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THE IOLA REGISTER Monday, December 23, 2013
Thompson views role with realism By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
“I have an open mind and plan on listening,” Rep. Kent Thompson said of his role for the upcoming legislative session which debuts Jan. 13. Thompson was appointed Sept. 30 to fill Ed Bideau’s unexpired term in the Kansas House of Representatives, after the Chanute attorney died less than a year into his first term. The Iola real estate agent, farmer, auctioneer and liquor store owner said he “fully planned” to seek election to a full twoyear term in November 2014. “It’s been quite a learning curve, there’s a phenomenal amount of information to consume,” he said, and noted it was helpful to have been an Allen County commissioner for 12 years, up through 2008. Commissioners often have to cope with what flows from the Legislature. Thompson said he realized the state budget has two sides, expenditures and finding revenue to meet them. “We have to work to fully fund state responsibilities,” he said, including education, which at all levels consumes
about two-thirds of money spent by the state. Revenue in amounts of any consequence comes from three taxing sources, income, property and sales, and finding a balance among the three is the role of legislators. A s k e d about the Kent Thompson p e n d i n g lawsuit concerning school finance that the Supreme Court is expected to rule on before long, Thompson answered with a question. “What is adequate?” he asked, in reference to both education and its outcome, as well as revenue directed to support it. In the previous lawsuit, which led to increased funding, the Supreme Court ruled the Legislature wasn’t adequately directing dollars to public education, and relied on a study the Legislature had authorized. The Legislature responded, but then fell back — which prompted the current lawsuit — when the recesSee THOMPSON| Page A5
Winter Wonderland
Four kids — from left, Christina White, Gaby Knapp, Gin White and Asia Wadel — took advantage of Saturday’s scant snowfall on Sunday afternoon. Left, ice and frost made for a captivating winter scene on trees and bushes this morning. REGISTER/BOB JOHNSON
Winter brings snow, ice and outages By HOLLY RAMER Associated Press
Icy weather delays Jingle Bell Jog
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — After the first full day of winter brought everything from balmy temperatures along the Mid-Atlantic to snow in the Midwest and ice, snow and flooding in the Great Lakes, some people could be left in the dark for Christmas. Much of the foul weather that occurred Sunday has lessened or disappeared entirely, but the harsh aftereffects were expected to linger. Brad Hoving, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, Mich., said most people were without power in some counties between Grand Rapids
The 16th annual Jingle Bell Jog, sponsored by Thrive Allen County, has been postponed until Jan. 1. The race, which was scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, was postponed due to icy road conditions. The Jingle Bell Jog will start at 1 p.m. on Jan. 1 in front of the Thrive office. For more information about the race contact the Thrive office at 620-365-8128.
and Lansing, Mich. Some may not have electricity until Wednesday or even Thursday, he said. “It’s a big deal,” Hoving said. “It’s Christmas and we’ve just had a major ice storm,” with trees toppling over and ice-covered power lines. By late Sunday, ice and snow had knocked out power to 440,000 homes and businesses in Michigan, upstate New York and northern New England — about half of whom had their power back by early today. The storm also left more than 400,000 customers without electricity in eastern Canada. At least nine deaths in the U.S. were blamed on the storm, including five people
killed in flooding in Kentucky and a woman who died after a tornado with winds of 130 mph struck in Arkansas. Five people were killed in Canada in highway accidents related to the storm. By late Sunday, nearly 700 flights nationwide had been canceled and about 7,200 were delayed, according to aviation tracking website FlightAware. com. But flights were mostly running on schedule on this morning. During one of the nation’s busiest travel times, icy weather was expected to make roads slick and hazardous through at least today from the upper Midwest to northern New See WINTER | Page A5
Popular Praeger isolated in her own party TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Sandy Praeger is approaching her final year as Kansas insurance commissioner with a national reputation for expertise on health care issues and a lengthy, unbroken string of election victories as a Republican in a GOP-leaning state. But after winning three primaries and three general elections for the commissioner’s job by comfortable margins, Praeger acknowledges that she’d have trouble emerging from next year’s GOP primary. She wondered during an interview whether her endorsement would be toxic for any Republican seeking to replace her. The reason is the unusual niche she’s carved for herself within the GOP on health care issues. She argues that the federal health care overhaul
John Hanna
An AP news analysis
championed by President Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats was a positive step that could help millions of uninsured Americans and that, even with the problems with its administration, it’s an improvement. Asked during a recent Associated Press interview about being among only a handful of prominent Republicans taking such a stance publicly, Praeger laughed and suggested there may be no others. “I would be curious as to
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who they are, because I don’t know them,” she joked. Later, growing serious, she said, “It’s just the reality of the situation. I have been Praeger probably the most vocal Republican that has said this is better than what we had and we should try to make this work.” Praeger is not seeking reelection next year and will have to step down in January 2015, after 12 years as the state’s insurance regulator. She’ll turn 70 next year, and her husband, Mark, a Lawrence physician, is retiring
at the beginning of January. Praeger said both were key to her decision against running, but she acknowledged that she doesn’t have as much “fire” as she’d need to endure a tough statewide campaign. “If I was 10 years younger, maybe,” Praeger said. “You know there’s a part of me that still has that little fight that I think, ‘Yeah, I should do it.’ But I just can’t.” Praeger is a past president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and chairwoman of its committee on health insurance and managed care. But her stance on the 2010 federal health care law has kept officials in her home state’s Republican-dominated state government at a distance. In 2011, GOP Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration
“The sweetest of all sounds is praise.” 75 Cents
— Xenophon, philosopher 431 B.C.
returned a $31.5 million federal grant for setting up the computer infrastructure within Kansas for the state’s online insurance marketplace, a move pushed by conservative GOP legislators. In 2012, Brownback decided against having the state partner with the federal government on the health insurance marketplace in Kansas, going against Praeger’s advice. State Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee Chairwoman Mary Pilcher-Cook, a conservative Shawnee Republican, said Praeger’s stance on the health overhaul has complicated work on issues surrounding it. “It’s very difficult to get information that you feel you See PRAEGER | Page A4
Hi: 21 Lo: 3 Iola, KS