KHI News Service

TOPEKA — Maynard Oliverius, former president and chief executive officer of Stormont-Vail HealthCare in Topeka, has been named as the health care representative on a business advisory council for House Minority Leader Paul Davis, the Democratic candidate for Kansas governor.

Davis announced the appointment of Oliverius and others to his advisory council Thursday in Lenexa. He also announced plans for economic summits that would be scheduled during the first six months of his administration, if he defeats Gov. Sam Brownback in November’s general election.

“I’m pleased to introduce the economic sector champions who will work with my administration to bring business leaders and other stakeholders together to grow our economy, sector by sector,” Davis said.

In addition to health care, Davis named economic sector leaders for oil and gas, energy, military, aviation, agriculture, small business, transportation and technology.

Oliverius and the other advisory council members would bring together stakeholders from each economic sector to summits, where they would address the challenges and opportunities for growth in each industry.

Oliverius was Stormont-Vail’s chief executive from 1996 to 2012. Prior to that he was executive vice president and a member of the hospital’s management since 1969.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A registered Democratic voter has filed a new petition with the Kansas Supreme Court asking it to force the party to name a new nominee for the U.S. Senate.

David Orel of Kansas City, Kansas, filed the petition Thursday after the court ruled that Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach had to honor Democrat Chad Taylor’s wishes to remove his name from the Nov. 4 ballot.

Removal of Taylor’s name could help independent candidate Greg Orman’s chances of defeating three-term Republican Sen. Pat Roberts.

Kobach said earlier Thursday that the Democratic Party is legally obligated to pick a new nominee and set a Sept. 26 deadline.

Orel’s filing came two days after his attorney sent the party a letter saying Orel wants to vote for a Democratic candidate.

Jefferson City-Gov. Jay Nixon said today that a review of the Missouri Lottery’s operations has identified several areas for improvement and announced the appointment of four new members to the State Lottery Commission. In July, citing a decrease in the percent of lottery revenues going to education while lottery ticket sales continued to grow, the Governor ordered the Office of Administration to conduct a review of the Missouri Lottery’s operations.

“Two decades ago, Missouri voters spoke loud and clear that the proceeds from the Missouri Lottery should benefit our public schools and it’s clear that the lottery has some work to do if it’s going to keep delivering on that promise,” Gov. Nixon said. “This review has identified several areas where the lottery needs to do better, and I look forward to seeing the lottery implement these solid recommendations to improve its operations and maximize its benefit to public education.”

With a focus on the previous 10 years, the Office of Administration Budget & Planning division reviewed data specific to the Missouri Lottery, data from all 44 state lotteries, and research regarding lottery operation and performance. The review includes recommendations intended to increase the amount of funding available for transfer to public education. Recommendations include:

Aligning incentives for contractors with the goal of increased funds for education.
Integration of contracting procedures to align with the Office of Administration’s established regulations for vendor contracts.
Carefully scrutinizing administrative expenses to determine how consolidated services could be utilized to reduce those costs.
Conducting an analysis to more comprehensively review the importance of prize payout percentages relative to other factors in maximizing funds for education.
Implementing a more systematic review of projected versus actual return-on-investment on advertising and promotional expenses and suspending activities without a positive return.
The Governor also named four new members to the State Lottery Commission.

Dr. Terry R. Adams (D), of Lake St. Louis, is a retired school district superintendent who served as the superintendent of the Rockwood School District (2013-2014) in Eureka, the Wentzville R-IV School District (2006-2013), Rolla Public School District #31 (2002-2006), Central R-III School District in Park Hills (1997-2002), and the Arcadia Valley R-II School District in Ironton (1987-1997). He was named Missouri superintendent of the year in 2012. The Governor has appointed him for a term ending Sept. 7, 2015.

Dr. Phyllis A. Chase (D), of Kansas City, is director of the Charter School Center at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and has held positions in public education since 1971. She was superintendent of Columbia Public Schools from 2003 to 2008, chief of staff of Springfield Public Schools from 2000 to 2003, and acting superintendent of the Kansas City, Missouri School District from 1998 to 2000. The Governor has appointed her for a term ending Sept. 7, 2016.

Paul Kincaid (I), of Springfield, will retire in October after 28 years with Missouri State University, most recently as chief of staff and assistant to the president for university relations. He has been active in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Kincaid is a graduate of Phillips University. The Governor has appointed him for a term ending Sept. 7, 2017.

John Twitty (R), of Springfield, spent almost three decades in management of municipal utilities in Rolla and Springfield, including service as general manager and chief executive officer of City Utilities of Springfield from 2002 to 2011. He serves on the Board of Trustees of Drury University, and on the boards of directors for Jordan Valley Community Health Center, Mercy Health Springfield Communities and Empire Bank. He obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri and his post-graduate degree from the University of Missouri-Rolla. The Governor has appointed Twitty for a term ending Sept. 7, 2017.

