Kansas Common Sense
Happy New Year
Jan 02 2024
Happy New Year! Robba and I hope everyone had a great time celebrating with family, friends and loved ones.
Thank you to all those who made 2023 a year to remember, and I am looking forward to continue serving Kansans in the new year.
This past year, I traveled across the state and met with hundreds of Kansans. Thank you for all of the insightful conversations, kind hospitality and meaningful connections. I am grateful for all of your care for our great state and nation.
Helping Kansans remains my top priority, and I look forward to assisting you in any way if you are having difficulty with Social Security, Medicare, veterans’ affairs or a federal agency. You can learn more about our office services here.
ilroad Closures Do Not Fix the Border
On December 19, I joined Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) to demand that Secretary Mayorkas instruct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reopen the Eagle Pass and El Paso rail crossings. The closure of these rail crossings limited grain exports by nearly one million bushels a day and had negative impacts on other commodities. While I am pleased DHS took seriously the concerns raised by me and my colleagues, Sec. Mayorkas should have never closed the rail crossings in the first place.
The Biden administration must get serious about implementing policy changes that limit the amount of migrants attempting to cross the southern border. I recently stressed the importance of policy changes to Sec. Mayorkas at a Senate Appropriations hearing in order to avoid situations where DHS has to reassign personnel to the detriment of Kansas producers and our economy. Until real changes are made to secure our southern border, border personnel, and other federal, state and local law enforcement will continue to be overwhelmed.
Visits Across Kansas
Madison
On Wednesday, I made a trip to Madison to meet with people in the community. I stopped by the Senior Center, ASC Engineering Services, Sander Community Center, the Madison Telephone Company and McIlvan Law Office. I also visited City Hall, the Post Office, the library and Citizens State Bank. Thank you to the people of Madison for meeting with me, showing me around your businesses and facilities, and for the hospitality.
Sedan
Later on Wednesday, I traveled to Sedan, in Chautauqua County, to continue meeting constituents. I visited Elevate Bank, the Post Office, Bank of Sedan, the library, Sedan City Hospital, Sedan Pharmacy and City Hall. I also stopped by the Chautauqua County Courthouse to meet the county clerk, register of deeds, county treasury, emergency management and the public works department.
Thank you to all those who took the time to meet with me and to Aunt B’s Ice Cream being a great stop on my way out of town.
Howard
On Wednesday, I stopped by Howard, in Elk County and had the opportunity to meet with officials at the Elk County Courthouse, including the county clerk, the register of deeds, the county treasurer and the county appraiser. I am grateful to the proprietors and employees of Howard State Bank, Batson Pharmacy, Family Market, the USDA Service Center in Howard, the U.S. Post Office in Howard and the Bank of Commerce for their welcome and for taking the time to visit. I would also like to thank Howard City Clerk Joanna Hunter, Deputy Clerk Sarah Evans and Howard Gas Supervisor Clay Hunter for showing me around Howard City Hall.
Scott City
My first stop on Thursday was in Scott City. I visited the Scott County Hospital, USDA Service Center, Security State Bank, Western State Bank and City Hall. I also visited the municipal airport and Spencer Flight & Education Center where individuals can learn about aviation and practice their training.
I also met with individuals at the Scott County Courthouse and talked with the county treasurer, county clerk, register of deeds, clerk of the court and the magistrate judge. Thank you to the people of Scott City for a great visit.
Dighton
On Thursday, I headed west to visit Dighton, in Lane County, where I visited several local establishments including Bretz, Inc., the USDA Service Center, First National Bank, the offices of The Dighton Herald, Schultz American Family Insurance, and the Lane County Farm Bureau where I visited with Alan Berndt and Neil Baker. I also had the chance to stop by the Lane County Courthouse, where I visited the library and chatted with the register of deeds, the county clerk, the county treasurer and the folks at the Lane County Sheriff’s Office. I am grateful to the new Lane County Sheriff, Ron Ridley, and Under-Sheriff, Hailey Knoll, for their warm welcome.
Ness City
Later that afternoon, I headed back east to Ness City where I visited with the folks at People Bank and Trust, Ness County News, GBT Technologies and the Ness County Farm Bureau. I also had the chance to talk with local officials at the Ness County Courthouse, including the register of deeds, the county treasurer, the county clerk and the clerk of the district court, as well as Ness City officials at Ness City Hall.
Thank you to the people of Ness City for a memorable visit and to Mayor Ann Kuhlman and City Clerk Wanda Gabel giving me tour around the town.
I was saddened by the news of Ken Brock's passing this week. Ken was a pillar in southeast Kansas and always worked to make his community a better place to live, build a business and raise a family. He was passionate about his faith, family and community and worked to bring other economic opportunities to southeast Kansas. I always enjoyed seeing Ken when I was in Pittsburg and will miss his positivity, warmth and hospitality
This week, Judge Thomas Tuggle passed away.
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