State Employee Furloughs
An emergency bill passed both chambers unanimously (SB 11) to classify all state workers as “essential” to avoid furloughs. This technical change will help avoid furloughs – but there is still no money authorized to make payroll beginning July 1. However, it gives the legislature a few more days to fund the budget.
Budget
The House narrowly passed (64-48) a budget (H Sub SB 112). There was no debate because it was brought to the House as a Conference Committee Report (CCR). CCRs are negotiated by three Representatives and three Senators and in this case, due to a procedural move, just two of each, and brought to the House for an up-or-down vote, without the opportunity to amend. It astounds me that the House spent nearly an hour debating a scrap metal theft bill and passed a two-year budget in less than 5 minutes. The Senate also has passed H Sub SB 112, which the governor has not signed yet.
I voted NO for these and a number of other reasons. My Explanation of Vote is below:
- The budget included a $400 million shortfall.
- It included $270 million in more transfers out of KDOT. I’m surprised there’s still money in KDOT to transfer.
- By passing an unfunded budget, this gives the governor a blank check to make cuts wherever he wants.
MR. SPEAKER: This budget continues the policy of using smoke and mirrors to give the appearance of a balanced budget. This budget – which calls for $400 million in deficit spending – is anything but balanced. Kansans deserve a transparent and complete funding process that isn’t built through sweeps, transfers, and increased debt. H Sub for SB 112 puts the cart before the horse and spends more than we have so I vote no.
Taxes
A wide array of tax proposals have been debated and voted on in committees, and after much procedural debate and dramatic moves, the House finally agreed on a tax amnesty (forgiveness of some fines if you pay the taxes you owe) plan, which would at least put some wheels under the tax issue. With an unbalanced budget passed, it needs to be funded. Here’s a sampling of the options on the table:
- $3/acre ag land surcharge;
- Restructuring the use-value algorithm for ag land valuation;
- Eliminating all sales tax exemptions (professional services, non-profits, utilities, prescription drugs, etc.);
- Capping revenue growth to 3%;
- “Consumption tax” increases:
- Sales: This one has been all over the map from a reduction in food sales tax to increasing the sales tax on everything to 6.55% (in addition to your local sales tax).
- This would make Kansas the 5th highest state sales tax in the country.
- Cigarette: Anywhere from $0.50 to $1.50 has been discussed.
- Liquor: Though mostly off-the-table, a 4% increase.
- Gas: $0.05/gallon for three years.
I won’t support anything short of fixing the underlying problem, the 2012 tax cuts which have devastated our economy. Until the underlying virus is cured, administering yearly antibiotics is a waste of time and your tax dollars. We need real revenue reform that provides long-term stability.
In Other News…
Court Funding
HB 2005 will keep the court system operating in our state, separate from the rest of the budget. A caveat included in the bill ties funding to the court’s forthcoming decision on judicial appointments, which is an affront to the separation of powers on which our democracy stands. I will work to remove this provision in future budgets but for the immediate future, I prioritized the safety of Kansans over a political squabble.
Ride-Sharing Services (The Uber Bill)
If you watched the Uber debate unfold, or have taken an Uber ride in Kansas, you’ll be happy to know we crafted and passed compromise legislation to bring the ride-sharing service back to the state. The new regulations require drivers with a lien on their vehicle to have full coverage insurance and prohibits ride-sharing companies from hiring any driver convicted of a felony, sexual offense, identity theft, or DUI. I voted YES on the follow-up bill.
Kobach Prosecutorial Powers
The attorney general and local county and district attorneys are tasked with prosecuting election crimes. However, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach convinced a majority of legislators to give those powers to the secretary of state as well. I strongly opposed this dilution of the role of professional and elected attorneys to do their jobs. In addition, that is not what the secretary of state was elected to do. Gov. Brownback has now signed this into law.
Moving Local Elections
HB 2104 started out as the “Chad Taylor bill” to change how candidate vacancies are filled. It became a much larger initiative after other bills were combined into an “omnibus elections bill” – with many provisions I strongly opposed. It passed the Senate on a wide margin (22-13) and the House on a much smaller margin of 64-58. I voted NO.
- Moves local, non-partisan elections held in April of odd years to the fall of odd years, mirroring the statewide and presidential election cycles. These offices include:
- School and community college boards;
- City council/commissions;
- Hospital and improvement district boards; and
- Water/drainage/irrigation district boards.
- Local Primary Election: First Tuesday in August, odd years.
- Local General Elections: First Tuesday after the first Monday in November, odd years.
- Term Expiration: Incumbent terms which now end in July following an April election would be extended to the second Monday in January following the November election.
- Also of note: While this law retained the non-partisan nature of these elections (for now), under the new law, cities can choose to make their elections partisan.
Kansas Bioscience Authority
Many in the legislature will only support even more draconian cuts to state services and sought to eliminate the Kansas Bioscience Authority and sweep its funding. More than 100 advocates showed their support for this public/private partnership and its work to grow jobs in Kansas. A number of the supporters who testified shared their stories of business success and job creation via the efforts of the KBA.
- The plan to abolish the KBA is further complicated by the value of the 92 acres of prime real estate on which its offices – and the K-State Innovation Campus – sit. The City of Olathe “sold” the property to the KBA and K-State for just $10, with KBA using a sizable amount of the land for its offices and a business incubator and wet-lab space, currently home to 14 companies.
- If the KBA no longer exists, do the sales contracts still apply?
- Who pays the mortgage on the buildings?
- A number of questions linger, and I strongly oppose any changes that would sabotage KBA’s work.
- Kansas City Business Journal article
- Kansas Bioscience Park Venture Accelerator
