Hello everyone,
Sharon DuBois has become the Free Kansan Editor. The Free Kansan is the official Newsletter of the Libertarian Party of Kansas. I am sending this out to my mailing list to inform you that subscriptions to the Free Kansan are available by emailing FreeKansan@cox.net , and yes, subscribing to the Free Kansan is FREE!
Unfortunately the formatting and heading to the Free Kansan was lost when I copied the pdf document into this email. The pdf is attached and is formatted so that it can be printed out and shared with others, it even can be folded up, stamped and mailed to friends and relatives!
Thank you Sharon for taking on this important task and insuring that the LPKS is able to keep our members and supporters informed of our party's activities and events.
For Liberty,
Steven A. Rosile
Editor, LSOCK NEWS
FK2013-01 Page 1
Free Kansan
The Official Newsletter of the Libertarian Party of Kansas
www.lpks.org
First Quarter 2013
=============================================================================
LPKS to Publish Candidates’ Handbook
If you have been thinking about running for public office, help will be available soon. The LPKS Executive Committee will publish the "Libertarian Party of Kansas Candidates’ Handbook: Running for Public Office in Kansas on the Libertarian Ticket" early in 2013.
The handbook will contain information on what is expected of Libertarian candidates, both local and statewide, what’s involved in the LPKS Nominating Convention, and suggestions for running the best possible campaign.
Copies of the handbook will be available for downloading from the LPKS website, www.lpks.org, as soon as it has been published.
Things happen the day you decide you’re going to make them happen.
-- Pam Lontos
County Chairs to be Appointed
LPKS Chair Al Terwelp has announced he plans to encourage all District Coordinators to appoint an LP County Chair in every county in Kansas. This is part of an ongoing effort to make it easier for every Libertarian in Kansas to be actively involved in party activities.
Mr. Terwelp said he will ask the County Chairs to focus on organizing groups that meet monthly or more often to find and encourage Libertarians to run for office, as well as to work on other liberty-related projects.
Currently there are LP groups in Dickinson, Douglas, Johnson, Leavenworth, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Sherman, and Wyandotte Counties.
"Kansas was fifth in the nation in percentage of votes for Governor Johnson," said Mr. Terwelp. "We even did well in counties where there is no local Libertarian organization. That tells me there is a strong interest in liberty all over the state. With an LP organization in every county working to provide a better choice in politics, our numbers will be even better next election" FK2013-01 Page 2
From the Editor
We’re back.
Those of you who have been hanging around the LPKS for a while will remember the Free Kansan. This newsletter of the Libertarian Party of Kansas was one of the primary sources of communication within the group for quite a while. It predates my involvement in the LP, and I’ve been a Libertarian for a decade. (Actually, I’ve been a Libertarian my entire adult life. I just didn’t know there was a real word for it until about 2002.)
In any case, after a considerable absence, here we are again.
I have to tell you all that I really enjoy doing this. I get to write articles telling everyone what I think, and anyone who’s ever been in the same room with me knows how enthusiastically I do that. In my role here as grammar Nazi I get to make corrections to articles other people send in. And I get to refer to myself as "we," which is really fun. It’s kind of like being the queen.
Having said that, I hope you understand that this is your newsletter. I hope all of you will use it and enjoy it. Please send letters to the editor, articles for publication, news of libertarian happenings – anything that will be of interest to liberty-minded people in Kansas.
Please forward the newsletter to others. Note, also, that the format lends itself to being mailed. You can print out a copy, fold it, tape it shut, add a stamp and an address, and mail it to a friend.
You can also print out copies, fold them, and leave them lying around in your place of business. Spread the word.
Keep in touch.
Queen, Grammar Nazi, Editor
Sharon DuBois
The Free Kansan is published four times per year by
the Libertarian Party of Kansas. All rights reserved.
Editor: Sharon DuBois
Readers are invited to send comments, ideas, letters to the editor, and additions to the mailing list to FreeKansan@cox.net.
Articles from the Free Kansan may be reprinted with proper attribution.
Libertarian Party of Kansas (LPKS) Information
www.lpks.org
For a list of officers and District Coordinators, go to
http://lpks.org/the-lpks/officers/
Local Meetings
The Libertarians of Northeast Kansas (LNEKs) meet on the last Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Celtic Fox, 118 SW 8th Ave., Topeka. Anyone interested in learning more about the Libertarian Party is welcome. Contact Sharon DuBois at liberty43@cox.net to be added to the email list.
