ࡱ> ,.+} bjbj55 *__ rr  FHHHHHH=hHH] FF 8+hr"2s0* HHr {:  TESTIMONY to SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE In support of SB 466 February 19, 2008 Thank you for this opportunity to testify in support SB 466. My name is Shannon Jones. I am the executive director for the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas (SILCK). As mandated by the federal Rehabilitation Act as amended, the SILCK is governor appointed, consumer controlled and comprised of statewide and cross-disability representation. Our Council continually seeks input from Kansans with disabilities on how the landscape of Kansass public policy can change so that people with disabilities are less dependent on public assistance. This input is used as our roadmap to develop the State Plan for Independent Living. Our primary purpose is to facilitate and promote the independent living philosophy, freedom of choice and equal access to all facets of community life for people with disabilities through systems change activities. The SILCK supports increasing the minimum wage as defined in SB 466. Employment is central to living independently and self esteem for all persons. The key to effectively moving people, both with and without disabilities from state and federal assistance is to help them find employment that provides wages necessary for self-sufficiency. Because the unemployment rate for Kansans with disabilities runs as high as 50% and the Kansas minimum wage at $2.65 ranks as one of the lowest in the nation, it is time to raise the minimum wage to that equal to the federal minimum wage. Kansans with disabilities want to work and will work, but they need a fair and decent wage to make that transition meet their basic needs. Most will consider if it is viable to work making only $2.65 per hour or $424 per month. Will I be able to pay for my heating bills let alone my prescription drug costs is another consideration. By raising the minimum wage in two steps; first to $6.55 per hour or $1048 per month, then to $7.25 per hour or $1,160 per month this becomes more realistic to folks entering the workforce for the first time. The SILCK firmly believes that by raising the minimum wage we will steadily see more folks with disabilities moving off the system and contributing to the system, becoming taxpayers rather than tax takers. More Kansans seeking and finding employment at a decent wage will further strengthen the Kansas economy. New taxpayers will add resources to the state. We will have the dignity of earning a fair and decent salary and become part of the community. The SILCK urges your support to favorably pass SB 466. -BT  hcD5\ hcD5h hcD5hcD,-BCUVW   $a$$1$a$1$$1$a$(/ =!"#$% ^ 666666666vvvvvvvvv666666>6666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666hH6666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666662 0@P`p2( 0@P`p 0@P`p 0@P`p 0@P`p 0@P`p 0@P`p8XV~_HmH nH sH tH X`X Normal5$7$8$9DH$ CJOJQJ^J_HmH sH tH B@B  Heading 1$$1$@&a$5DA D Default Paragraph FontViV 0 Table Normal :V 44 la (k ( 0No List `$` Envelope Address!@ &+D/^@ 54>@4 Title $1$a$5PK![Content_Types].xmlj0Eжr(΢Iw},-j4 wP-t#bΙ{UTU^hd}㨫)*1P' ^W0)T9<l#$yi};~@(Hu* Dנz/0ǰ $ X3aZ,D0j~3߶b~i>3\`?/[G\!-Rk.sԻ..a濭?PK!֧6 _rels/.relsj0 }Q%v/C/}(h"O = C?hv=Ʌ%[xp{۵_Pѣ<1H0ORBdJE4b$q_6LR7`0̞O,En7Lib/SeеPK!kytheme/theme/themeManager.xml M @}w7c(EbˮCAǠҟ7՛K Y, e.|,H,lxɴIsQ}#Ր ֵ+!,^$j=GW)E+& 8PK!Ptheme/theme/theme1.xmlYOo6w toc'vuر-MniP@I}úama[إ4:lЯGRX^6؊>$ !)O^rC$y@/yH*񄴽)޵߻UDb`}"qۋJחX^)I`nEp)liV[]1M<OP6r=zgbIguSebORD۫qu gZo~ٺlAplxpT0+[}`jzAV2Fi@qv֬5\|ʜ̭NleXdsjcs7f W+Ն7`g ȘJj|h(KD- dXiJ؇(x$( :;˹! I_TS 1?E??ZBΪmU/?~xY'y5g&΋/ɋ>GMGeD3Vq%'#q$8K)fw9:ĵ x}rxwr:\TZaG*y8IjbRc|XŻǿI u3KGnD1NIBs RuK>V.EL+M2#'fi ~V vl{u8zH *:(W☕ ~JTe\O*tHGHY}KNP*ݾ˦TѼ9/#A7qZ$*c?qUnwN%Oi4 =3ڗP 1Pm \\9Mؓ2aD];Yt\[x]}Wr|]g- eW )6-rCSj id DЇAΜIqbJ#x꺃 6k#ASh&ʌt(Q%p%m&]caSl=X\P1Mh9MVdDAaVB[݈fJíP|8 քAV^f Hn- "d>znNJ ة>b&2vKyϼD:,AGm\nziÙ.uχYC6OMf3or$5NHT[XF64T,ќM0E)`#5XY`פ;%1U٥m;R>QD DcpU'&LE/pm%]8firS4d 7y\`JnίI R3U~7+׸#m qBiDi*L69mY&iHE=(K&N!V.KeLDĕ{D vEꦚdeNƟe(MN9ߜR6&3(a/DUz<{ˊYȳV)9Z[4^n5!J?Q3eBoCM m<.vpIYfZY_p[=al-Y}Nc͙ŋ4vfavl'SA8|*u{-ߟ0%M07%<ҍPK! ѐ'theme/theme/_rels/themeManager.xml.relsM 0wooӺ&݈Э5 6?$Q ,.aic21h:qm@RN;d`o7gK(M&$R(.1r'JЊT8V"AȻHu}|$b{P8g/]QAsم(#L[PK-![Content_Types].xmlPK-!֧6 +_rels/.relsPK-!kytheme/theme/themeManager.xmlPK-!Ptheme/theme/theme1.xmlPK-! ѐ' theme/theme/_rels/themeManager.xml.relsPK]    8@0(  B S  ? FL7E 33"#,,;ALNSTySTjcw{|~      cD  @ P@UnknownG* Times New Roman5Symbol3. * ArialACambria Math"hw&w&v&!xx20  2QHP $P2!xx TESTIMONY toShannon csinstaller2Oh+'0 $ D P \ ht|TESTIMONY toShannon Normal.dotmcsinstaller22Microsoft Office Word@F#@<hr@$hr@$hr՜.+,0 hp  SILCK   TESTIMONY to Title  !"$%&'()*-Root Entry F+hr/1Table WordDocument*SummaryInformation(DocumentSummaryInformation8#CompObjy  F'Microsoft Office Word 97-2003 Document MSWordDocWord.Document.89q