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Dear Friend:
What a way to start – my first legislative session set the record for the longest at 113 days. Even though it’s all I know, I hope this isn’t the new normal. I commuted from home for most of the last two weeks of the session as the lease was up on my room in Topeka, but I did manage to get a room there for three of the late nights toward the end. Getting a good night’s sleep is highly underrated. I thought you would find this as funny as I did: - One day I got into my car to drive home and the first song on the radio was "I Will Survive" and I laughed out loud; and
- Another day ended with turning on the radio to the Beatles song, "Tax Man" and if you've ever listened to those lyrics, you'll giggle at the irony!
I have a few announcements later in the email, but the session information is first priority, so please read through to the bottom!
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FINALLY I can safely say that the 2015 record-setting (in many ways) session is over.
In the wee hours of Thursday night/Friday morning, June 11-12, the House received some of the details on the Senate-passed tax package at 1 a.m., and the voting began about 2 a.m. We were on a two-hour Call of the House when the doors were locked and representatives were held to wait for missing votes to arrive. After significant arm-twisting and more than a few tears, the bills (HB 2109 and its “fix,” SB 270) finally achieved the necessary 63 votes and the vote was closed.
I voted NO on both, and when you read the details, you will understand why I opposed the largest tax increase in Kansas history. Not only that, but it’s completely shouldered by you and me – the middle class. The two tax bills had similar provisions and others crossed each other out, so I’ll tell you what the passage of the two means for you: - As of July 1, state sales tax increases from 6.15% to 6.50%
- This gives Kansas the 5th highest state sales tax in the U.S., and the highest average state and local sales tax rate (Source: Tax Foundation, 2014)
- Cigarette taxes increase by $0.50 per pack
- If you’re like me and need to find a silver lining, from a public health perspective this is the package’s one redeeming value.
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| About Linda7-term Republican Precinct Committeewoman
5th Generation Kansan
32-year Lenexa resident
913-631-3512
Email Linda
Visit LindaGallagher.org
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- With the exception of charitable contributions, mortgage interest, and property taxes paid, all Kansas itemized deductions are repealed. Charitable contributions remain fully deductible, but mortgage interest and property taxes paid are now deductible at 50%. This change is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2015.
- Usurps the authority of local governments to serve taxpayers by:
- Capping all public entity (cities, counties, community colleges, water districts, etc.) growth to the rate of inflation:
- The more a community succeeds and home values rise, the more it is restricted from responding to citizen-demanded, quality of life amenities, and
- Forcing some property tax increases to a public vote, rather than holding local elected officials accountable to voters.
- Previous versions of the bill repealed the food sales tax rebate but also reduced the sales tax on food. This bill increases the sales tax on food, but restores the food sales tax rebate.
- Expands last year’s school voucher program to low-income students attending non-Title I schools and allows funds to be spent at unaccredited schools and homeschools.
To add insult to injury, the package calls for Gov. Brownback to make $50 million more in budget cuts as he sees fit in order to allow for an ending balance large enough to provide a more adequate cushion, of $86.3 million.
The Senate passed the tax package Friday afternoon, June 12, and we all went home. The mental and physical exhaustion I felt then pales in comparison to the pain I feel for our state – and the pain I know is coming over the next year as families and our economy adjust to these devastating changes.
To read more about the bill and reaction from across the state, here are a few resources:
Articles
Editorials
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| Moving Forward
The legislature adjourns Sine Die (Latin for “without day” – the official end of the session) this Friday, June 26, until the second Monday in January. Usually the Sine Die session is just for the official adjournment with no other business to tend to. However, this time the legislature has been called back to fix a few technical problems with the tax bills, which is not a surprise since they were drafted in haste and passed in the middle of the night.
There is still a serious budget shortfall, we continue to miss monthly revenue targets, and the Adequacy portion of the Gannon lawsuit has yet to be decided. In other words, this isn’t the last you’ll hear from me this year, and I will keep you informed of how legislative actions will impact your family and job.
This is a learning moment for every Kansan, especially the 80-plus percent who do not vote in August Republican primary elections, and the 52% who do not vote in November general elections. What happened in Topeka this year does represent the views of Kansans – those who vote in August Republican primary elections. Elections have consequences, and the middle class and poorest Kansans will pay the price.
If you don’t like what’s going on, be sure you, your family, friends, and neighbors are registered to vote, apply for an advance ballot so you can research candidates and vote at home, and work to elect people with pragmatic views and Kansas common sense.
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| I toured the Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant Thursday with other Midwest women legislators as part of the Women in Government conference. During the last few weeks, I've participated in meetings with and tours of: The BNSF Railway training center at JCCC
Johnson-Wyandotte County Council of Mayors
Shawnee Chamber of Commerce
Team Kansas Annual Banquet (Celebrating economic development efforts, of which Lenexa's Ceva Animal Health was one of the finalists for the Governor's Exporter of the Year Award.)
This Sunday I will be providing a legislative wrap-up for my Adult Sunday School class at Old Mission United Methodist Church.
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Announcements
Town Hall Meeting
Please join me for a conversation about the legislative session at 2 p.m. this Saturday, June 27, in the private room at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery at 11200 W. 87th St. in Lenexa. We can share frustrations and discuss ideas you might have to move forward.
Lenexa Community Days Parade
With July 4th falling on a Saturday this year and Friday serving as a holiday for most folks, I expect many will be traveling for the weekend. I will be participating in the annual Lenexa July 4th parade and would love to have your help! This year we are passing out patriotic sticker sheets and will need all the hands we can! Please reply to this email if you can join us – 9:30 a.m., Saturday, July 4, under the train bridge at 95th & Santa Fe.
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It has been an honor and privilege to be your voice in Topeka during a very difficult year. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your questions and comments.
At your service,
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Rep. Linda Gallagher
Kansas House of Representatives, District 23
Serving Shawnee, Lenexa, and Overland Park
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Linda Gallagher | 913-631-3512 | Paid for by Gallagher for Kansas, Joyce Thompson, Treasurer
7804 Monrovia, Lenexa 66216
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