The Libertarians of South Central Kansas (LSOCK) meet for supper and discussion every Tuesday at Mike’s Steakhouse located at 2131 S. Broadway in Wichita, Kansas, at 5:30 pm. If we have official business to conduct or a featured guest speaker, that will begin at 6:00 p.m. All who support personal responsibility and individual liberty are invited to attend.
To receive the LSOCK NEWS and LSOCK NEWS Alerts! via email, please contact Steve Rosile at sarasile@att.net.
The Saline County Libertarians meet informally the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month at McDonalds restaurant, corner of Broadway and Crawford, Salina, at 6:00 p.m. All interested persons, whether members of the Libertarian Party or not, are invited.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Libertarian Party welcomes your support and involvement
Your contributions of time, energy, ideas, and, of course, money will help spread the ideas of fiscal responsibility and social tolerance.
Contributions are always needed to help with printing and mailing costs of this newsletter, as well as publicity, campaign and other expenses associated with running a political party.
Contributions to the LPKS are not tax-deductible. Of course, with the elimination of the income tax and the IRS, that will no longer be an issue.
Contributions can be mailed to
Libertarian Party of Kansas
Michael Dann, Treasurer
785 E. 1055 Road Baldwin City, KS 66006 FK2013-01 Page 3
From the Chair
In this issue of the resurrected Free Kansan, we are describing some of the significant recent accomplishments of the Libertarian Party of Kansas. It has been a long-term effort on the part of a large number of very dedicated Libertarians, each working on issues important to themselves.
But this is only the beginning. We want to increase our influence in the state and get more liberty-minded Kansans involved. We want to move Kansas in the direction of ‘Liberty for all.’
We need your help to do this.
First, some of our successes and things we are working on. Next, what you can do to help.
We have successfully helped Libertarians get elected to public office where they are impacting the political debate. Through their hard work, they are demonstrating to voters the success of Libertarianism’s practical approach to problems.
We are successfully advocating in favor of second amendment rights in a number of Kansas communities. Although this meets with resistance in some instances, our methodical perseverance is paying off.
We are sponsoring legislation designed to give all Kansans the same access to educational options currently available to only a very few families.
In the last election, we mobilized record numbers of Kansans to vote for the Johnson/Gray ticket for president and vice-president. Kansas was fifth in the nation in the percentage of Libertarian presidential votes, and just shy of 2nd nationally in total Libertarian U.S. Congressional votes (3 districts). We rose to an average of 6% in three party state races.
Here’s what we want to do going forward:
To have a greater influence on state policies and to get more Libertarians elected to public office, we need to do even more. That means we need to involve more Libertarians in the effort. We want to involve you, your like-minded friends and neighbors.
We will be encouraging every District Coordinator to appoint an LP Chair for each Kansas County. This will give us a contact for local issues as well as someone to coordinate events for candidates for state-wide office.
We will begin lobby efforts on behalf of issues important to Libertarians. However, we will be doing this differently from most organizations. Here’s where you come it.
The standard way to lobby is to hire a firm in Topeka. They wine and dine legislators in an effort to convince them to vote for or against some issue. We aren’t going to do it that way. We plan to utilize Libertarians across the state to contact their elected representatives when an issue we are concerned about comes up. We will email our supporters, outline both sides of the issue, explain the Libertarian position and why it is important. Then we will ask everyone concerned to personally contact their representative urging them toward the Libertarian position.
We’ll go even further than this. Typically on any issue there are only a handful of legislators who make the difference. Some will already support our position; some will be unalterably opposed to it. We will not waste your time asking you to contact either of these. We will only ask you to contact those whose vote is truly critical for success.
To be effective, we will be developing a list of all Libertarians and liberty-loving citizens in the state – where they live, their email address, and who are their elected representatives (Congress, State Senate, State House).
We promise we won’t abuse your trust in us by sharing your information with others or sending you too many emails. In fact, we even give you
(Continued on Page 6) FK2013-01 Page 4
LPKS to Offer Concealed Carry Handgun License Classes
By Michael Dann
As Libertarians, we recognize our constitutional right to bear firearms for any lawful personal reason, including self-defense. To help support freedom in Kansas, LPKS will be sponsoring KS Concealed Carry Handgun (CCH) licensing classes at a significantly reduced cost throughout the state during 2013.
