By Jim McLean
KHI News Service
TOPEKA, Dec. 13
Newly-elected Speaker Melvin Neufeld said today that in addition to running the House he will continue to serve on the Health Policy Oversight Committee, perhaps as its chairman.
Neufeld, R-Ingalls, said he wanted to remain on the committee that oversees the fledgling Kansas Health Policy Authority to ensure it continues to carry out its broad mission of improving the health of Kansans by coordinating state health policy.
“It”s critical that we make sure that we change how we look at health in the state,” Neufeld said. “I want to make sure that (mission) doesn”t get dropped.”
Neufeld, a key supporter of the legislation that created the health authority, has often said he doesn”t want the new agency to abandon its policy-setting mission because of the day-to-day pressures of operating the Medicaid and HealthWave programs, which provide health care services to low-income Kansans. The agency assumed operational control of those programs and several others in July.
Neufeld also said he planned to retain his chairmanship of the health oversight committee. That would mean that Sen. Jim Barnett, R-Emporia, who lost his bid for governor in November, would likely remain vice chairman.
Neufeld made his comments in a brief Statehouse interview after releasing a list of new committee chairs. Replacing Neufeld as chair of the House Appropriations Committee will be Rep. Sharon Schwartz, R-Washington, a member of the budget writing panel the past six years.
“About 90 percent of policy is driven by the budget,” Schwartz said, emphasizing the importance of the committee”s work.
When asked to describe where she fits on the political spectrum, Schwartz said: “I”m in the middle. I”m not a far-right person. I”ve voted for tax increases but only when it was necessary to keep government going.”
Rep. Lee Tafanelli, R-Ozawkie, will serve as vice chairman of appropriations.
Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, who some had speculated would succeed Neufeld as the appropriations chair, was instead named to head the House Health and Human Services Committee. She replaces Rep. Jim Morrison, R-Colby.
Landwehr, who is entering her seventh term, promised to work closely with health committee vice chairperson, Rep. Peggy Mast, R-Emporia, a House member since 1996.
“We”ll be a team. I think you”ll see some good things come out of this committee,” Landwehr said.
Rep. Clark Shultz, R-Lindsborg, a six-term veteran, was appointed chairman of the House Insurance and Financial Institutions Committee.
Jim McLean is a staff writer for KHI News Service, which specializes in coverage of health issues facing Kansans. He can be reached at
jmclean@khi.org
or at 785-233-5443, ext. 110.