Lance Kinzer
State Representative
District 14

Take Lance Kinzer's Current Issues Survey
Lance would like to know your views on some hot issues currently on the forefront in Kansas. He has released a survey with room to leave your comments as well. To take the survey, please click below:

Click Here to take Lance's Current Issues Survey

Thank you for participating. Lance looks forward to learning your thoughts!

Governor Signs Rep. Kinzer’s “Woman’s Right to Know and See Act”
On Friday, March 27th Governor Sebelius signed legislation that will give women seeking abortions access to more information, including an opportunity to view a sonogram and listen to the heartbeat of their unborn child. Prior to being signed by the Governor this legislation was approved by veto proof majorities of more than 2/3 in both the House and Senate. For more information look here.

Take Lance Kinzer's Budget Survey
Lance would like to know your views on the current budget situation in Kansas. He has released a simple two question survey with room to leave your comments as well. To take the survey, please click below:

Click here to take the Lance Kinzer Budget Survey

Thank you for participating. Lance looks forward to learning your thoughts!

Rep. Kinzer Leads Effort Against Legislation to Decrease Criminal Penalties for Sex Offenders Who Fail To Register, Methamphetamine Manufacturers and Others
Rep. Kinzer is leading the effort to stop HB 2332 from passing in its current form. HB 2332 includes provisions that would decrease criminal penalties for a significant number of serious crimes. Under the bill as it came out of committee, drug manufacturers and distributors, along with sex offenders who fail to register, 3rd time domestic batterers, kidnappers and many others would have faced significantly reduced criminal penalties. For more details on HB 2332 see a memorandum prepared by Rep. Kinzer here: PROVISIONS IN HB 2332 THAT DECREASE CRIMINAL PENALTIES.

Rep. Kinzer offered more than 10 amendments in the House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee in an effort to remove many of the most egregious provisions of the bill. While many of these amendments initially passed they were latter stripped out prior to the bill being sent to the floor. Commenting on HB 2332 Rep. Kinzer stated, “While there are some good reforms in HB 2332 that actually strengthen and clarify criminal law and penalties, the package as a whole simply includes too may provisions that send the wrong message to some of the most serious criminals in Kansas. I think the best alternative may be to send this bill back to committee so we can remove the many objectionable provisions, and then bring a better product back to the full House. Crimes like Methamphetamine manufacturing, drug distribution and failing to properly register as a sex offender and truly serious crimes that deserve stiff punishment. Reducing the penalties for such crimes would be a huge step backwards in the effort to protect all Kansans from crime.”

Rep. Kinzer urges caution in use of federal stimulus money.
In response to passage of “The Federal American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” Rep. Kinzer has taken the lead in advocating caution regarding the acceptance and use of federal stimulus dollars. Rep. Kinzer, working with other legislators, helped draft HB 2361 which would require state agencies to evaluate federal mandates associated with stimulus money, present a plan detailing how monies received under the federal act would be expended and explain how the state agency will address the absence of such funding after it ends. To read the full release, click here.

House Approves Woman’s Right to Know and See and Amends Partial and Late Term Abortion Law
Topeka – Two bills were passed today; one ensures a woman’s physical and psychological health and advances the state’s important and legitimate interest in protecting fetal life, the other deals with amendments to late term and partial birth abortion law. To read the full release, click here.

Rep. Kinzer Issues Statement on Budget Crisis
Rep. Lance Kinzer has released a statement on the current budget crisis in the State of Kansas. To read his statement, click here.

Rep. Kinzer Pushes for Change in Judicial Selection Process
Topeka - Representative Lance Kinzer announced that he is introducing a House Concurrent Resolution to change the judicial selection process in Kansas.

Read the full release here.

Rep. Kinzer Introduces Bill to Ensure a Woman’s Right to Know and See
Topeka – Representative Lance Kinzer announced that he has introduced a bill, along with 38 co-sponsors, that promotes a woman’s physical and psychological health and advances the state’s important and legitimate interest in protecting fetal life.

The bill will require that 24 hours prior to an abortion, the mother must be provided a list of free sonogram locations and with information for free counseling assistance for medically challenging pregnancies and contacts for free perinatal hospice services.

Read the full release here.

Lance Kinzer Releases First Newsletter
Lance Kinzer has released his first newsletter, which you can read below:

Dear Friends,

The last two weeks marked the beginning of the 2009 Legislative Session. Much as our nation is beginning a new chapter with the inauguration of a new President, our state saw the swearing in of a new Senate and House of Representatives. As we embark on the next 90 days of work, I wanted to take some time to give you a preview of what to expect.

