Opinions

We have reached our turnaround week in the Kansas legislature. With a 90-day session, we start with bills in committees to work through details then bring them to the floor as they are ready. The turnaround deadline is when we finish our House bills to go to the Senate and vice versa.

Caldwell, Kan., in 1883 was a cattlemen’s headquarters, especially for cattlemen grazing their great herds south of the Kansas border in Indian Territory.The famous Chisholm Trail was the main thoroughfare to Caldwell’s State Line Stock Yards.

Committee work wound to its high point this week as we approach the “turnaround” deadline. Committees will still meet on Monday, but all bills must be passed out and on the full chamber for debate before the full House the rest of the week.

The drought of 1860 was exceptionally devastating to settlers who had staked their futures in Kansas.The Kansas (Kaw) River reportedly was so low at Topeka, that the river practically stopped running.

Can we all just take a deep breath before we get pulled so far into the mud, it will be impossible to escape?Late last week, several students at Ellsworth Junior-Senior High School started a petition in support of English and Communications teacher Jenna Lanter. Ms.

Committee work is at its height at this point of the legislative session. Several issues are being considered. It can be difficult to discern which are gaining enough traction to make it through the committee process.

Brian Rush, left, was in Topeka recently with his children. Kaine and Breckyn served as pages and Kale also was at the Capitol. To the right of Rep. Steven Johnson is intern Caroline Steele. She is a student at KU and it is wonderful to have her help with consistent service this year, Johnson said.

Malachai R. Cordeiro settled on the Smoky Hill River somewhere along its southern bend into present-day McPherson County in 1867.Whether he had been in Kansas for days, months, or years has not been found.

Respect the flagThere have been quite a few letters about the banning of a book at Ellsworth High School. I would like to address a very serious problem that occurred at Ellsworth High School on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at the Minneapolis/Ellsworth basketball game.

Now that Kansas’s economy is on solid footing, state lawmakers’ first action come January should be to eliminate the state sales tax on food.Kansas is only one of a dozen states to tax food. At 6.5 percent, it’s the second-highest rate in the nation, second only to Mississippi.