March 1, 2021
Last week was the final week for the standing committees and subcommittees to report their budget proposals to the full Senate Ways & Means committee for work on the 2021 & 2022 budgets. A few of the reports the committee is considering are social services, higher education, and judicial budgets.
Social service agencies were given additional funds last year only to have the Governor line item veto the funding. One particular group that was targeted by Governor Kelly was a very modest raise in salaries for the people that work at the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) community. Our committee heard last year about the challenges that the IDD community faces in retaining their very good and hardworking staff, when they are only able to pay an hourly wage that is less than fast food restaurants. We heard testimony that they were losing good people to Chick-Fil-A because they were paying $12 an hour. The subcommittee recommended that we find a way to adjust these salaries for the IDD community. I do have a bill in the Ways & Means committee that would address these salary issues, so the Governor will not be able to continue balancing the state budget on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens.
There are many concerns for the Ways and Means Committee including higher education. Governor Kelly has made huge cuts to the higher education budget. The Kansas courts are also one of the budgets struggling to keep pace with their salaries, especially in the clerical type of positions. With the COVID virus limiting the work in the courts, their docket fees have fallen and reduced their revenues by approximately $5 million. The subcommittees have recommended we try to find funds for both areas when we work our Omnibus bill later this session.
On Monday the Senate was closed for the funeral of one of our colleagues, Bud Estes, from the 38th District in Southwest Kansas. Bud grew up In Bucklin, Kansas and lived in Dodge City. Bud was a strong advocate for Western Kansas and will be greatly missed.
It is an honor and pleasure to serve the 40th Senate District of Kansas. Please do not hesitate to contact me by e-mail at [email protected]. You may also call me with your questions or concerns. My office number is 785 296-7399, or my cell number is 785 899-4700.
Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, is state senator of the Kansas 40th Dist.
The 40th Senate District includes Cheyenne, Decatur, Ellis, Gove, Graham, Logan, Norton, Rawlins, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, Trego and Wallace counties, and a portion of Phillips County.