Visitors

The Capitol was busy this week with lots of people from Liberal in town.  Gordon Applebee and Rick Carlile were in town to testify on  HB 2200 which would allow big box grocery stores to sell liquor.  Earl Watt was here talking to Speaker Merrick about HB 2237 which would allow local governments to publish legal notices on a designated website rather than the newspaper.   Sally Fuller with Liberal Convention & Tourism was in Topeka showing all of Kansas what we have to offer.  Lori Hensley, Wanda Covert, Amy Porras and Marivel Vega had meetings with the Sunflower Coalition fighting Domestic abuse and Violence.  We are so blessed to have an effective organization like Liberal Area Rape Crises and domestic Violence in our community.  These issues are difficult for any community to handle.

Phi  Theta Kappa, the Honor Society for Community Colleges, recognized their 20^th  Annual Kansas All-State Academic Team that included two outstanding students at Seward County Community College, Casie Carlile Yowell and Jake Jimenez.   Casie has a 4.0 gpa and is majoring in Elementary Education and Jake is Pre-Med.  SCCC Board of Trustees Member Marvin Chance Jr., President Duane Dunn, and Dean of Students Celeste Donovan all were in Topeka to attend College Meetings and in support of Casie and Jake as well as their families.

It was so nice to visit with Seward County Treasurer Kitty Romine about issues affecting the County Treasurers.  It reminds me to keep former Treasurer Sherry Willson in our prayers.  The Southwest Kansas Royalty Owners invited legislators to a dinner where we discussed the consequences of HB 2132 that would have repealed the legal concept of “The Rule of Capture” in an attempt to deal with leakage from underground natural gas storage facilities.

Representative Susie Swanson from Clay Center gave an impassioned speech about kidney donation.  Representative Swanson is friends with Mike Brond’s parents and voluntarily donated one of her kidneys to a stranger as a result of her familiarity with Mike and his situation.  I am blessed to be surrounded by people who care so deeply for their fellow man.

Weekly Coffee Meetings

I hope you will take the opportunity to visit with me at my weekly coffee at Spencer Browne’s Coffee House every Saturday from 9am – 11am.  It’s great to visit with you and hear what is important to you.  I will be home for this weekend through Pancake Day.

Contact Info

Thank you for the opportunity to serve.  During the session please contact me any time. My office is 167-W, my phone number is 785-296-7655 and my email is shannon.francis@house.ks.gov.