The celebration of Kansas Day always seems to mark the unofficial start of a hectic pace in the legislature. By this time, committees have been meeting regularly for two weeks with some already kicking out bills for consideration on the House floor.
It’s also a good point to reflect on the rich history of Kansas and the landmark issues that have always defined Kansas as an innovative incubator of the nation’s most controversial issues. From slavery to civil rights, we have always played a prominent role in defining where we will stand as a nation.
While I’m always proud to call myself a Kansan, on this week each year I spend some time to reflect on what that truly means—and I hope you will to. If you plan to be in Topeka this weekend, I encourage you to stop by Kansas Days held at the Capitol Plaza Hotel Complex beginning Friday afternoon. It is a great opportunity not only to visit with a variety of Kansas elected leaders but also to celebrate Kansas and our statehood.
In the first major action of 2010, the Senate this week passed the 2010 recession bill. As the fiscal year in Kansas ends on June 30, one of the first tasks we face each year is ensuring our current budget has the resources to reach that point. This year, the Governor’s budget allotments enabled the process to remain relatively painless. The only notable amendment in the Senate’s debate was the proposed re-instatement of around $20 million Governor Parkinson has cut from the Medicaid budget. However, the amendment was voted down and the bill remained unaltered. It’s expected to be considered and approved in the House late next week with no changes.
The House Taxation Committee also held notable debate this week while considering Governor Parkinson’s proposed 1 cent sales tax increase. After consideration over the last two weeks, the committee recommended in a rare procedural move that the House “not pass” the plan. At that point, any members wishing to revive the measure would have had to have collected 70 votes to place the bill on the calendar for debate before the full body. No motion was made, and the bill is considered dead at this point—however, it’s likely the measure will eventually be revived this session in the form of an amendment.
On Wednesday the Senate Business and Labor committee heard testimony over the impact of the unemployment tax increase on businesses across the state. The small business owners that testified all had similar stories. Unemployment tax has increased by 400-500% and owners were only given two weeks notice in some cases of the increase. Those that testified demonstrated how the tax cost jobs. Each that testified said anywhere from one to fifteen jobs per business would be affected. Currently the Secretary of Labor can adjust the rate unilaterally, but this is an issue I will be looking at this session.
With the deadline for bill requests passing this week, we will soon have a clear vision of the important issues this session. Next week we will continue to log most of our time in committees, with the deadlines quickly approaching for bills to be finalized and passed along to the full body for consideration. However, if you’re interested in learning more about some of the items I’ve mentioned—or if you have thoughts or ideas on legislation you’ve read or heard about please let me know. There’s still time to influence change on these topics and I’m interested to hear your opinion.
It’s my honor to serve you, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts or seeing you in Topeka!