The appointments will be subject to confirmation by the Missouri Senate.

“The Office of Administration’s comprehensive review provides several specific recommendations aimed at minimizing costs and maximizing benefits for public education, and this review should give clear guidance to the Commission,” Gov. Nixon said. “The four Missourians I am appointing to the Commission today have extensive experience in business and education, and are uniquely qualified to provide strong leadership to ensure the state lottery provides the greatest possible benefit to our public schools.”

In 1992, Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment directing Missouri Lottery net proceeds solely for public education. In Fiscal Year 2014, the percent of lottery revenues going to education dropped to 23 percent, its lowest point in at least a decade, while lottery ticket sales continued to increase.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new commission looking for efficiencies within Kansas’ public school system is raising questions about how the state provides extra money to help districts educate their poorest students.

The K-12 Student Performance and Efficiency Commission began a two-day meeting Thursday with a discussion of so-called “at-risk funding.” Legislative post auditor Scott Frank said school districts receive about $1,750 in extra funding for each student who is poor enough to qualify for free lunches. Statewide, that amounts to $347 million.

An earlier audit found that as many as 23,000 students receiving the free meals weren’t eligible. Frank says another 6,900 students may be eligible but don’t apply.

Commission members asked whether using census poverty data or student achievement results would be a better way to distribute the money.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — U.S. Attorney for Kansas Barry Grissom has been appointed to a national committee that advises the U.S. attorney general on policy and management issues.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced Grissom’s appointment to a two-year term on Thursday.

The Attorney General’s Advisory Committee is made up of 20 federal prosecutors from around the country, representing federal judicial districts and U.S. attorney’s offices of various sizes.

The U.S. attorney in Kansas has three offices and a staff of about 100, including 50 assistant prosecutors.

 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court has ordered the state to remove U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Chad Taylor’s name from the ballot, in a ruling that could influence the national fight for control of the Senate.

The court’s decision Thursday leaves Democrats without a nominee, potentially making it easier for independent candidate Greg Orman to defeat three-term Republican incumbent Sen. Pat Roberts. The GOP has counted on Roberts winning re-election on Nov. 4 as they seek to recapture a Senate majority.

Taylor withdrew from the race to avoid a split of anti-Roberts votes. But Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who backs Roberts, declared that Taylor didn’t fully comply with a state election law in submitting his letter of withdrawal.

The Supreme Court says Taylor’s formal letter was sufficient.

The Roberts Senate campaign responded to the news “Today, the Kansas Supreme Court deliberately, and for political purposes, disenfranchised over 65,000 voters. In a bow to Senators Claire McCaskill and Harry Reid, liberal activist Supreme Court justices have decided that if you voted in the Democrat Primary on August 5th, your vote does not matter, your voice does not matter, and you have no say in who should be on the ballot on Election Day. This is not only a travesty to Kansas voters, but it’s a travesty to the judicial system and our electoral process.”

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – A new report ranks Missouri among the national leaders in the growth of household income, even though it remains below the national average.

Figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau show Missouri’s median household income was $46,931 based on a 2013 survey, a 2.2 percent increase over the previous year.

That growth rate ranked Missouri seventh among states, well ahead of the national rate of 0.6 percent.

But Missouri’s median household income still trails the national average of $52,250.

Other Census Bureau figures show the percentages of Missouri residents in poverty and without health insurance both declined slightly in 2013 survey. The poverty rate was 15.9 percent, about the same as the national rate. There uninsured rate was 13 percent, a little better than then 14.5 percent national rate.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple has tightened its technological security so not even the company can pry into a password-protected iPhone or iPad in a move meant to reassure the millions of people who are increasingly storing vital pieces of their lives on the devices.

The additional safeguard is part of Apple’s latest mobile software, iOS 8, which the Cupertino, California, company released Wednesday. Apple Inc. revealed the stronger protection in a new section of its website that is prefaced with a letter from CEO Tim Cook emphasizing the company’s “fundamental” commitment to privacy and security.

The company’s inability to unlock password-protected smartphones and tablets could frustrate law enforcement officials who sometimes obtain court orders to vacuum personal data off the phones for potential evidence in criminal investigations.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new survey suggests economic growth is rural areas of 10 states in the Plains and the West will continue slowing down in the next few months.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said Thursday that crop prices are significantly lower than last year, and that’s a drag on the economy in rural areas.

The overall economic index from the monthly survey of bankers declined to 48.2 in September from August’s already weak 48.3 reading.

The survey indexes range from 0 to 100. Any score below 50 suggests decline in the months ahead.

The bankers continue to doubt the economy. The confidence index fell to 33.4 in September from August’s 39.9.

Bankers from rural areas of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.