Dear Manhattan and Riley County constituents,

The Turnaround deadline means all bills have to be passed from their original house and “turned around” to the other chamber by this week, or they die for future consideration. Most committees did not work last week, so I left that section out, and you will not see a link for this week’s calendar because the legislature is out of session, returning on Monday, March 6.

The extensive newsletter to walk through the dozens of bills we heard and passed in my committees this week has pretty much been scrapped to focus on recent events. Nearly everything we did last week was overshadowed by three major actions:

• The House and Senate votes to pass the tax bill described below;
• Governor Brownback’s veto of the bill; and finally,
• The House vote to override the veto and the Senate’s vote to uphold the veto.

Please keep reading under “In the News.”

It’s always a pleasure to host constituents in the Capitol. The Riley County 4-H club was in town for their Citizenship in Action program.

TAX BILL

In my last newsletter, I explained the tax plan passed by the House Taxation Committee, which adds LLCs back onto the income tax rolls and restores a third tax bracket:

Since we’ve last spoke, that bill has been through the entire legislative process. The House (76-48) and Senate (22-18) passed the bill and it was sent to Governor Brownback for consideration. At the Kansas Chamber of Commerce dinner this past week, he announced he would veto the bill. The next day, the House voted to override that veto (85-40) with quite a bit of excitement to secure the override. Here is how it played out. At the conclusion of the House vote, the override vote was one vote short, so it appeared the veto had failed. The rules allow for members to speak for one minute explaining their vote. About seven members stood and spoke about their vote, then Representative Clay Aurand raised and switched his vote from no to yes, and the override was sustained. The Senate was three votes shy of override and supported the governor’s veto (24-16). I voted YES on both the bill and to override Governor Brownback. 

Related Articles:

• Wichita Eagle: Kansas Senate fails to override tax bill veto

• Topeka Capital-Journal: Brownback tax veto stands after Senate fails to override

• Kansas City Star: The Latest: Kansas lawmakers unsure of path ahead on taxes
• Salina Journal: Kansas lawmakers scramble for budget fix after tax hike veto 

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Basically, we go back to the drawing board and begin over again. The Senate President has stated she intends to begin work on a new tax bill the week we return on March 6. The talk I hear from colleagues is the Senate tax bill will raise about $100 million less than the House tax plan. The inference I take from this strategy is the Senate leadership wants to see if there is a willingness to find $100 million worth of reductions in the FY 2018 budget.

I envision the month of March spent trying to pass another tax plan, but this time originating in the Senate and then sending it to the House for our consideration. At the same time the House Appropriations Committee will finalize their FY 2018 and FY 2019 budgets to gain a better understanding of how to balance our revenues with expenditures. I said at our legislative forum on Saturday, Coach Bill Snyder says to keep sawing the log when you fail to achieve your desired results.  So, we will keep sawing the log until we get our tax policy and budget aligned in a sustainable approach, and move away from the Governor’s strategy of one-time budgeting maneuvers that put the state in an even more dangerous fiscal situation. 

After much procedural drama, Medicaid Expansion had its day on the House floor. For years, health bills were banished from consideration because a bill to expand Medicaid to needy Kansans would be germane (the same topic as the underlying bill) to amendments.

• Jargon Alert – germane: In order to amend language onto a bill, the amendment and the bill must have substantially the same topic. The “germaneness” of an amendment can be challenged and then is considered by the Rules Committee. The Rules Committee specifies whether the amendment is germane to the bill and his/her ruling can be challenged by the body with a vote to abide or overrule the chair’s decision. (In other words, what is germane is what the Rules Chair and the body decide by vote.)

Fortunately, this year, the votes exist not only to force debate on these issues, but to pass legislation. Rep. Susan Concannon (R-Beloit) has led the way on this issue for four years and proposed an amendment to HB 2044. The original bill allows Medicaid reimbursement for rehabilitation services provided at clubhouses (original testimony here), and after hours of debate, the amendment passed on a voice vote and the amended bill passed 81-44, I voted YES. It now goes to the Senate for further committee hearings. 

Related Articles:

• Topeka Capital-Journal: House votes to approve bill expanding Medicaid in Kansas; teacher tenure bill also passes

Beyond the hours spent on the tax plan veto and Medicaid expansion, a number of other interesting bills passed the House and are headed to the Senate for consideration: 

The House worked on a number of license plate bills:

1. HB 2257 would create an armed services occupation medal license plate decal, allowing people who were recipients of the Army Occupation Medal or the Navy Occupation Service Medal to receive such plate decals, as well as surviving spouses. PASSED 124-0.
2. Currently, veterans can only get disabled veteran plates if they are entitled to compensation for service-connected disabilities of at least 50%, for loss of use of one or both feet, for loss of use of one or both hands or visual impairment of both eyes. HB 2174 would allow eligibility for the disabled veteran license plate if the veteran submits proof to the director of vehicles that s/he has a permanent disability. PASSED 124-0. (Background)
3. HB 2148, would create license plates designated for autism awareness as well as the 4-H Foundation. It passed the House 120-5, I voted YES. Here’s how the autism plate will look: 

There were a few interesting bills related to vaccinations:

1. HB 2030 would allow licensed pharmacists and interns to administer any vaccination to all people 6+ years of age. Current law allows them to do so for people 18+ only. Especially in rural areas, this will be a huge help to ensure our children are protected. PASSED 120-2.
2. HB 2205 would add meningitis to the list of vaccinations required for Kansas schoolchildren. The effects of meningitis can be life-threatening. The vaccine is recommended for preteens and teens 11-12, with a booster at 16 years old. PASSED 104-20. (Background)

If you’re applying for a job as a law enforcement officer, you’re asked a series of questions about your criminal history, and are not considered if you have previous convictions. HB 2069 adds to that deferred judgments for misdemeanor domestic violence and other misdemeanor offenses that reflect on the applicant’s honesty/trustworthiness to that definition. PASSED 121-1.

HB 2102 is a big win for local control and certainly seemed like a no-brainer! Currently, counties with population over 8,000 are required to hold board of county commissioner meeting on the first Monday of every month. This bill eliminates this provision and requires all counties regardless of population to hold monthly board meetings on a day chosen by the board. PASSED 124-1.

If you’ve ever had trouble remembering to return your mail ballot, this bill is for you. HB 2158 changes the deadline for acceptance of advance voting ballots. Requires ballots received by mail to be treated in a way as consistent as possible with other advance ballots if: 1) They’re postmarked as mailed before the election and 2) They’re received by the time of the last USPS delivery on the third day after the election.  PASSED 123-2. (Background)

HB 2048 enacts “Erin’s Law” which requires school districts to adopt a plan to address child sexual abuse in all schools grades K-6. PASSED 88-34. I voted YES.

HB 2187 would add common sense restrictions on people who reside, work, or volunteer at child care facilities, to include people who have been convicted of arson, sex offenders, and those who have committed acts of physical, mental or emotional abuse or neglect. PASSED 125-0. (Background) 

HB 2160 would allow young people preparing to age out of foster care to set up and use Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) for qualifying vehicle expenses and start-up costs, like rent and utility deposits. PASSED 125-0.

Currently, local governments cannot prohibit the placement or number of political signs on private property or unpaved right of way on city or county roads during the 45-day period before an election. HB 2210 amends the law to allow local governments to regulate them. I voted YES.  PASSED 100-25. (Background)