February 16, 2024
Topeka
Budget Process
As the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, the one piece of legislation that I focus on the most is that of the budget for the state of Kansas. The state of Kansas is projected to have an ending balance in fiscal year 2024, the current fiscal year, of $2.8 billion. That ending balance figure does not account for the projected $1.6 billion in Budget Stabilization or commonly referred to as the Rainy-Day Fund. This is a unique situation that the state is currently experiencing. Our focus should be on true tax relief for the citizens of Kansas regarding income, sales, and, especially, property and not erroneous spending or items that have not been funded for decades.
The governor has proposed an excess of $1.3 billion in spending, though we have already taken measures in the Appropriations Committee to reduce the amount of spending the Governor has proposed by $1 billion.
An area that the governor said that she was focusing on is paying off debt; however, that is not necessarily the case. When we analyze the strategy the governor is using, which is called “to defease,” it does not pay off debt but rather places funds aside for when those bonds become callable. Instead of this tactic, we are reviewing our entire bond portfolio and analyzing those bonds that could be paid off now as opposed to placing money into escrow until they actually come due.
The state of Kansas also has monies remaining from the pandemic dollars that we received from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Our focus, since we are on a limited time frame with those dollars, is to use them for economic development purposes. We also need to be cognizant that the entire state benefits from these dollars and not one area. For example, the governor placed in her budget $20 million for the World Cup Event in the Kansas City area. I have been advocating that if we disperse $20 million to northeast Kansas for this event, then I want nearly the same amount for an economic development proposal in northwest Kansas, using the ARPA dollars and not the state general fund.
I do not know if we will be able to provide the tax relief that Kansans need that is in House Bill 2284. This tax bill provides for tax relief in income, sales, and property taxes.
Appropriations Committee
The House Appropriations Committee continued discussing the various agency budgets and finished deliberations on the budgets for the State Fire Marshal, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Office of the State Banking Commissioner, Office of the Governor, Legislature, Judicial Branch, and many more.
The committee heard from the Department of Commerce regarding economic development in Kansas. We also had an update from Chancellor Doug Girod with the University of Kansas about the University of Kansas Cancer Center and President Richard Linton from Kansas State University. In addition, we finally received the budget bill from the governor’s office and the bill was introduced during Tuesday morning’s meeting.
Bills Debated On the House Floor
This week is the sixth week of the 2024 legislative session, and we spent most of the time debating bills and resolutions in the chamber of the Kansas House of Representatives. Here is a look at some of those bills:
House Bill 2583 increases the criminal penalty for harming or killing certain dogs or horses used by law enforcement entities. This bill requires restitution for this crime to include veterinary medical treatment, funeral, and burial expenses.
House Bill 2168 relates to agriculture and reduces the license and registration fee for industrial hemp to a maximum of $500.
House Bill 2477 increases the maximum reimbursement from the Kansas Agricultural Remediation Fund from $200,000 to $300,000 for an eligible person and from $400,000 to $600,000 when both a buyer and seller or a lessee and a lessor are responsible for remediation.
I voted “yes” on these three bills.
Contact Information
Anytime that you would like to participate and listen to the developments of committee hearings or discussion on the House floor, you can tune in by video or audio at www.kslegislature.org.
As always, if you have any concerns, feel free to contact me 785-296-7672, follow on twitter at @waymaster4house, or email me at [email protected].
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.
Rep. Troy Waymaster is the House Appropriations Committee chairman and representative of the Kansas House 109th District which includes Ellsworth, Lincoln, Osborne, Russell, and Smith counties.