(KAIR)--Nearly a dozen people gathered in Atchison's Santa Fe Depot Saturday for a chance to talk face to face with one of their state legislators.

Democratic State Representative Jerry Henry, who was the only legislator attending the Legislative Coffee, discussed a variety of topics ranging from unemployment insurance to new wage garnishment laws, but it was the recent school finance bill that received the most attention.

Henry explained the tedious process he and his fellow lawmakers went through last weekend working on finding a way to bridge a $129 million gap between school districts in the state. He says the final bill did find that money, but in the process, some districts did loose money.

Henry also addressed the lose of teacher tenure and due process, which was one of the most controversial aspects of the bill. He says he has heard that some veteran teachers are worried that it would be easy for them to lose their job if their district decides they can be replaced with a younger teacher that would make less money.  However, he also believes there will be some discussion later this year on some of the things lawmakers did this year. He says that “it may be difficult to turn around, but I can almost promise that it will be an election year issue. I think a lot of people will be asking questions. I can almost guarantee there will be people in the legislature next year that will introduce bills to reinstate due process...”

He adds that the entire process was done incorrectly. He says that for most of these issues that were voted into law, there were no hearings, or even time for legislatures to propose amendments, and this should make it easier for the debate to be opened at a later date.


Allison Ostertag, who is President of the Atchison County Teachers Association was in attendance, and she says she was satisfied with Henry's response to the bill, and likes the fact that there is a possibility that the topics will be discussed again in the future.

The Legislative Forum, sponsored by the Atchison Chamber of Commerce, was the third and final one for the current Legislative session.