DRUG, COAL PLANTS TOP ISSUES AT FORUM

Five area legislators were in town Saturday for an opportunity to
interact with the public, and two hot topics were medical marijuana
and the coal-fired plant debate.

Sen. Terry Bruce, along with Reps. Mark Treaster, Jan Pauls, Mike
O'Neil and Bob Bethell visited the Hutchinson Community College
campus for the first of three local legislative forums, where
citizens peppered the lawmakers with questions.

One of the first questions submitted in the forum requested
legislators' opinions on medical marijuana, and whether they would
favor the issue if they received more letters of support from the public.

"At the federal level, it's still illegal," Rep. Bob Bethell said.
"If we're going to use it in that regard, we should treat it like
other prescription drugs."

Bethell said if medical marijuana was legalized in Kansas, officials
should regulate the use and strength of the drug, and not allow it to
be open to the marketplace "like in California."

"Marijuana here in Kansas isn't that good," he said. "It wouldn't
help you much."

Bethell also said he doesn't get many letters "one way or the other,"
and he wouldn't base his decision on one letter.

Rep. Treaster agreed with Bethell that if medical marijuana was
legalaized in Kansas, it would need to be regulated.

Rep. Mike O'Neil, however, said he thinks medical marijuana may not
be the best way to ease a person's pain. He did think, however, that
there was an FDA-approved pill available that has marijuana's
beneficial elements for pain.

As far as how much one citizen's opinion might affect him, O'Neil
said oftentimes decisions are not based on "how many people call you,
but what you learn from those telephone calls."

Another question submitted from the audience of about 50 people asked
for the legislators' opinions on "one person having the authority to
say no to coal-fired plants in western Kansas."

Sen. Terry Bruce said he was "deeply troubled" by one person going
outside their scope of authority to reject a project - referring to
Kansas Secretary of Health and Environment Rod Bremby's denial of
Sunflower Electric's permit to build coal-fired plants.

Bremby has cited the plants' 11 million tons of carbon dioxide
emissions, which he believes would contribute to global warming, as
his reason for denying the permit in October.

"We're a nation of laws, not a nation of whims," Sen. Bruce said.

Sen. Bruce pointed out Sunflower had "gone over every Legislative
hurdle" and gained approval from the Kansas Department of Health and
Environment before "it came down to the secretary saying no."

"When did carbon dioxide emissions begin being regulated in Kansas?
Never," he said. "What standards do companies need to follow? There
are no specifications."

He said the decision sent business leaders, especially in the ethanol
plant business, "in a tailspin."

"Any ethanol plants scheduled to break ground have put Kansas at the
back of their list," he said. "Without knowing what the carbon
regulations are, they're worried about being denied a permit."

Rep. Bethell agreed there was a "lot of flawed logic" in the decision
that needs a look.

Rep. O'Neil said simply the decision "had an odor to it," indicating
there were individuals who made sure "somehow, some way," they would
get the outcome they wanted from Bremby's decision.

Treaster said Kansas needs tto work on energy regulations and look
for alternative sources of energy, so citizens will not have to rely
on foreign oil forever.

Rep. Pauls, who also had "real qualms" about the decision, believed
lawmakers should've been discussing energy regulations two years ago.

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IF YOU GO ...

What: Legislative forums, sponsored by Hutchinson/ Reno County
Chamber of Commerce and AT&T.

When and where: The second Legislative forum is 9:30 a.m. Feb. 23 at
Wesley Towers, 700 Monterey Place. The third forum is 9:30 a.m. March
29 at Mennonite Manor, South Hutchinson.

Cost: The forums are free and open to the public.