Official State Grass help needed

[MuseRider]

I received this in my email today and thought I would post it here in case anyone was interested in helping.

Check out the 3rd paragraph and the comment by Speaker Mays.

Dear Friends:


You are receiving this email because you are a teacher, administrator, parent, or simply a friend and a Kansas resident. Something of a brouhaha has developed over comments made by Kansas House Speaker Doug Mays regarding Shawnee Mission South freshman students who have proposed that little bluestem be named the Kansas state grass. I am writing to ask you to phone Speaker Mays’ office at 785.296.2302 and request that House bill 2872 be resurrected. You do not have to take a position on the bill. This has become something of a civics lesson for the students.


The bill was introduced to the House by Rep. Kevin Yoder. The students and Rep. Yoder testified in favor of the bill at a committee hearing February 20th. It passed out of committee with just one opposing vote. Speaker Mays did not schedule it to be heard on the House floor, however.


When asked by a reporter why it was not scheduled, Speaker Mays said “I don’t feel the need to take the Legislature’s time to teach third graders a lesson in democracy.” It appeared on the front page of the Metropolitan section of the Kansas City Star. The Star editorial board wrote an editorial regarding his comments which appeared on Tuesday.


The students have been visited by Kansas 3rd District Republican Party Chair, Charlotte O’Hara. She has apologized to them and has encouraged them to invite at least 100 people to phone the Speaker’s office by Sunday evening to ask that the bill be resurrected. I am helping them with this effort, because I think the students need to know that their advocacy was legitimate. I am disappointed they were not treated with respect and I do not want them left with these negative comments as the fruit of their first venture into democracy. I think it’s important they know that their community does not reflect the sentiments of the Speaker regarding their efforts.


Please feel free to forward this on to anyone you think might be interested in placing a call. If interested in writing a letter to the editor of the Star, Sun, Olathe News, etc., those efforts would also be welcomed.


Thanks for your help!