These KS CCH courses meet the requirements of the Kansas Attorney General’s office for the Weapons Safety and Training portion of the licensing process. Course attendees are responsible for reviewing the ag.ks.gov web site concerning concealed carry prior to registering for a course, and for meeting all other requirements to receive a CCH license. Upon successful completion of the class, including the shooting requirements, qualified participants will receive the Certificate required to apply for the KS CCH License.
The first LPKS sponsored KS CCHL class will be held on Saturday, February 9th, 2013 from 10 am until 6 pm at The Bullet Hole located at 6201 Robinson Street in Overland Park, KS. The charge for the class will be only $60 for Bullet Hole members (about 50% off the normal course charge). This fee includes all class handouts, materials, and targets. Attendees are required to be Bullet Hole members.
The lead instructor for the sponsored LPKS classes will be Michael Dann. Mike is approved by the Kansas Attorney General as an instructor for the
Kansas Concealed Carry Licensing course, and is also an NRA Certified Instructor and Training Counselor in numerous shooting disciplines.
The successful candidate for a KS CCH License will need to pay a potential fingerprinting fee, a $32.50 separate charge for the Sheriff, and a $100 Application Fee for the KSAG. These charges are payable at the time of license application.
A CCH license applicant will also need a passport quality photo to apply. These additional fees and charges are not included in the CCH class charges.
Please contact Mike Dann at mikedann1@aol.com or at (785) 830-0854 for information on an upcoming course, or to request an application for the February class in Overland Park. If you would like to have a KS CCHL course offered in your area of the state, please contact Mike as well.
"It is indeed probable that more harm and misery have been caused by men determined to use coercion to stamp out a moral evil than by men intent on doing evil."
-- Donald J. Boudreaux FK2013-01 Page 5
Kansas Farmers and Businesses Need Hemp
by Tresa McAlhaney
There is a movement underway at the federal and state levels to amend our laws to re-legalize hemp farming. Allowing hemp farming will expand the options our farmers have to ensure stability and profitability in their work. It will allow for economic growth as businesses and manufacturing equipment that have sat vacant and unused will again have a place in the marketplace.
Currently, state and federal laws allow for the sale and consumption of hemp products but do not allow us to grow our own. The United States leads the world in hemp product imports but does not produce it. Global sales top $500 million per year, with around $250 million in US sales alone. These numbers represent the hemp economy under prohibition. If US farmers were allowed to grow hemp, it would transform and revitalize the farming industry and our stagnant economy in a way no other no-cost move by the government could.
Feral hemp, or ditchweed, is a remnant of industrial hemp once grown on more than 400,000 acres by US Farmers. The hemp plant is particularly well suited to the growing conditions of Kansas soils, even in drought conditions. In fact, marijuana busts were easier for law enforcement officials to conduct this past growing season because hemp and cannabis plants were the only green things growing in fields amid parched traditional crops. As it grows, the hemp plant cleanses and nourishes the soil in which it was grown. If for nothing else, hemp could be used as a rotation crop in the off season to heal and regenerate our stressed crop lands. Farmers could also plant this crop at the edges of their fields, out of the range of irrigation equipment, and make use of land that otherwise would be considered a waste. Fields planted with hemp can produce up to four crops per year, and require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides than other crops. All parts of the plant can be used: to make food, biodiesel with a gel point below that of biodiesels currently on the market, plastic, composite building material, cloth and paper fiber, and 25,000 other products.
There were two riders, HR 1831, introduced by Ron Paul, and its sister senate bill, S 3501, set to go on the federal Farm Bill that was put off in the recent debt ceiling deal, following congress's vote to extend the existing one another year. Passing a measure at the federal level would have been the best way to set this movement into action, and still begs your support. In lieu of action in Washington, we will proceed with legislation at the state level this year. Information on the local hemp re-legalization movement, legislation, and education resources is available online at kansashempyes.org, or you can join the Facebook group, Kansans for Agricultural and Business Revival. FK2013-01 Page 6
District 1 News
The First District has just created a First District Congressional Party Committee of the Libertarian Party of Kansas which will hold money to be used for candidates in the First District. Mike Wilson is the Chair and Barry Albin is the Treasurer. The first funds came from a donation by the Committee to Elect Barry Albin County Commissioner. All funds will be subject to the rules and regulations of the State Governmental Ethics Commission. The Party Committee hopes to use this seed money to put on programs to raise money for campaigns in the First District.
