Leading lawmakers have nearly completed their appointments to a new task force charged with developing a new multi-year transportation program.
Of the 16 appointments given to the Republican and Democratic leaders, 13 have been announced within the last two weeks.
House Minority Leader Jim Ward’s appointments were not available on Thursday and we’ll bring those to you when they are released.
Here’s who’s named so far:
House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr. He gets to name one House member and four Kansas residents.
- Republican state Rep. Richard Proehl of Parsons, Co-Chair.
- Johnson County Commissioner Mike Brown
- Cameron McGowan, associate vice president from HNTB.
- Former Kansas highway department Secretary Mike King
- Kip Spray, owner of Venture Corp. in Great Bend.
- Republican state Rep. Shannon Francis of Liberal.
Senate President Susan Wagle. She gets to name one Senate member and four Kansas residents.
- Republican state Rep. Carolyn McGinn of Sedgwick, Co-chair.
- Lindsey Douglas, public Affairs director, Union Pacific.
- Kenzil Lynn, senior manager, Schwab Eaton
- Republican Sen. Rick Billinger of Goodland
- Steve Sloan, president and chief executive officer of Midwest Minerals Inc.
- Chad Girard, president APAC Kansas.
Carolyn McGinn
Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley. He gets to name one member of the Senate and two Kansas residents.
- Democratic Sen. Tom Hawk of Manhattan.
- Alise Martiny, secretary-business manager, Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council
- Ty Dragoo, Kansas legislative director, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers.
Also getting appointments to the task force are Economic Lifelines, the Kansas League of Municipalities and the Kansas Association of Counties.
The counties announced their appointments as Johnson County Commissioner Jim Allen, who represents counties with a population exceeding 40,000. Phillips County Commissioner Max Dibble will represent counties with a population less than 40,000.
Economic Lifelines gets to appoint three Kansas residents. The League of Kansas Municipalities will get to appoint two, one representing cities with a population exceeding 25,000 and one representing less than 25,000. Neither group has yet decided on their appointments yet.
There are 31 members on the task force, including eight legislators whose membership is set by statute by virtue of their leadership position.
Those lawmakers include: Republican state Reps. Troy Waymaster, Appropriations Committee chairman; J.R. Claeys, chair of the Transportation and Public safety Budget Committee; and Democratic state Rep. Adam Lusker, ranking member on the House Transportation Committee,
Other designated lawmakers include Republican state Sen. Mike Peterson, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee; Democratic state Sen. Pat Pettey, ranking member of the Senate transportation Committee and Republican state Sen. John Skubal, chair of the Ways and Means subcommittee on Transportation.
Proehl is on the task force because he chairs the House Transportation Committee. McGinn will serve because she chairs the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
In addition, the secretaries of transportation, revenue, agriculture and the chief executive officer of the Kansas Turnpike Authority will serve as ex-officio members.
The panel will meet throughout the rest of the year and make a recommendation to the Legislature next January.
