Update on Franking Abuse by Kansas Senate Minority Leader Hensley: $53,564 on 161,277 franked pieces

A recent Meadowlark article gave preliminary information about franking abuse by both Democratic House Minority Leader, Dennis McKinney, and Kansas Senate Minority Leader, Anthony Hensley. Additional information about McKinney’s mailings is not yet available, but details from the Legislative Administrative Services show how much was spent by Senator Hensley on joint mailings on behalf of other Senators. The joint mailings consisted of a postcard and newsletter.

As Senate Minority Leader, Hensley mailed 117,766 postcards with a total printing cost of $5417 and total postage cost of $27,087 to eight Senate Districts on behalf of Senators Betts, Francisco, Gilstrap, Goodwin, Haley, Kelly, Lee and Steineger.

Hensley sent 43,511 newsletters with a total printing cost of $6527 and total postage cost of $14,533, but only on behalf of Senators Betts, Kelly, and Goodwin.

Senator Hensley’s total effort on behalf of other Kansas Democratic Senators was 161,277 franked pieces with a total printing cost of $11,944 and total postage of $41,620. Senator Hensley seems to have forgotten that Kansas taxpayers paid the $53,564 for these mailings instead of the Democratic Party’s “Kansas Coordinated Campaign.”

With the end of the legislative session near, the main purpose of these mailings was to start the re-election efforts of these Democratic Senators using taxpayer dollars.

• Legislative Mailings – Stamp it out, Topeka Capital-Journal, Aug 19, 2008.
• GOP questions large mailings by Sen. Hensley: Democrats’ constituents recipients of cards, letters, Topeka Capital-Journal, Aug 17, 2008.

Tags: Anthony Hensley, Dennis McKinney, franking abuse