District 2 News
Anje Moore-Kearney has been chosen to participate in the Leadership Greater Topeka program. According to the website of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the program, "Leadership Greater Topeka brings together a broad cross section of both acknowledged and aspiring leaders from every corner of the community for an annual community leadership training course. Leadership Greater Topeka alumni are challenged to apply their talents throughout the community in volunteer, appointed and elected positions."
Ms Moore-Kearney has been active in the Topeka-based Libertarians of Northeast Kansas for several months. She has focused her efforts primarily on efforts to revitalize the downtown Topeka area. She has been a strong proponent of ensuring that public funds are used only for infrastructure, with decorative enhancements being funded by private donations.
District 3 News
In the November election, Joel Balam, in a two-way race for the Kansas 3rd District congressional seat, won 31.5% of the vote. This was the best showing by a Libertarian for the U.S. House in the state party’s history (92,000+ votes).
Intaxication:
Euphoria at getting a refund from the IRS, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
-- Source Unknown
===============================================
(From the Chair, Continued from Page 3)
the option of how often you’d like to hear from us. We can email you on a fairly regular basis about Libertarian activities in Kansas, perhaps once a week, or only when there is a specific issue with which you can assist, or something of particular interest to you. After all, we’re Libertarians, too.
There you have it. The LP in Kansas is very active and making an impact on the political debate. We want you to be involved also. Please help us. If you know others who would like to join the effort, please ask them to become involved.
Send an email to FreeKansan@cox.net. Give us your name and address: street, city, COUNTY, and zip. Also, if you know it, include your elected representatives for Congress, State Senate, and State House. We can look it up, but you will save us a lot of time for other activities if you will provide that information yourself. Then, if there are issues of particular interest to you, please share that. We will try to put you in touch with others who share your interests. FK2013-01 Page 7
Libertarian Party of Kansas
Return Service Requested
========= COMING EVENTS =========
February 9
First LPKS sponsored KS CCHL class
The Bullet Hole, 6201 Robinson Street
Overland Park, KS.
February 26
Kansas Primary Election
April 2
Kansas General Election
April 20
LPKS State Convention
Sharon DuBois has become the Free Kansan Editor. The Free Kansan is the official Newsletter of the Libertarian Party of Kansas. I am sending this out to my mailing list to inform you that subscriptions to the Free Kansan are available by emailing FreeKansan@cox.net , and yes, subscribing to the Free Kansan is FREE!
Unfortunately the formatting and heading to the Free Kansan was lost when I copied the pdf document into this email. The pdf is attached and is formatted so that it can be printed out and shared with others, it even can be folded up, stamped and mailed to friends and relatives!
Thank you Sharon for taking on this important task and insuring that the LPKS is able to keep our members and supporters informed of our party's activities and events.
For Liberty,
Steven A. Rosile
Editor, LSOCK NEWS
FK2013-01 Page 1
Free Kansan
The Official Newsletter of the Libertarian Party of Kansas
www.lpks.org
First Quarter 2013
=============================================================================
LPKS to Publish Candidates’ Handbook
If you have been thinking about running for public office, help will be available soon. The LPKS Executive Committee will publish the "Libertarian Party of Kansas Candidates’ Handbook: Running for Public Office in Kansas on the Libertarian Ticket" early in 2013.
The handbook will contain information on what is expected of Libertarian candidates, both local and statewide, what’s involved in the LPKS Nominating Convention, and suggestions for running the best possible campaign.
Copies of the handbook will be available for downloading from the LPKS website, www.lpks.org, as soon as it has been published.
Things happen the day you decide you’re going to make them happen.
-- Pam Lontos
County Chairs to be Appointed
LPKS Chair Al Terwelp has announced he plans to encourage all District Coordinators to appoint an LP County Chair in every county in Kansas. This is part of an ongoing effort to make it easier for every Libertarian in Kansas to be actively involved in party activities.
Mr. Terwelp said he will ask the County Chairs to focus on organizing groups that meet monthly or more often to find and encourage Libertarians to run for office, as well as to work on other liberty-related projects.
Currently there are LP groups in Dickinson, Douglas, Johnson, Leavenworth, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Sherman, and Wyandotte Counties.
