HOUSE DELIBERATIONS
The House of Representatives debated and voted on 50 bills and resolutions last week, with only two weeks remaining till first adjournment. Bill topics ranged from higher education review commissions to fireworks sale regulations. Detailed below is a sample of six bills and resolutions from those deliberated in the House chamber, of which I voted yes on each.
· First is Senate Bill (SB) 156. This piece of legislation would make unlawfully direction of laser pointer lights at both law enforcement officers and aircraft a state crime. Laser pointing at law enforcement officers would be classified as a Class A misdemeanor and laser pointing at aircraft would be Severity Level 9 personal felony. Those using laser pointers for research purposes with aircraft manufacturers, work within federal agencies, and emergency rescue would be exempted.
· Second is SB 30. This bill requires the Kansas Secretary of Labor to conduct state and national criminal record checks on any state employee, including new hires, that is granted direct access to Internal Revenue Service tax information. The Secretary of Labor would also be granted statutory permissions from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation on criminal investigation data.
· Third is SB 269. This legislation would alter current filing fee protocol for the Board of Tax Appeals. Instead of current law, where filers with pending and undecided appeals in previous years are charged for new appeals, the bill would eliminate filing fees for appeals.
· Fourth is House Bill 2223. This bill would alter current law by expanding the scope of practice, changing practice definitions, and credentialling for optometrists in Kansas.
· Fifth is House Resolution 6016, which I sponsored. This resolution condemns the planned Satanic Black Mass, scheduled for March 28, on State Capitol grounds. While it may be within their First Amendment rights to conduct such practices the event only serves to create division within our state by offending faithful Christians and insulting the heritage of our state.
· Sixth is SB 44. This legislation would alter the Kansas Promise Scholarship program by expanding the number of eligible post-secondary education intuitions in Kansas and increase funds available for the scholarship, from $10 million to $15 million.
SENATE BILL 125
Due to session timeline constraints an Omnibus Budget, a second budgetary bill intended to address errors, was not possible. In order to address those same concerns, the House Appropriations Committee modified Senate Bill 125, the Claims Against the State, with new line-item expenditures. Some members took to calling it the Minibus Budget.
Overall, the bill will increase state spending in fiscal year (FY) 2025 by $10,040,000 and by $7,518,829 in fiscal year 2026.
The new items included covered an array of topics, some of which I have included here as a sample.
First was $1.5 million State General Funds (SGF) to the Department of Health and Environment for control and prevention of the spread of Tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, given the recent outbreak in the state.
Second was $40,000 SGF to the Kansas Historical Society to establish a Quindaro Ruins Taskforce in FY 2025, in order to organize efforts for the renovation of the Quindaro Ruins Archaeological Park, with reporting deadlines in FY 2026.
Third was bonding authority authorization for Kansas State University (KSU), Wichita State University, and the University of Kansas in FY 2026 and FY 2027. The bonding authority would pay for various projects across the university campuses, including the State of Kansas’s veterinary diagnostic laboratory—which resides on KSU’s campus. The bill passed out of the House Chamber on a vote of 120 to 3, and I voted yes.
HOUSE BILL 2007 SENATE ADJUSTMENTS
The budget process for this session is nearing conclusion and the Senate passed out its own substitute for House Bill (HB) 2007. The House non-concurred on the Senate’s version and a conference committee has been established, which will work to iron out the differences between the two chambers’ version of HB 2007.
In the interest of your knowledge, and given that I have previously noted the House’s version, I have listed below several important changes made by the Senate.
First was the deletion of $20 million State General Fund (SGF), from Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 through Fiscal Year 2027, for the Safe and Secure Firearm Detection Program, under the Attorney General.
Second was the addition of $15.5 million SGF for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul program at the Topeka Regional Airport in FY 2026.
Third was the transfer of $50 million SGF from the Build Kansas Fund to a new loan program, under the State Treasurer, for entities engaged in the business of maintenance, repair, and overhaul of aircraft in FY 2026.
Fourth was to increase the one and half percent state operating reductions for all agencies to three percent in FY 2026, a savings of $35,137,904 SGF.
It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.
Contact My Office
Representative Troy L. Waymaster
300 SW 10th Street Topeka, Kansas 66612
[email protected]
www.kslegislature.org
www.troywaymaster.com