Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, hired State Sen. Garrett Love as legislative director and part of the Montezuma Republican�s mission is to help Republicans prevail in the Nov. 8 election.



For starters, Love can help his boss.



Wagle�s Democratic opponent in the 30th Senate District, Anabel Larumbe of Wichita, criticized Wagle for spending taxpayer money to hire Sen. Love.



"If it's not illegal, it should be, and it's definitely something I'd be interested in introducing legislation to prevent next session, if elected. This is just further proof of how out of touch Susan Wagle has become with not only her district, but the people of Kansas," Larumbe said in an email response Tuesday.



Love�s job



Love, completing his sixth year in the Senate, announced this spring he would not seek re-election in the 38th District. He and wife Caley Love are expecting their second child, and he cited travel and demands on time. His term will end in January 2017.



On July 1, Love began working as legislative director for Wagle. He will be paid an amount not to exceed $40,000 for a job that will run through Dec. 31, according to Tom Day, director of Legislative Administrative Services.



When annualized, the $40,000 salary for six months makes Love the highest-paid staffer in the Senate president�s office. Chief of Staff Harrison Hems� annual salary is $70,000; director of policy and communications Paje Resner is paid $65,000; legislative director Eric Turek, $35,000; and executive assistant Jan Johnston, who works a mix of full-time and part-time hours depending on the Legislature, roughly $20,000 or less for the year.



From approximately April through December, lawmakers are paid $354.15 every two weeks as an expense allowance. Love has not waived that allowance, Day said.



Love will continue to collect "the nominal pay all Senators receive out of session" because he continues to be responsive to constituent service requests and other Senatorial duties related to his district," Resner wrote in a statement.



Love deferred to Resner, who also described his job:



�Among his duties, which are assigned by President Wagle, Garrett is bringing his insights, perspective and expertise on issues important to rural Kansas to the President�s office as Republicans map out their positions for the fall campaigns and the next legislative session. This is particularly important since so many long-serving members from rural Kansas will not be returning to Topeka next year and a significant amount of the Senate�s institutional knowledge on these issues will no longer be available to the membership. Garrett will also be advising and working with President Wagle on many of other policy and political responsibilities that fall to the President�s office.�



Love endorsed Rep. Bud Estes, R-Dodge City, for his 38th Senate seat, and Estes defeated Joyce Warshaw in last week�s GOP primary. Democrat Miguel Rodriguez, Dodge City, is not campaigning but will be on the November ballot against Estes.



Legal



Wagle has discretion over an approximately $222,700 budget and Love�s salary will come from that. The Legislative Coordinating Council annually allocates budgets for legislative leadership offices and the allocation for Senate president has been steady in recent years, Day said.



The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission�s executive director, Carol Williams, said legislative leaders in both political parties and in both the Senate and House typically have utilized staff to work on elections.



Staffers help recruit and train candidates with hopes their political party wins seats in their legislative chamber, according to Williams.



�Frankly, they are legislative employees,� Williams said, and "that�s a very common occurrence."



Wagle�s Chief of Staff Hems, for example, signs campaign finance reports as her campaign treasurer. Wagle�s campaign reimbursed legislative director Turek for $59.20 that he spent for hospitality.



Love will not be reimbursed for any travel expenses he incurs as either a senator or as a member of Wagle's staff, Resner said.



"There is no potential conflict of interest in this role. With Garrett retiring from the Senate at the end of his term and the Senate recessed for the year, he will have no further opportunity to vote on any legislation or policy matter," Resner said. If the Legislature called a special session before January - highly unlikely - Love would resign from Wagle's office to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest, Resner said.



Resner said Love's employment in state government while serving as a legislator was not unique. She compared the situation to that of Rep. Lane Hemsley, R-Shawnee, who is executive director of the Kansas Dental Board.



Entrepreneur



Kansas has a citizen Legislature, and while members are compensated, it is not expected to be a full-time job.



Love is an entrepreneur who incorporated Kansas Sports and Leadership Camps LLC in June 2016. He is sole proprietor of Love Consulting and half-owner of S&L Property Development LLC, created last year. He and his wife, the full-time director of communications for the Kansas Securities Commissioner, own Western Kansas Pheasant Hunts, Love Rentals and Love Cattle.