"Kansas was fifth in the nation in percentage of votes for Governor Johnson," said Mr. Terwelp. "We even did well in counties where there is no local Libertarian organization. That tells me there is a strong interest in liberty all over the state. With an LP organization in every county working to provide a better choice in politics, our numbers will be even better next election" FK2013-01 Page 2
From the Editor
We’re back.
Those of you who have been hanging around the LPKS for a while will remember the Free Kansan. This newsletter of the Libertarian Party of Kansas was one of the primary sources of communication within the group for quite a while. It predates my involvement in the LP, and I’ve been a Libertarian for a decade. (Actually, I’ve been a Libertarian my entire adult life. I just didn’t know there was a real word for it until about 2002.)
In any case, after a considerable absence, here we are again.
I have to tell you all that I really enjoy doing this. I get to write articles telling everyone what I think, and anyone who’s ever been in the same room with me knows how enthusiastically I do that. In my role here as grammar Nazi I get to make corrections to articles other people send in. And I get to refer to myself as "we," which is really fun. It’s kind of like being the queen.
Having said that, I hope you understand that this is your newsletter. I hope all of you will use it and enjoy it. Please send letters to the editor, articles for publication, news of libertarian happenings – anything that will be of interest to liberty-minded people in Kansas.
Please forward the newsletter to others. Note, also, that the format lends itself to being mailed. You can print out a copy, fold it, tape it shut, add a stamp and an address, and mail it to a friend.
You can also print out copies, fold them, and leave them lying around in your place of business. Spread the word.
Keep in touch.
Queen, Grammar Nazi, Editor
Sharon DuBois
The Free Kansan is published four times per year by
the Libertarian Party of Kansas. All rights reserved.
Editor: Sharon DuBois
Readers are invited to send comments, ideas, letters to the editor, and additions to the mailing list to FreeKansan@cox.net.
Articles from the Free Kansan may be reprinted with proper attribution.
Libertarian Party of Kansas (LPKS) Information
www.lpks.org
For a list of officers and District Coordinators, go to
http://lpks.org/the-lpks/officers/
Local Meetings
The Libertarians of Northeast Kansas (LNEKs) meet on the last Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Celtic Fox, 118 SW 8th Ave., Topeka. Anyone interested in learning more about the Libertarian Party is welcome. Contact Sharon DuBois at liberty43@cox.net to be added to the email list.
The Libertarians of South Central Kansas (LSOCK) meet for supper and discussion every Tuesday at Mike’s Steakhouse located at 2131 S. Broadway in Wichita, Kansas, at 5:30 pm. If we have official business to conduct or a featured guest speaker, that will begin at 6:00 p.m. All who support personal responsibility and individual liberty are invited to attend.
To receive the LSOCK NEWS and LSOCK NEWS Alerts! via email, please contact Steve Rosile at sarasile@att.net.
The Saline County Libertarians meet informally the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month at McDonalds restaurant, corner of Broadway and Crawford, Salina, at 6:00 p.m. All interested persons, whether members of the Libertarian Party or not, are invited.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Libertarian Party welcomes your support and involvement
Your contributions of time, energy, ideas, and, of course, money will help spread the ideas of fiscal responsibility and social tolerance.
Contributions are always needed to help with printing and mailing costs of this newsletter, as well as publicity, campaign and other expenses associated with running a political party.
Contributions to the LPKS are not tax-deductible. Of course, with the elimination of the income tax and the IRS, that will no longer be an issue.
Contributions can be mailed to
Libertarian Party of Kansas
Michael Dann, Treasurer
785 E. 1055 Road Baldwin City, KS 66006 FK2013-01 Page 3
From the Chair
In this issue of the resurrected Free Kansan, we are describing some of the significant recent accomplishments of the Libertarian Party of Kansas. It has been a long-term effort on the part of a large number of very dedicated Libertarians, each working on issues important to themselves.
But this is only the beginning. We want to increase our influence in the state and get more liberty-minded Kansans involved. We want to move Kansas in the direction of ‘Liberty for all.’
We need your help to do this.
First, some of our successes and things we are working on. Next, what you can do to help.
We have successfully helped Libertarians get elected to public office where they are impacting the political debate. Through their hard work, they are demonstrating to voters the success of Libertarianism’s practical approach to problems.
We are successfully advocating in favor of second amendment rights in a number of Kansas communities. Although this meets with resistance in some instances, our methodical perseverance is paying off.
