By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
"It was an interesting session," Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, 109th District, said at Saturday's final legislative coffee presented by the Chamber in Hays.
"It was one that brought with it some hope, some challenges, and now we move on," he said.
Kansas legislators will move on April 26 when they return to the Topeka statehouse for the veto session.
VETOED BY THE GOVERNOR
Democratic Kansas Governor Laura Kelly's veto pen yielded red ink Friday to several bills passed by legislators, including a proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors, a measure to require more reporting from abortion providers and what she called a “vague” bill making it a crime to coerce someone into having an abortion.
Rahjes was not surprised by Kelly's veto of the three medical-related bills.
"It's not the first time she has vetoed something similar, and they're likely to come up again," Rahjes said.
Kelly also vetoed a bill allowing sugaring hair removal performed by a non-licensed cosmetician or aesthetician. Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays, championed the change on behalf of a young Hays mother.
TAX PLAN
Rahjes and Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, 40th District, are both unsure how the governor will handle the tax plan.
The original tax plan, based on a single rate and passed early in the session by both the House and Senate, was vetoed by the governor, who called it "reckless."
After weeks of reworking and a compromise vote in the early morning of Saturday, April 6, the Legislature sent the governor a two-rate income tax package.
"It passed, but we don't know what the governor will do," Rahjes said to the crowd at the Hays Public Library.
BUDGET
The 2025 budget, passed by the Legislature, is $25.1 billion.
"We have a projected ending balance of almost $3 billion," said Billinger. "We have about $1.8 billion in the rainy day fund, and our budget came in about $700 million to $800 million under the governor's recommendation."
Billinger said the budget includes funding for higher education, the judicial system, which was hacked by cyber terrorists last fall, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
MEDICAID EXPANSION
Gov. Kelly has been heavily campaigning to expand Medicaid in Kansas, one of 10 states that has yet to do so.
Kelly met with local officials and staff at HaysMed on Thursday to hear the hospital's concerns about Medicaid.
Senate hearings on Medicaid expansion were conducted for the first time in four years on March 20, but Republican lawmakers brought them to a halt one day later.
Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins have characterized it as a way to “expand the welfare state.”
However, Medicaid was still addressed in the budget.
"Medicaid reimbursements to our [rural] hospitals, our doctors and our nursing homes have been increased," Billinger said.
"Hopefully, this will also allow us to draw down some more federal dollars."
Rajesh said, "This is for hospitals that are not HaysMed because HaysMed is a different level than the other county-owned, critical care access hospitals I represent."
"Medicaid expansion probably won't happen, for now," he said.
When legislators return on April 26, senators will have the opportunity to bring Medicaid expansion to a debate and vote in the Senate. The most recent survey data from the Sunflower Foundation shows almost 70% of Kansans support Medicaid expansion.
"Increasing the reimbursement rates is what we can do to put money directly back into our rural hospitals and other providers. ... It's something I've advocated for for years to our federal delegation," Rahjes said.
The rates are set by the state, Billinger said.
"It's a process that has to be approved by CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services). ... We have to work with them, and they have to approve it," Rahjes said.
"The House and Senate both did that. So, it's in the budget. The [higher] rates will be there. That's a start to put money back in pockets.
"I'm not [saying] that Medicaid expansion would not be any help at all in our small critical-access hospitals.
"But for long-term sustainability, what we need to do is to continue works with the feds, and us as a state, to continue to increase those reimbursement rates that go right back to the hospitals, providers, long-term care folks, and others," Rahjes said.
Rahjes has opposed Medicaid expansion; Billinger supports it.
K-12 FUNDING
Although there were rumors about cuts, Rahjes said K-12 education is fully funded, with concerns remaining about special education.
"It's a huge topic here and all across Kansas. It sounds like there are plans in place that we can all somewhat agree on. I hope so," he said.
"My concern is the influx of cash for one year. How does that work moving forward? We're not the federal government. We can't deficit spend."
BUDGET SUSTAINABILITY
Both Rahjes and Billinger discussed the importance of budget sustainability despite the nearly $3 billion reserve.
"We've been lucky so far," Rahjes said, "that the other shoe hasn't dropped in the economy. ... We have to look at the long game in these things."
Billinger said, "Our March revenues were up for the first time in five months."
Some of the excess revenue has been allocated to eliminating the food tax more quickly, cutting the state's tax on Social Security, cutting the state's portion of property taxes and moving to a two-tier income tax.
Billinger said he thinks the governor will pass the final version of the budget, while Rahjes said he wouldn't be surprised by a special session.
"We approved expansion of the Fort Hays State University nursing program ... and $75 million toward a new KU Med $500 million cancer facility, bringing everything under one roof. ...
"We approved deferred maintenance funds (for higher education buildings) for the next six years," Billinger said.
Also approved were an increase in the KPERS death benefit, an economic development package offering $17 million to support housing and retail development in northwest Kansas and $18 million to support hosting of World Cup soccer games in 2026 in the Kansas City area.
UPCOMING VETO SESSION
Both men will return early to Topeka to tie up their committees' loose ends before the veto session officially begins.
They'll be on the road between now and then, attending many town halls and legislative coffees in northwest Kansas.
"My car is covered in chalk road dust. It keeps me grounded," said Rahjes. "I'm proud to represent you."
"We try to do our best and to work hard for all Kansans," Billinger said.
"We do look out for rural Kansas, where are hearts are."
As an add-on at the close of the meeting, Billinger said he plans to run for re-election.
All Kansas state legislators are up for re-election this fall.