By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Kansas legislative session ramped up on Monday, and local legislators are already sinking their teeth into a variety of issues.
Kan. Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, representing the 110th District, said he anticipated redistricting will be something legislators will tackle as soon as possible.
The 2020 census saw rural counties lose population, with metro areas and mid-size cities like Hays gaining population.
Rahjes said his district will need to gain about 1,700 people. Rahjes's district encompasses parts of Ellis and Graham counties.
"There's 125 of us, and there's probably 125 ideas of where things should go," Rahjes said.
The 111th District, which contains Hays and is currently represented by Rep. Barbara Wasinger, R-Hays, will need to shed more than 1,000 people.
You can listen to Wasinger talk more about redistricting and other topics upcoming in the legislative session in her interview with Gary Shorman in his Podcast Forward Ever.
Taxes
Kansas has about a $2.9 billion surplus this year. Gov. Kelly in her State-of-the-State address on Tuesday suggested eliminating the state's portion of the sales tax on groceries and giving a $250 tax rebate to Kansas taxpayers who filed returns in 2021.
"I would caution that because we have a surplus, doesn't mean go out and spend it," Rahjes said."When I think of a surplus, I think of how we can best give that back to the taxpayers of Kansas."
Rahjes also said he thought the Legislature needs to look beyond the next one to two years.
The Republicans have yet to introduce their own tax plan.
Education
Rahjes said there may be some move by members of the Legislature to tie education policy to funding, specifically Critical Race Theory.
Critical Race Theory is a cross-disciplinary intellectual and social movement of civil rights scholars and activists who seek to examine the intersection of race and law in the United States.
He said he did not want to comment until he saw specific legislation.
Rahjes said he was more concerned about keeping small, rural schools open in the light of COVID and staffing shortages.
COVID
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who is also running for governor this year, has challenged federal vaccine mandates in court.
"We in the majority in the Legislature will do everything we can to allow Kansans to have the freedoms that we should have and to try to keep the federal government at bay from drastic overreach," Rahjes said.
"I believe it is up to the individual if they want to have the shot, then they can. If they don't, then they don't."
Elections
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab has proposed allowing elections officials to purge voters from the rolls if they have not voted in two federal election cycles.
Rahjes said he thought this bill would pass in the Legislature.
As chairman of the Phillips County Republicans, Rahjes said he found names on the voting rolls of people who were deceased.
Schwab in his public statement as did Rahjes said the change would help ensure people who have moved are still not registered in a county in which they no longer live.
Wildfires, ag<br>
Legislation has been introduced to waive sales tax on fencing materials for those affected by December's wildfires. The legislation will seek to make that rebate available for future disasters without legislative action each time, Rahjes said.
Rahjes said this is the first time Gov. Kelly has proposed to fully fund the state's water plan.
He said Kansas has water quantity issues in the west and water quality issues in the east and different issues for urban areas.
"We have to have all three of those to come together and realize that we have to do things that are win-win for all of Kansas and all water users, whether you live in downtown Wichita or you are a farmer from far southwest Kansas," Rahjes said.
He said he also saw the ag committee addressing cultured meat, boll weevil infestation as cotton becomes a more prevalent crop in Kansas, county road right-of-way usage and the industrial hemp industry.