TOPEKA, Kan. The House Democratic Caucus Thursday announced a series of revenue neutral policy proposals to help Kansas consumers, communities and businesses.

"The budget crisis, of course, tops our priority list this year," said House Democratic Leader Paul Davis, Lawrence, "but that does not mean it is acceptable to spend three weeks at a virtual standstill. We've lost considerable opportunity to make some positive progress for Kansans during the first quarter of the session."

"In times of economic downturn, we've got to think out of the box to accomplish anything helpful and affordable," said House Democratic Policy Chair Cindy Neighbor, Shawnee, "but we can enact sound, productive policy without dipping into the State General Fund."

House Democrats collaboratively developed a variety of proposals to help empower Kansans and their families, communities and businesses, all at no cost to the state. The bills address a number of important issues ranging from tax policy to insurance to governmental ethics. Some bills are still in the drafting process, but others have already been read into committees.

Rep. Stan Frownfelter, Kansas City, introduced two bills this session, one of which will allow abandoned property to be purchased by outside organizations for renovation.

Secondly, Frownfelter is working on an initiative to address problems associated with nuisance abatement, as well as the power of neighborhood associations to address those problems. These proposals will empower citizens to take back areas of their communities that may have fallen into disarray.

"Houses set for 18 months - two years and nothing's bein' done about it," Frownfelter said. "You have a criminal infrastructure deteriorating neighborhoods. What this will allow is your city and counties to go in and do something about it in a shorter time period."

Rep. Raj Goyle, Wichita, will offer a measure to freeze credit reports for victims of identity theft. This will help protect consumers from paying the price for someone else's wrongdoing, securing their financial reputation and hard-earned credit score.

Rep. Milack Talia, Marion, will propose tax moratorium on a retirement account when small business owners use them as collateral to secure a loan, or make a withdrawal to use the money for a legitimate business purpose. This moratorium is a targeted, timid and temporary economic stimulus proposal that will not disrupt the marketplace.

Additionally, Talia will introduce a broad-based strategy to deter, detect and eliminate abusive tax shelters used by those unwilling to pay their fair share. Kansas loses up to $89 million every year in lost revenue, which translates to at least a six percent tax hike on honest Kansas workers.

Talia will also propose a Family Time Flexibility Agreement, between workers and their employers to choose the equivalent in paid-time off as compensation for working overtime. This voluntary agreement will empower Kansas workers to recover the family time lost when working overtime.

Rep. Tom Hawk, Manhattan, has put forth a bill to protect Kansans who become victim to natural disasters. The bill eases restrictions on homeowners to enable them to more quickly pay their contractors and rebuild their damaged or destroyed homes. It will allow reimbursement checks from insurance companies go directly to the victim as opposed to the mortgage company, cutting out the middle man and more quickly starting the rebuilding process.

Proposals from House Democrats this session cover a wide scope of issues, with the aforementioned offering only a few highlights. All proposals focus on empowering Kansans during a time when many have been stripped of their ability to provide basic necessities for their families.

The caucus said it remains committed to solving the FY 2010 budget crisis, but is also committed to enacting positive, creative measures to help ease the burden of these difficult times in any way possible.

"We have no money to spare and no time to lose, but given the state of our communities as a result of this economic hardship, it is in everyone's best interest to make the session about more than budget cuts," Davis said.