University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, March 3, 1971
5
Studying Torts and Legislation
A Student in the Kansas House
HESS STANDS to record his vote on a portion of an took off his jacket when the chamber became amendment to permit beer to be sold on Sunday. He warm.
BEFORE CLASS, Hess talks with one of his fellow law students Craig Beardsidey of Topeka. When his 8:30 classes are over, Hess's day has just begun. He then leaves for
Topeka and a long day at the legislature. He has House sessions, committee meetings, and discussions to contend with before he can hit the books for that class that he left so early in the morning.
Kansan Photos
by
GREG SORBER
HESS'S WIFE, SHERI, a junior at KU, checks time after she went to a luncheon for representatives wive's. This was her first visit to the capital building schedules with her husband. They were to meet again while the legislature was in session.
AS A MEMBER of the Federal and State Affairs committee Hess, feasibility of conjugal visits at the state prison at Lansing. Most of the deals with legislation on state institutions. He heard testimony on the work of the legislature, Hess said, is done in the committees.
FOR BREAKING tradition in the House, Hess received an apple.
HESS EXPLAINED his position on the "bingo bill" to Rep. John Bowers, leader of the House opposition to the bill, and Rev.
Richard Taylor, lobbyist for the United Kansas Dry Forces. From the Rotunda Hess continued the conversation as he took Rev. T lunch to lunch.
Paul Hess is a first-year law student at the University of Kansas; he is also the 80th district representative in the legislature. The 80th district includes half of downtown Wichita.
"I am just barely the youngest member in the House," Hess said. He won the Republican primary when he was 21 and, after turning 22, he won the house over a Democratic incumbent.
John Peterson, 46th district representative, is also 22.
Being a legislator is a tunitime job. Hess is taking two-three-hour courses which meet at 8:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday, but as a classmate said before class, Hess sometimes can be found "studying his legislation instead of his torts."
"After a person serves in the legislature, he should almost get an honorary degree because of his work. He is required to be answered." Hess said.
After his morning class, Hess drives his red Volkswagen to Topela, arriving just in time to dash into the house chamber before the session begins at 10 a.m. Three readings of the days' bills precede actual floor activity each day, which permits time enough for Hess to look over the bill, and talks to other legislators near his desk. He has already read the bills, as have the other representatives, and usually knows how he is going to vote.
During a typical day for Hess there was more than usual interest in the first bill on the agenda. The bill was the "bingo card" which the band on lotteries. All eyes in the chamber stared intently at the boards in the front, which record by either a red or a green light were pushed and not voted. Buttons were pushed and the measure passed, 89-33.
But the proposed constitutional amendment was defeated later in the senate. If it had passed, it had gone have before Kansas voters.
"I get more letters on bingo than on tax reform or education," said Hess, who voted in favor of the bill.
Another bill came before the floor for consideration—an amendment that would permit an beer to be sold on Sunday.
As representatives spoke for and against the measure, Hess ate an apple provided by the "apple committee." The apple committee buys apples for the representatives who do something against tradition while the House is in session.
"Legislators," Hess said, "usually end up having an apple on their desk once a week."
Business for the day finished,
the house adjourned at noon.
Hess received his apple for having two pages sit in the chairs of absent representatives who sit next to him.
The measure for beer on Sunday failed.
After dictating a few letters, Hess left the chamber for lunch. He stopped under the dome to talk to Rep. John Bowers, McKouth, leader of the house opposition to the bingo bill, and the Rev. Richard Taylor, lobbyist for Dry Forests. Dry Forests. Hess continued discussion with the Rev. Taylor after inviting him to lunch.
Hess is on the Federal and State Affairs Committee, which meets in the afternoon.
The committee listened to testimony on House Bill 1132, a bill that would permit conjugal marriage between prisoners and their wives.
Hess's wives, Sheri, a junior at KU, sat in on the committee hearing. She came to Topela for her lawyer, whom she knew for representative's wives.
During his first session in the house, Hess has introduced several bills, including the bill permitting the 18-year-old vote. Lawmakers have called for a law, which Hess co-sponsored, extended state unemployment benefits for 13 weeks. This bill especially benefited his constituents. He has been laid off their jobs because of aircraft industry cutbacks.
Hess says he thinks young legislators often bring more vigor into the lawnmaking process.
Hess says he hopes he will be re-elected to the House but he said he will have to finish law school and settle down before he can form any long range plans for a political future.