For Immediate Release:
April 23, 2007

For Information Contact:
Sherriene Jones-Sontag
785/296-2302

Topeka - Kansas House of Representatives Speaker Melvin Neufeld (R-Ingalls) said today he is disappointed the governor vetoed a proviso in House Bill 2368, the state’s $12.3 billion budget bill. The proviso required a proposed affiliation between University of Kansas School of Medicine and Medical Center (KUMC) and St. Luke’s Hospital also be approved by the University of Kansas Hospital Authority (KUH).

"House Members added that proviso after becoming deeply concerned about the ultimate impact of the proposed affiliation on the state’s higher education system, the medical education system and medical research potential," Speaker Neufeld said. "Kansas lawmakers are elected to make sure good public policy is enacted - and that includes protecting the state’s assets. We felt the Kansas Board of Regents was negligent in not taking care of business. There was virtually no oversight on medical education concerns. We all want KUMC to be a great research institution. But we also need to pay attention to the educational component."

Speaker Neufeld said the Kansas House will continue to closely monitor the negotiations process to make sure Kansas interests are protected.

The Speaker also raised concerns about a column in the April 21st edition of the Lawrence Journal-World Newspaper that alleges the governor may have violated state statues with her recent appointments to the Kansas University Hospital Authority board.

"The story reports the governor rejected the committee’s nominees and then submitted who she wanted appointed which the committee complied with," Neufeld said. "The three names have yet to be confirmed by the Kansas Senate. I call upon Senate President Steve Morris and Senate Members to carefully consider how they should move forward on these nominees, if in fact; the governor did violate our state statues."

Kansas law requires a nominating committee of hospital directors submit the names of 2-3 people to fill a board vacancy to the governor who picks one and then sends the person’s name to the Kansas Senate for confirmation.

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