Top legislative issues facing Bourbon County residents will be the focus of discussion during an upcoming public forum in Fort Scott.

Area legislators, including State Reps. Bob Grant, D-Cherokee, Shirley Palmer, D-Fort Scott, and House Minority Leader Dennis McKinney, D-Greensburg, along with Sen. Jim Barone, D-Frontenac, will be in town soon to offer their assessments of the most recent 2008 session of the Kansas Legislature during a 2008 Legislative Wrap-up Issues Forum at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 17 at the Fort Scott Inn, 101 State St.

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Lawmakers reconvened Wednesday following a one month break to begin wrapping up their 2008 session.

The forum, which will be hosted by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Government and Community Quality Division Committee, will provide an opportunity for area residents to discuss various issues with their legislators in order to be more informed about activities in Topeka that affect Bourbon County, FSACC President and CEO Vicki Pritchett said.

"This is not a campaign forum," Pritchett said. "Residents will be able to talk with and listen to legislators to find out what's been accomplished, and about issues that affect Bourbon County as a whole."

The forum is not meant to be a chance for area residents to speak with legislators on an individual basis about personal problems or concerns, but is instead a time for residents to talk about issues that affect the entire county, Pritchett said.

During the program, legislators will field pertinent community questions from the audience, and are also expected to make public comments about their efforts in Topeka.

Issues such as economic development and a proposed new energy bill, along with other issues that arose during the 2008 legislative session, will be discussed during the forum, Pritchett said.

State and regional issues that have been brought to the forefront of this year's legislative session include the design of a new comprehensive transportation plan, since the current 10-year CTP approved by legislators in 1999 expires next year; the extension of U.S. Highway 69 south to the Kansas-Oklahoma border; new sources of energy statewide; the extension of the Kansas Supreme Court-approved school finance plan; taxes; and regulations regarding the sale of firearms.

FSACC Government and Community Quality Division Committee Chairwoman Carla Farmer, who will moderate the forum, said the event is an opportune time for area residents to hear important information about major issues facing the region.

"We encourage residents to attend and discuss important area issues with the legislators," Farmer said. "These legislators are taking time out of their schedules to touch base with their constituents -- this is a great time to talk with them."

The public is invited and encouraged to attend the event. Refreshments will be served during the program. For more information about the event, contact the chamber at (620) 223-3566.