TOPEKA
Senate Passes Budget:
The one constitutional responsibility the legislature must accomplish every year is to pass a balanced budget. Last week, the legislature got one step closer to the FY 2026 budget when the Senate adopted the Senate Sub for HB2007.
This marks the first year of a reformed budget process, in which the legislature takes primary control of crafting the budget, rather than merely reviewing the governor’s recommendations as in previous years. The budget includes more than $25B in expenditures, including $10.6B from the state general fund.
Now the House and Senate positions go to conference committee to work out the differences between the two chambers’ recommendations, with a final budget to be voted on by both chambers this week.
Last week, the Senate re-adopted HCR5011 which, if adopted by a two-thirds majority of each chamber of the Kansas Legislature and approved by voters, would amend the Kansas Constitution to generally limit, for property tax purposes, the growth of taxable value of any real property or residential mobile home and personal property to 3% per year. The repassage of this amendment sends it to conference committee, so the Senate can work out differences between approaches to property tax relief with the House.
Home ownership is still a core value of the American Dream, but it’s harder for people to obtain. Part of the problem lies in the fact there are simply not enough single-family homes being built. Oftentimes, the culprit is slow approval processes at the local level. The Senate approved HB2088, which would create the Fast-Track Permits Act for single family residential developments with the stated purpose of enhancing economic growth in local communities and streamlining the building permit review process.
This bill would require a local government or local governmental authority to approve or deny a building permit for improvement of single-family residential property within its jurisdiction within 60 days of receiving a completed application. If the authority fails to provide written notice of an application’s approval or denial, the application must be deemed approved by the authority.
The key to ensuring that our voter rolls are free from illegal immigrants is careful monitoring. The Senate passed HB2020, which would direct the Director of Vehicles at the Department of Revenue, to provide the Secretary of State with a list of all permanent and temporary driver’s licenses issued to noncitizens on a quarterly basis. The list of non-citizens must contain the names, addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, alien registration numbers, dates of birth, temporary driver’s license numbers and the expiration dates of such licenses.
The bill would direct the Secretary to compare the list provided by the Director with the voter registration rolls and investigate and then direct the county election officer to remove the names of any alleged or suspected non-citizens that appear on the voter registration rolls within five business days. The bill would require the county election officer to notify such person that they may be reinstated on the voter registration rolls by providing proof of their citizenship.
I am honored and grateful to represent the 40th Senate District in Kansas. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email: [email protected] 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.