Kansas Legislature Week 3: anti-trans bills, local government vs. Kris Kobach and more! 🚨

Video Script

Intro
I’m Davis Hammet with Loud Light. Here’s what happened week 3 in the Kansas Statehouse.

GAC Ban Hearings (SB63)
The first bill passed by the newly expanded Republican supermajorities is not related to taxes or the cost of living, but instead targets transgender kids. The bill would establish a 2-tiered system where certain healthcare treatments will remain legal for kids unless they identify as transgender, in which case they would be illegal. Over 400 Kansans submitted testimony opposing the controversial bill, but legislators voted on the bill before public testimony was even posted for them to read. The lengthy bill goes beyond medical care creating restrictions based on how a child acts or their “manner of dress”. The vague and broad definitions raise a variety of ethical and constitutional concerns with the Attorney General’s office acknowledging the state will likely face lawsuits if it is enacted. The bill is now headed to the Governor’s desk where a veto is expected.

School Vouchers Hearings (SB75)
Republican leaders are continuing their push to divert public tax dollars into private schools. A hearing was held on a bill to provide large tax credits to parents who send their kids to unaccredited unregulated private schools. The proposal would initially cost $125 million per year and has a clause allowing that amount to continuously increase every year. In other states like Arizona such voucher programs have spiraled into billion dollar deficits.

Local Government vs. Kobach (SB2) 
Last year, Greeley County, the least populated county in Kansas with 1,200 residents, held a bond election to pay the costs of fixing schools and making them legally compliant for disabled students. Voters approved the bond, but Attorney General Kris Kobach invalidated the election because the county did not follow a law requiring an election notice to be posted on the county website because they don’t have, and are not required to have, a county website. A Senate committee heard a bill this week that would validate the election result and undo Kobach’s legally questionable decision to invalidate the will of the people on an administrative technicality. The bill received no opposition and is likely to advance. 

Property Tax (SB 35, SB 10)
The Senate passed two bills related to cutting property taxes. The first eliminates the state’s 1.5 mill property tax levy that funds educational and institutional building maintenance. The bill would cost the state about $160 million per year with $85 million from lost revenue and $75 million spent to partially make up for the lost funding of building maintenance. The second bill makes private airplanes, golf carts, boats, and other items exempt from property tax at a cost of roughly $3 million in lost revenue per year. Both bills are now headed to the House.

Coming Up 
Next week, Legislators are taking up constitutional amendments to change the language on voter eligibility, expanding the constitutional rights of gun owners, and giving more power to the legislature over executive branch rules and regulations. There are committee hearings on protecting families from state mandated separation due to poverty, banning local governments from enacting guaranteed income programs, and eliminating the 3-day mail processing period for ballots to arrive and be counted. Stay tuned, stay engaged, and until next time, thank you so much Kansas!