For me specifically, I am honored to have been appointed as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, a role and a responsibility I look forward to serving in. I will also be serving on the Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee. Of course, much of my focus will be on issues related to my service on these two committees. In addition, I will continue to work on life-related issues, as well as focusing on our current fiscal situation, which will be taking up a large portion of the legislature's overall time and energy.

While poor budgeting decisions in the past have created a great challenge, we also have a real opportunity to use the current budget shortfall as the starting point for long needed reform in the budget process. For too long we've seen the previous year's spending as a starting point for the current year's budget -- my hope is that we'll move in the direction of zero-based budgeting where we truly look at every dollar that has been spent rather than just how future dollars will be spent.

This situation cries out for leadership. Unfortunately, it appears that this will have to come from the legislature and not the Governor’s office. Despite her claim that she would not raise taxes during the State of the State address last Monday, Governor Sebelius released budget recommendations the following day that could increase local taxes by as much as $142.7 million dollars.

By suspending fund transfers to the local units of government, the Governor will be forcing them to come up with the money from other sources, most likely a tax increase. By not transferring the money out of the State General Fund, the Governor appears to improve the bottom line for the state. In reality, the buck is being passed to the local governments and the Governor avoids being accountable for any significant cuts leaving us crippled as we prepare out year budgets.

This lack of accountability is exactly what many of my colleagues and I are attempting to address when we propose budget reform. We must stop using short term gimmicks and replace them with responsible solutions – and that starts with reviewing every dollar of every program.

To help keep you informed of our progress on this and other issues, this year I will be releasing an occasional legislative e-newsletter discussing the items above plus other significant items before the legislature. As always, you can also stay up to date via my website, www.lancekinzer.com, which has a great deal of information regarding my take on a myriad of issues we face in Topeka .

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me via e-mail at lance@lancekinzer.com or by calling me at 785-296-7692. Feel free to drop by my office in Topeka as well.

Thank you for your support and encouragement.

Sincerely,
Lance Kinzer

Lance Kinzer to Serve as Judiciary Committee Chair
Lance Kinzer has been appointed by new House Speaker Mike O'Neal to serve as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Lance had served as Vice Chairman of the Committee since 2005. Responding to his appointment Lance released this statement:

"I am honored to be appointed by the Speaker to Chair of the Judiciary Committee. I take this responsibility very seriously and look forward to working with the other members of the committee as we seek to promote public safety, and respect for the rule of law. I urge those interested to keep abreast of committee activities through my website, www.lancekinzer.com."

Lance Kinzer Thanks Voters for 3rd Term
Rep. Lance Kinzer released a brief statement in light of the final canvass of election results showing a 61.06% to 38.83% victory in the general election:

"I'd like to thank the voters of District 14 for allowing me the privilege of representing them for a third term in the Kansas House. It is truly an honor to continue to serve the people of Olathe in this capacity.

I pledge to continue do my level best to promote the principles of limited government, traditional values and individual responsibility that stand at the core of our strength as a state. Kansas is facing significant fiscal challenges that will require vigorous leadership to resolve. Everyday Kansas families make the tough choices necessary to live within their means. The failure of our state government to make these same tough choices is simply unacceptable. The result is a looming deficit of close to One Billion Dollars for Fiscal Year 2010.

During my time in the House I have consistently and aggressively advocated for policies that would rein in spending and restore fiscal accountability to state government. Continuing to work for government that is responsible and accountable remains my foremost goal. The state also has a vital role to play in defending the core values that are necessary prerequisites to a healthy society. Promoting the right to life, preserving of the institution of marriage and the protecting all citizens from the effects of crime are among the core functions of government. We must also face squarely the coarsening influences so prevalent in the media and elsewhere in our society today. These influences degrade our community and impose tremendous social cost that we all must bear. I look forward to the opportunity to provide vigorous leadership on all of these important issues over the next two years.”

About this website...
The goal of my website is to be an online resource for you--to learn more about what is going on in the Kansas Legislature on the very important issues we deal with. Please feel free to pass this site along to friends and neighbors. If you would like to subscribe to my newsletter, send an e-mail to: newsletters@lancekinzer.com.

For questions or comments, please contact me in Topeka at (785) 296-7663, in Olathe at 913-782-5885, or e-mail me at lance@lancekinzer.com. You may also visit my office at the Capitol, Room 531N, when the Legislature is in session. I would love to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Lance Kinzer