Kansas views on State of State, water, public health, Bioscience Authority
State of State – With Kansas facing a painfully uphill financial battle, this year’s State of the State address from our sitting governor is significant. But don’t expect to see Sam Brownback share his vision on television. As happened last year, the Jan. 10 State of the State will not be broadcast on TV, and instead will be streamed on the governor’s website, governor.ks.gov. Worse yet would be the 5 p.m. start time, when later in the evening would be a far more convenient time to watch. With a budget crisis hurting Kansans in many ways, the governor should understand the need for more public engagement.
Water – Gov. Sam Brownback and the legislative leadership in Topeka are to be commended for making water a focus in the coming legislative session. There is consensus across party lines that the water issues Kansas faces are serious. Drought, erosion and excessive usage pose long-term threats to Kansas’ aquifers, reservoirs and rivers.
Public health – Kansas has much to be proud of in the area of public health, but looking critically at resources and priorities is key to keeping Kansans – and Americans – safe from the very real risks of bioterrorism, new diseases like Zika and other public health emergencies. Our state budget situation is an ongoing concern, but cutting corners in areas that keep us safe from harm is shortsighted.
Bioscience Authority – The Kansas Bioscience Authority is another of Kansas’ failed economic experiments. It started in 2004 – before Sam Brownback became governor – with high hopes for making Kansas another bioscience mecca. We should be more realistic next time.
This story was originally published January 2, 2017 at 5:05 AM with the headline "Kansas views on State of State, water, public health, Bioscience Authority."