Monday, so start calling over the weekend.

Take a moment to share this with your friends on your social networks and take action to stand with many of the member of our communities who are likely going to be some of the most hurt by this bill.

Twitter (copy & paste the following into a tweet):  RT @workingkansans: Help Stop Karin Brownlee’s Court-Packing Scheme! Take A Stand Now!  http://bit.ly/zzdCGy #ksleg #kslabor 

 Facebok (click here to like and share)

Kansas Legislature Reconvenes Today

The Kansas Legislature reconvenes today for what is expected to be at least a 15 wrap-up session. The major issue will be setting a State budget for 2011. It is major challenge because the State faces $510-million shortfall. 

Senate budget builders have put together a spending plan which is still more than $400-million short and would require tax increases to balance. House appropriators have assembled a budget plan which balances without tax increases, but requires a half billion dollars in further cuts. The State has already slashed $1-billion in spending over the past year.

Millions in dollars in funding for the Unified Government is at risk as legislators look to cut spending. Over the past few years, the Legislature has raided millions in funding from the Unified Government, including legally obligated revenue sharing and the machinery and equipment property tax. The UG still receives about $1.5-million a year in liquor tax dollars and $7-million a year in city-county highway funds which pay for street maintenance. Those funds will be at risk during the wrap-up session. Also facing cuts are services such as Community Mental Health, Community Corrections, Aging and District Courts.