AREA LEGISLATORS TALK ISSUES OVER BREAKFAST

The annual Eggs & Issues forum, sponsored by the Coffeyville Area Chamber
of Commerce, was an opportunity for area legislators to express their
concerns about this years $500 million dollar budget shortfall at the state
level. The gathering took place Monday morning at Coffeyville Community
College.

State Representative and House Minority Leader Jim Garner of Coffeyville
told the group of about 40 people that he does not see a clear-cut answer
for the state's financial condition at this point in the session. "I don't
see a majority of either house even beginning to agree on a solution," he said.

(Monday) marks the turn around point in the 2002 Kansas Legislative
session. "Usually by now we see some trends beginning to take shape,"
Garner said. He stated there are similar problems in funding education. At
this point, Garner said, "the only major thing that has been decided upon
is redistricting."

Garner's House District has been changed to include Caney, Tyro, Liberty
and Cherryvale, along with Coffeyville, all in Montgomery County. Garner
will give up the Southwest portion of Labette, previously in the 11th
district, under the old map.

Fourteenth District Senator, Dwayne Umbarger of Thayer expressed particular
concerns about cutting educational spending to make up for the budget
shortfall.

Umbarger serves as the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee. "The
education budget is a target for cuts," Umbarger said. "Education is too
important for our children, we can't let the happen." He said he favors
looking seriously at other funding alternatives such as income; sales or
user tax increases to offset some of the budget deficit. Umbarger said he
expects the legislature to burn the midnight oil in finding a sensible and
fair solution to the budget shortfall without cutting education spending.

State Senator Derek Schmidt of Independence was also in attendance at the
Eggs and Issue event. His 15th district borders the West and North
boundaries of the City and includes all of Montgomery County except for the
Coffeyville area.

"I appreciate being invited to this Eggs and Issues in Coffeyville", said
Schmidt, "I hope it will become the norm, because I represent many rural
Coffeyville residents in the 15th district."\ Schmidt echoed the concerns
of Garner and Umbarger in finding a solution for the budget woos. He stated
that some 80 percent of the budgeted items up for consideration in the
coming fiscal year are "off limits" to budget cuts due to legal or other
binding commitments. He said that the balance would have to be cut almost
one dollar for every two to make up for the $500 million dollars in the
state budget deficit. Schmidt is Chairman of the Senate Agricultural
Committee. He said one of the major programs his committee is involved with
is trying to limit a farmer's liability in the use and storage of Anhydrous
Ammonia. "The theft of this product for production of Methamphetamine is
high in this region and so is the liability of the farmer, if the chemical
is mishandled by others," Schmidt said.

He hopes the legislature will pass a bill to limit the liability of the
farmer or property owner when the chemical is stolen, particularly for drug
production. Schmidt also said he favors more state financial support in the
fight against drug production. Right now, most funding for law enforcement
comes from the local property tax payers.