Capitol Comments
January 22, 2001
Committee work is picking up as we move forward in the session. Monday, the 22nd, was the last day for individuals to request the drafting of new bills. The committee bill request deadline is January 31st.
TAX COMMITTEE ACTS ON STATEWIDE SCHOOL LEVY
Without a doubt the most important bill introduced thus far is a bill introduced in my Senate Tax Committee. The introduction of Senate Bill 69, which if passed, will reauthorize the 20 mill school district property tax levy for the financing of schools.
The Legislature imposed the levy in l992 as a way of stabilizing, then cutting, property taxes across the state. Initially, the levy was 35 mills but is now 20 mills.
Much of the discussion about the levy is likely to focus on replacing the money it raises by increasing sales or income taxes.
HEARINGS HELD ON CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENT CENTER
My Senate Judiciary Committee held two day hearings on the numerous concerns legislators have heard from constituents on the Kansas Payment Center, which is the state’s new federally mandated, centralized child support payment facility. The task of getting this operation up and running has been overwhelming and not without problems. Those problems have seriously hampered child support payments being delivered to those persons who need the resources the worst, our children. During the first three months of the operation, October through December, 476,205 transactions were received by the Center representing $66.5 million. We heard that overall, the volume of complaint calls made to the Center, the Office of Judicial Administration, and the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services has recently decreased as more effective services are provided. I have appreciated the patience of the numerous constituents in my district which I have been able to help get their child support payment to them but not as quickly as I would have liked.
Congress mandated this seamless statewide collection processing in an effort to assist all states in their efforts to collect child support regardless where the payer lived. Failure to implement the plan could result in the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services suspending all IV-D federal funding, which would have been $36,800,000 for our state FY 2001.
NATURAL GAS PRICE INCREASE CONTINUES
The Kansas Corporation Commission and the Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board explains that the combination of increased use of natural gas for generation of electricity coupled with below-average temperatures throughout Kansas and the United States this winter has resulted in greater demand for natural gas and the correspondingly higher prices.
Several factors affect the supply of natural gas: production and drilling, capacity constraints on pipelines, and storage. The supply of natural gas been fairly stagnant. It is projected to go up but not in time to affect prices during this winter’s heating season. No one is certain when prices will go down. The EIA noted that the current situation is the result of short-term supply imbalances that will even out over the long term, moving the market toward a long-run equilibrium. Rising production levels and a cooler summer should drive prices down.
IN CONCLUSION
I have appreciated the huge number of calls and valuable input I have received from many county and city government officials. The educational staff of our schools have also been most helpful as we make decisions which affect our youth.
You can reach me via E-mail at ggoodwin@ink.org.. OR Goodwin@senate.state.ks.us.. My address is State Capitol , Room 403-N, Topeka, KS 66612, telephone (785) 296-7381or l-800-432-3924. You can visit my web page at https://members.tripod.com/~Ggoodwin.
Copyright © February, 2001 by Jamiebro Web Publications. All rights reserved.