To view more videos click on the left icon to go to Charlotte's YouTube channel.
A creative passion for music
O’Hara is much more than a Kansas legislator and public policy advocate.
She’s also a talented composer and recording artist.
She grew up with music. Her dad was the song leader in their little country church and her grandparents played for local dances when they were young. Her grandfather continued to play the harmonica all of his life.
“That inspiration from my grandfather is why I always have a harmonica in at least one of my songs on each album,” she said. “I’ve played piano since I was very young and picked up the guitar in my late 20’s, was in a local rock and roll band for a few years (The Door to Door Band) and then for 20 years pretty well just coasted with my music.”
Five years ago she decided to improve her piano skills and took lessons from Denny Osburn, a very talented local keyboard player. After about a year, she started writing music and hasn’t stopped. To date she has written approximately 70 songs, completed 2 CDs (the first was a double album), and is working on her 3rd with five songs written for her 4th.
“Obviously, music is my passion and I’m having a ball!” she noted.
More on her music
EVENTS
Charlotte O’Hara, a singer/songwriter and a member of the Kansas House of Representatives, took her musical talents on the road Sunday evening Jan. 29.
She performed at the First Christian Church in Forsyth, Missouri.
Note: Sunflower background photo was taken near 175th and Quivira Road in Overland Park. (Photo by Jim Sullinger Strategies)
Legislature goes into overtime
May 11, 2012
By Rep. Arlen Siegfreid
House Majority Leader
TOPEKA | This week marked the 15th week of the 2012 legislative session with the legislature hitting its 90th day on Friday, May 11.
The Kansas Constitution limits our annual sessions to 90 days, and we typically finish within this time frame. However, similar to other redistricting years, we will run late in finishing the session. The 2012 veto session is already the longest since it began in 1969, hitting day 17 on Friday, with work scheduled to go into next week.
The only tasks required of the Legislature are to produce a budget and, this year, to draw new boundaries for the state’s legislative, congressional and State Board of Education districts.
The House has worked diligently to produce a responsible, practical budget and started passing maps as early as February to ensure our work would be complete by day 90. Unfortunately, our colleagues in the Senate failed to make the same sensible choices for 15 weeks, forcing the legislature to go into overtime.
This unnecessary extension results in Kansas taxpayer dollars going towards additional legislative operating expenses, delays approaching election deadlines, and opens the door for additional redistricting litigation because our work remains incomplete.
It was my hope I would be returning home from Topeka this weekend for the final time. Although frustrated and disappointed, it is my sincere desire we can quickly meet with our Senate counterparts to reconcile our differences and finish this session early next week. Understanding it is important for us to ensure our work results in the best product possible, it is well past the time for us to finish and go home.
House approves income tax reform bill 64-59
May 9, 2012
The Kansas House approved a plan Wednesday that would eliminate income taxes on more than 190,000 businesses and cut income taxes for those filing individual returns.
Gov. Sam Brownback said he was prepared to sign the bill. However, this may not be the last word on taxes for this session.
“Today the House took necessary action to ensure Kansas is moving in the right direction when it comes to reforming our state’s income tax policy,” House Speaker Mike O’Neal said after the 64-59 vote. “The Senate has made it clear they do not want to reform taxes this session, and we hope this will encourage them to reconsider giving the Tax Conference Committee report further consideration.”
Rep. Charlotte O’Hara, an Overland Park Republican, praised passage of a bill that ensures tax cuts for Kansans.
Read entire story...
No Taxpayer Dollars for Abortion (H. Sub. SB 313)
Monday, May 7, 2012
TOPEKA | The House passed the No Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Act Monday contained in H. Sub. SB 313 to prevent state dollars from being expended for an abortion.
It also would prevent tax credits and exemptions for abortion related expenses, stops insurance rider coverage for abortions and prohibits the state health plan from including abortion coverage.
Monday’s vote was 88 to 31. The bill now moves to the Senate for that chamber’s consideration.
