Upcoming Advocacy Opportunities
Mon - Kansas Payday Loan Reform Legislative Hearings
Mon - School Bus Driver Lobby Day
Wed - Moms Demand Action Advocacy Day
Upcoming Hearing Highlights
Mon - SB 283 Authorizing sports wagering
Tue - HB 2667 Law enforcement policies requiring an investigation after officer-involved deaths
Wed - HB 2582 Creating the behavioral health intervention
Wed - SB 345 Requirements of industrial hemp disposal
Wed - SB 351 Ensuring eligible votes are counted
Wed - HB 2385 Designating the polka as the official state dance.
Thur - SB 308 Selling raw, unpasteurized milk
Thur - HB 2618 Establishing a state broadband grant program
WEEK 5 VIDEO SCRIPT
Intro
Hey I’m Davis Hammet with Loud Light. Here’s what happened week 5 in the Kansas Statehouse.
Fallout
Fallout spread across the Statehouse from the House not passing the abortion constitutional amendment. Despite Sen. Pres. Wagle being in Washington D.C. on Monday to raise money for her U.S. Senate campaign, she sent a letter to her colleagues warning that they can’t pass Medicaid expansion until the House passes the abortion constitutional amendment.
Medicaid Expansion
The Senate Public Health Committee cancelled a vote on Medicaid expansion and instead held an impromptu presentation from anti-abortion groups. This lifted up a claim that without the constitutional amendment, Medicaid expansion would create tax-payer funded abortions. Aside from Federal and State law banning such uses of tax dollars, the basis of the claim was further rebutted by several legislators including Sen. Maj. Led. Denning because Medicaid expansion has no impact on pregnant people. Medicaid eligibility is based on the federal poverty line. Expansion brings coverage up to 138% for everyone, but pregnant Kansans are already covered up to 171%. Sen. Denning wrote, “It is disrespectful to blatantly disrupt the legislative process and threaten fellow legislators for personal political gain.”
Human Services (ERO 44) HR 6032
Former Gov. Brownback broke apart a larger social services department into the Dept of Children and Families, and the Dept of Aging and Disabilities. Gov. Kelly wants to reconsolidate social services into a unified Dept of Human Services. For Kansans, this would mean a one agency stop for families in need.
A House committee moved to recommend the reorganization be blocked despite not taking time to read testimony. When Democratic members questioned if this was just political retaliation, an emotional Republican Rep. Tarwater responded “how dare you try to politicize this after the vote you all took on Friday [against the abortion amendment].”
Energy Office (ERO 46) HCR 6031
Last year, the legislature commissioned a study on lowering electric utility rates and the first suggestion was to create a state energy plan. Gov. Kelly issued an Executive Reorganization Order to create an independent Kansas energy office tasked with developing the comprehensive energy plan.
On Tuesday, despite no hearing and no opposition cited, a House Committee recommended the House block the reorganization. On Monday, the House appears set to officially kill the plans for both the Energy Office and the Dept. of Human Services.
Ethics
In 2017, Brownback’s Corrections Sec. Joe Norwood negotiated a controversial contract worth over $350 million between Kansas and the private prison corporation CoreCivic. An ethics complaint was filed as it came to light that Norwood immediately took a job with CoreCivic after leaving his role with the state.
Property Tax SB294
A bill sponsored by far-right senators to overhaul property taxes passed the Senate Tax Committee. It would make it so that counties and cities must divide the previous years revenue by the total value of all district property to create a certified tax rate. This would essentially freeze local tax revenue. To make rate adjustments such as accommodating inflation, the county would be required to mail notice to every tax payer and hold a public hearing.
Coming Up
If a bill doesn’t have a hearing and committee vote by this coming Friday there’s a good chance it’s dead for the session. It will be a busy week with topics like criminal justice reform, election reform, highway construction, and the always exciting raw milk bill.
Outro
Thanks for liking, sharing, and contributing. Stay tuned, stay engaged, and until next time thank you so much Kansas!