We are sponsoring legislation designed to give all Kansans the same access to educational options currently available to only a very few families.
In the last election, we mobilized record numbers of Kansans to vote for the Johnson/Gray ticket for president and vice-president. Kansas was fifth in the nation in the percentage of Libertarian presidential votes, and just shy of 2nd nationally in total Libertarian U.S. Congressional votes (3 districts). We rose to an average of 6% in three party state races.
Here’s what we want to do going forward:
To have a greater influence on state policies and to get more Libertarians elected to public office, we need to do even more. That means we need to involve more Libertarians in the effort. We want to involve you, your like-minded friends and neighbors.
We will be encouraging every District Coordinator to appoint an LP Chair for each Kansas County. This will give us a contact for local issues as well as someone to coordinate events for candidates for state-wide office.
We will begin lobby efforts on behalf of issues important to Libertarians. However, we will be doing this differently from most organizations. Here’s where you come it.
The standard way to lobby is to hire a firm in Topeka. They wine and dine legislators in an effort to convince them to vote for or against some issue. We aren’t going to do it that way. We plan to utilize Libertarians across the state to contact their elected representatives when an issue we are concerned about comes up. We will email our supporters, outline both sides of the issue, explain the Libertarian position and why it is important. Then we will ask everyone concerned to personally contact their representative urging them toward the Libertarian position.
We’ll go even further than this. Typically on any issue there are only a handful of legislators who make the difference. Some will already support our position; some will be unalterably opposed to it. We will not waste your time asking you to contact either of these. We will only ask you to contact those whose vote is truly critical for success.
To be effective, we will be developing a list of all Libertarians and liberty-loving citizens in the state – where they live, their email address, and who are their elected representatives (Congress, State Senate, State House).
We promise we won’t abuse your trust in us by sharing your information with others or sending you too many emails. In fact, we even give you
(Continued on Page 6) FK2013-01 Page 4
LPKS to Offer Concealed Carry Handgun License Classes
By Michael Dann
As Libertarians, we recognize our constitutional right to bear firearms for any lawful personal reason, including self-defense. To help support freedom in Kansas, LPKS will be sponsoring KS Concealed Carry Handgun (CCH) licensing classes at a significantly reduced cost throughout the state during 2013.
These KS CCH courses meet the requirements of the Kansas Attorney General’s office for the Weapons Safety and Training portion of the licensing process. Course attendees are responsible for reviewing the ag.ks.gov web site concerning concealed carry prior to registering for a course, and for meeting all other requirements to receive a CCH license. Upon successful completion of the class, including the shooting requirements, qualified participants will receive the Certificate required to apply for the KS CCH License.
The first LPKS sponsored KS CCHL class will be held on Saturday, February 9th, 2013 from 10 am until 6 pm at The Bullet Hole located at 6201 Robinson Street in Overland Park, KS. The charge for the class will be only $60 for Bullet Hole members (about 50% off the normal course charge). This fee includes all class handouts, materials, and targets. Attendees are required to be Bullet Hole members.
The lead instructor for the sponsored LPKS classes will be Michael Dann. Mike is approved by the Kansas Attorney General as an instructor for the
Kansas Concealed Carry Licensing course, and is also an NRA Certified Instructor and Training Counselor in numerous shooting disciplines.
The successful candidate for a KS CCH License will need to pay a potential fingerprinting fee, a $32.50 separate charge for the Sheriff, and a $100 Application Fee for the KSAG. These charges are payable at the time of license application.
A CCH license applicant will also need a passport quality photo to apply. These additional fees and charges are not included in the CCH class charges.
Please contact Mike Dann at mikedann1@aol.com or at (785) 830-0854 for information on an upcoming course, or to request an application for the February class in Overland Park. If you would like to have a KS CCHL course offered in your area of the state, please contact Mike as well.
"It is indeed probable that more harm and misery have been caused by men determined to use coercion to stamp out a moral evil than by men intent on doing evil."
-- Donald J. Boudreaux FK2013-01 Page 5
Kansas Farmers and Businesses Need Hemp
by Tresa McAlhaney
There is a movement underway at the federal and state levels to amend our laws to re-legalize hemp farming. Allowing hemp farming will expand the options our farmers have to ensure stability and profitability in their work. It will allow for economic growth as businesses and manufacturing equipment that have sat vacant and unused will again have a place in the marketplace.