“As a matter of conscience, constituents in the 27th District overwhelmingly do not want ONE PENNY of their tax dollars to pay for abortions, unless, as prescribed, the life of the mother or a major bodily function (physical) is at risk,” said Rep. Charlotte O’Hara of Overland Park.
Read entire story...
Cronyism in the tax code
By Bob Weeks
April 6, 2012
Why is so much money spent on lobbying government? In a short video, Professor Randall G. Holcombe explains: “The reason you have so much lobbying and so much special interest activity in Congress is because government is so big. Government taxes a lot, government spends a lot, and so as a result there’s a lot of reward to people from going to Congress trying to get a piece of the action. Whether the piece of the action is a tax cut or a subsidy, I don’t think there’s any real solution to those special interest benefits outside of cutting the size of government.”
Read entire story...
Hit and Ran Over by Government Going the WRONG WAY
April 30, 2012
Well, what an interesting, dysfunctional and dismal session. The only issue that really seems to be getting traction is the MAPS!!!!!
Redistricting is where the action is centered with liberal Republicans making a desperate attempt to maintain control of the Senate. Let’s call it Senate President Steve Morris’ “Last Stand”.
Stay tuned as the real political wrangling. I’m predicting political maneuvering will become extremely ugly before adjournment, scheduled for Friday, May 11, which probably will be the wee early morning hours of Sat., May 12th (4:00 a.m. would be my guess). That is when people vote just to end the pain. Ah, government at its best!
Read entire column…
MARCH MADNESS, TAX REFORM AND KDOT’S NEVER ENDING DEBT
March 16, 2012
In the Kansas legislature, it is the season of tax reform. And, in Topeka, March Madness takes on an entirely new definition. On March 14th the House passed SB177 (68-56), a watered down version of the original House leadership’s tax reform plan, and it faces an uncertain future in the Senate.
Revenues from the .4 cent sales tax scheduled to be transferred to KDOT July 1, 2013 was to fund the reduction of personal and corporate income tax rates. It was removed from SB 177 in response to the strong transportation lobby. In addition, state revenue would have to grow 3 percent, increased from 2 percent in the original bill, before any money is set aside for further income tax reduction.
Read entire column…
Oops, 2012 Budget is $60 million Short
Feb 23, 2012
Ah, the world according to Topeka. If you can’t adhere to the published budget, you simply come back seven months into the current fiscal year to House Appropriations Committee and request a supplemental budget.
A 2012 Budget was put forth by Governor Sam Brownback and approved by the Kansas legislature last year. Now, a supplemental budget of $60 million has been requested. Most of the increase in spending is due to the usual suspects: An increase in the free and reduced and school lunch count and more caseloads in Medicaid.
Read entire column…
Governor Brownback’s Excellence in Education Act
Feb. 18, 2012
We hear a great deal about the level of proficiency of our children attending public schools. However, one of the most glaring statistic is that the Kansas 5-year adjusted graduation rate is 75.2% overall; Hispanic 62% and African American 60%.
This is absolutely dismal and unacceptable to say the least. These results occur despite the average expenditure per student of nearly $12,000 per year.
Read entire column…
An ill wind blows in Kansas: Politics of Renewable Energy
Feb. 14, 2012
The world of Topeka politics continue to amaze, frustrate, entertain and humor me in my second year of representing the 27th District. Case in point:
On Tuesday of this week during the Republican Caucus discussion of HB 2446 (concerning the expansion of definition of alternative energy to include storage facilities/devices) this fact came to light: The Kansas Legislature, in 2009, passed the Renewable Energy Standards Act (KSA 66-1258), which requires 10% of our power companies’ capacity to be from renewable energy sources by 2011, 15% in 2016 and 20% in 2020.
So, being the conservative that I am, I suggested an amendment that would freeze renewable energy standards to the current 10%. Rep. Dennis Hedke carried the amendment on the floor. The amendment received 43 votes.
Read entire column…