Kansas Week 14: Legislators Fail to Override Vetoes, Property Rights Violation Bill, and more 🚨
Video Script
Intro
Hey I’m Davis Hammet with Loud Light! The final week of the Kansas legislative session was jam packed as the Republican supermajority attempted to override vetoes from the Democratic Governor. Here’s what happened.
School Funding (SB387)
Legislators failed to pass a school funding bill before going on April break. The holdup came from Rep. Kristey WIlliams (R) who repeatedly attempted to add controversial provisions to the bill described as “poison pills.” In the final days, a relatively clean school funding bill passed that begins to increase funding for special education, but only for one year, meaning school funding will remain a yearly debate in Kansas as special education funding remains at illegally low levels.
Tax Vote Fails (HB2036 & SB37)
Another tax cut package failed to get the votes to override the Governor's veto. Most provisions such as abolishing social security tax and lowering property tax are unanimously supported, the conflict is over how much income tax should be lowered and the total cost of the tax cuts. At the end of the final day of session Republican legislators passed a slightly less costly tax cut proposal, but the plan is still projected to drive the state into a deficit within a few years. The Governor’s office told legislators she plans to veto it, raising the likelihood of a special legislative session being called this Summer.
Anti-Trans Fails (SB233)
The Legislature failed to override the Governor's veto of the most extreme anti-transgender bill in the nation that would have banned evidence-based medical and restricted non-medical gender affirming care for transgender youth regardless of the parents’ desires. Although it was overrode in the Senate, four Republicans in the House voted to sustain the veto, blocking the legislation from being forced into law.
Omnibus Budget (SB28)
The final omnibus state budget passed which due to Senate Republican additions will spend more money and pay off less state debt than Gov. Kelly’s budget recommended. Several controversial line items the Governor had vetoed were overridden to become law including a mandate to spend $16 million Kansas tax dollars helping Texas in its controversial and legally contested efforts to stop migration on the southern border. The line item calls on the Governor to send national guard troops to Texas, but given the Governor is commander in chief there is a separation of powers issue. Sen. Pres. Masterson acknowledged this saying that the $16 million to Texas was mostly about “moral support.”
Anti-Abortion overrides
Several anti-abortion bills were vetoed and then overrode by the Republican supermajority, ranging from indirect efforts like funneling more tax dollars to anti-abortion pregnancy centers to requiring invasive abortion reporting at clinics. Legislators continue to push anti-abortion bills every session despite the August 2022 election where Kansans overwhelmingly voted to block legislators from infringing on the constitutional right to abortion. Rep. Brenda Landwehr, who has championed multiple anti-abortion bills, defended the bills and warned that legislators will continue to attempt to dismantle abortion rights until the August 2022 election results “can be changed.”
Anti-Property Rights Bill (SB172)
A last minute bill crafted largely by Sen. Mike Thompson at the direction of Attorney General Kris Kobach passed along party lines before the legislature ended the session. The bill bans non-citizens from certain countries from owning property within 100 miles of a military installment which is virtually the entire state. It would force some immigrants in Kansas who own stores and restaurants to sell their property or have it seized by eminent domain. The bill is riddled with controversy and constitutional violation concerns. Rep. Tarwater, who championed the bill, acknowledged if enacted Kansas is “going to get sued… immediately.” The bill is heading to the Governor's desk and if she vetoes it the legislature will be unable to attempt to override her veto.
Coming Up
It’s over! Well maybe not. There’s a good chance Legislators will be called into a special session to pass a more affordable tax cut package this summer. The stakes are high as every state representative and state senator is campaigning for election this year. This wraps up Loud Light’s 8th year of delivering digestible weekly recaps of the Kansas legislative session to you! A special thank you to my colleague Paris Raite who has done so much work behind the scenes the last few years from research and writing to video editing, and of course thank you for donating to make all of this possible. Stay tuned, stay engaged, and until next time, thank you so much Kansas!