Hello from Topeka.
We are now in week 10 and running strong for first adjournment which will take place on April 6th. It seemed like the first few weeks were a little slow, as they usually are when we start a new biennium session but things are moving faster now.
As of last Friday, the house has passed 114 bills.
There will town hall meeting coming up on Saturday, March 25th throughout the district and they are in reverse order than we usually do. Here are the times and places: Graham County, 8:15 a.m.- 9:15 a.m. @ 305 E Main (Frontier State) Hill City ; Norton County, 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m., 112 S. Kansas (Heaton Building) Norton , Phillips County, 11:00 – 12:00 p.m. 860 Park (Huck Boyd Center) Phillipsburg . Rooks County, 1:30 p.m. -2:15 p.m. 311 Main Street (McKenna Youth Center) Palco and Ellis County, 9007 Washington St (Ellis Public Library) Ellis. I will be joined by State Senator Rick Billinger and State Senator Elaine Bowers will join in Rooks and Phillips Counties. State Representative Barb Wasinger will join us in Ellis.
Here are some of the highlights of things that have been happening on the house side of the Kansas legislature:
Transparency in Property Tax Appraisals - We all are receiving our home valuations and seeing property taxes skyrocket. This past week, the House passed HB 2201, requiring that four years of valuations be disclosed to homeowners on one document. This provides property tax transparency and can aid homeowners when disputing the county appraisal. House Republicans are committed to putting the taxpayer first.
Social Security Taxes - Social Security income, at this time, faces no taxes until it surpasses $75,000. However, at even one dollar above that number, the entire income is taxable. Republicans are working to smooth that cliff, eventually leading to no income taxes for Social Security income. Kansas retirees have worked hard for our state and deserve a break.
Fairness in Women’s Sports Passes Both Chambers - The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act has officially passed the Senate with 28 votes and will now await the governor’s signature. I sincerely hope she will meet us in the middle and sign this legislation into law, honoring statements made during her campaign. However, if she decides to veto once again, we will be ready to override and move forward protecting a fair playing field for women and girls in Kansas.
Environmental, Social, and Governance - We are examining many different proposals to deal with ESG bad practices. We want to be careful and ensure that the bill we settle on will tackle the problem and not reach beyond to have negative, unforeseen consequences. One area we are focusing heavily on is proxy voting. We will look at utilizing proxy share voting organizations that do not follow ESG criteria. We want services that recommend how to vote our state’s shares based on maximizing investment profits, not playing ESG politics. The State Treasurer will review the recommendations and then the money managers must vote our recommendations. This will be done for most of the state’s investments. This is a problem we must address immediately. Investment groups are teaming up to force board members upon companies who are morally opposed to the objective of the business. For example, Exxon Mobil is at risk of getting a THIRD radical, green activist on their board. The worst part, they are currently utilizing our KPERS dollars to buy this influence. Kansas cannot and will not stand for this any longer.
Electronic Credential Management - As we bring new workers to Kansas, it’s critical that we have systems in place to allow them to get to work as soon as possible. HB 2388 advanced out of committee last week and begins the process of speeding up and automating license reciprocity by creating an electronic and centralized credential database. This will be a safe, secure, and verifiable system to streamline the process for everyone.
Born-Alive Infants Protection Act - Last week House Republicans passed HB 2313 out of committee. This bill will ensure that any infant who is born alive is entitled to medical care, no matter the intention behind delivery. These children have an inalienable right to life and we must guarantee that they will be transferred to a hospital and offered the best care possible.
Providing Women with Alternatives to Abortion - It’s important that women experiencing unplanned pregnancies know they have many options and support available to them. HB 2429 honors our commitment to women in these tough decisions to offer alternatives that they may utilize. The bill provides resources to pregnancy centers that do not offer abortion services to support women’s health and wellness throughout pregnancy.
Standing with Law Enforcement - Law enforcement must know that we have their backs as they risk their lives to keep us safe each and every day. One potential way to assist law enforcement would be with SB 174, which establishes a crime for knowingly fleeing from an officer. This new crime has multiple levels of severity, from misdemeanor to level 5 felony, letting criminals know that we will prosecute this conduct to the fullest extent of the law.
You can read about all the bills that passed or could be considered in either chamber by going online to kslegislature.org and when the house and senate are on the floor or in committees you can see all of them on the Kansas Legislature’s YouTube channel.
I'm located at 186-W, which is the northwest corner of the capital. When you call my assistant, Terry Benitis will answer you call and help you with you matter. If you would like to contact me, Email is: [email protected], phone during the session (785) 296-7463 or you can always try my cell number at (785) 302-8416.
Thanks for reading. It is my honor to serve you.
Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, is the Kansas state representative of the 110th Dist. which includes:
* Graham, Norton, Phillips and Rooks Counties
* Ellis County: Cities: Catharine, Ellis, Munjor and Schoenchen Townships: Big Creek (part), Buckeye, Catherine, Ellis, Freedom, Herzog (part), Lookout, Victoria (part) and Wheatland