TOPEKA
March 10
In my previous newsletter I mentioned property tax relief for senior citizens and disabled veterans. Under current law, to qualify for this property tax adjustment, a home must be valued at less than $350,000 for a person eligible.
Last week SB 402 was passed out of the Senate and sent to the House for approval. SB 402 would increase the value to $375,000 or less for those who qualify for this tax relief.
An update on our budget: Last Tuesday the Senate bill Sub SB 315 was debated and passed on the Senate floor. The vote represents a key step in the process towards adopting a budget for FY 2027. The budget focuses funding on core state responsibilities such as education, public safety, and transportation. With 70% of the budget dedicated to court-mandated spending on K-12 education and human services, the budget wisely holds the line on true discretionary spending and provisions that will help root out waste, paving the way for a positive fiscal future for our state.
After the incidents in Minnesota this year and similar dangerous interactions between left-wing protestors and law enforcement around the country, it became important to review our laws and close loopholes that exist to protect both the public and law enforcement in situations that may develop in the future. The Senate President worked with law enforcement to create SB 452, which would create the crime of unlawful approach of a first responder and would incorporate federal law enforcement officers, their vehicles and enforcement of federal law into certain traffic, criminal and tort laws. This new law passed the Senate and has been passed to the House for approval.
The Senate passed Sub HB 2299 which establishes a bell-to-bell prohibition on the use of cell phones for all public and KSDE accredited non-public schools giving our state’s teachers a distraction-free environment where students can focus on learning.
The Senate adopted HCR 5033 which ratifies and provides for the continuation of the state of disaster emergency declaration issued on February 24, 2026, for certain counties. This resolution is a continuation for the wildfires in western Kansas, including all the counties in our 40th Senate District.
I am honored and grateful to represent the 40th Senate District in Kansas.
Please do not hesitate to contact me by email: rick.billinger@senate.ks.gov or call me with your questions or concerns. My office number is 785-296-7399 or my cell number is 785-899-4700. If you are in Topeka, stop by my office at 545-S.