Currently, state and federal laws allow for the sale and consumption of hemp products but do not allow us to grow our own. The United States leads the world in hemp product imports but does not produce it. Global sales top $500 million per year, with around $250 million in US sales alone. These numbers represent the hemp economy under prohibition. If US farmers were allowed to grow hemp, it would transform and revitalize the farming industry and our stagnant economy in a way no other no-cost move by the government could.
Feral hemp, or ditchweed, is a remnant of industrial hemp once grown on more than 400,000 acres by US Farmers. The hemp plant is particularly well suited to the growing conditions of Kansas soils, even in drought conditions. In fact, marijuana busts were easier for law enforcement officials to conduct this past growing season because hemp and cannabis plants were the only green things growing in fields amid parched traditional crops. As it grows, the hemp plant cleanses and nourishes the soil in which it was grown. If for nothing else, hemp could be used as a rotation crop in the off season to heal and regenerate our stressed crop lands. Farmers could also plant this crop at the edges of their fields, out of the range of irrigation equipment, and make use of land that otherwise would be considered a waste. Fields planted with hemp can produce up to four crops per year, and require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides than other crops. All parts of the plant can be used: to make food, biodiesel with a gel point below that of biodiesels currently on the market, plastic, composite building material, cloth and paper fiber, and 25,000 other products.
There were two riders, HR 1831, introduced by Ron Paul, and its sister senate bill, S 3501, set to go on the federal Farm Bill that was put off in the recent debt ceiling deal, following congress's vote to extend the existing one another year. Passing a measure at the federal level would have been the best way to set this movement into action, and still begs your support. In lieu of action in Washington, we will proceed with legislation at the state level this year. Information on the local hemp re-legalization movement, legislation, and education resources is available online at kansashempyes.org, or you can join the Facebook group, Kansans for Agricultural and Business Revival. FK2013-01 Page 6
District 1 News
The First District has just created a First District Congressional Party Committee of the Libertarian Party of Kansas which will hold money to be used for candidates in the First District. Mike Wilson is the Chair and Barry Albin is the Treasurer. The first funds came from a donation by the Committee to Elect Barry Albin County Commissioner. All funds will be subject to the rules and regulations of the State Governmental Ethics Commission. The Party Committee hopes to use this seed money to put on programs to raise money for campaigns in the First District.
District 2 News
Anje Moore-Kearney has been chosen to participate in the Leadership Greater Topeka program. According to the website of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the program, "Leadership Greater Topeka brings together a broad cross section of both acknowledged and aspiring leaders from every corner of the community for an annual community leadership training course. Leadership Greater Topeka alumni are challenged to apply their talents throughout the community in volunteer, appointed and elected positions."
Ms Moore-Kearney has been active in the Topeka-based Libertarians of Northeast Kansas for several months. She has focused her efforts primarily on efforts to revitalize the downtown Topeka area. She has been a strong proponent of ensuring that public funds are used only for infrastructure, with decorative enhancements being funded by private donations.
District 3 News
In the November election, Joel Balam, in a two-way race for the Kansas 3rd District congressional seat, won 31.5% of the vote. This was the best showing by a Libertarian for the U.S. House in the state party’s history (92,000+ votes).
Intaxication:
Euphoria at getting a refund from the IRS, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
-- Source Unknown
===============================================
(From the Chair, Continued from Page 3)
the option of how often you’d like to hear from us. We can email you on a fairly regular basis about Libertarian activities in Kansas, perhaps once a week, or only when there is a specific issue with which you can assist, or something of particular interest to you. After all, we’re Libertarians, too.
There you have it. The LP in Kansas is very active and making an impact on the political debate. We want you to be involved also. Please help us. If you know others who would like to join the effort, please ask them to become involved.
Send an email to FreeKansan@cox.net. Give us your name and address: street, city, COUNTY, and zip. Also, if you know it, include your elected representatives for Congress, State Senate, and State House. We can look it up, but you will save us a lot of time for other activities if you will provide that information yourself. Then, if there are issues of particular interest to you, please share that. We will try to put you in touch with others who share your interests. FK2013-01 Page 7
Libertarian Party of Kansas
Return Service Requested
========= COMING EVENTS =========
February 9
First LPKS sponsored KS CCHL class
The Bullet Hole, 6201 Robinson Street
Overland Park, KS.
February 26
Kansas Primary Election
April 2
Kansas General Election
April 20
LPKS State Convention
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