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Capitol Comments

February 6, 2001

As the fifth week of the 2001 legislative session begins some of the legislation is beginning to get debated.  However, most of the activity remains at the committee level where hearings are being held on the proposed legislation.

Budget Woes

We continue to see,  for the second straight month, a downward trend of the revenue coming in to fund state government.  A total of 58.3 million dollars has been under collected based on the earlier projections.  The main problems with our revenue shortfalls seems to be in corporate income taxes and retail sales taxes.  It appears that a disappointing Christmas spending season and rising gas bills may have helped cause the economic slowdown in Kansas.  If this trend continues, stretching the fiscal 2002 budget will become a major issue throughout this session.

Another important revenue issue is the renewal of the Kansas State Lottery.  The lottery currently helps generate 60 million dollars for economic development.  It looks like both houses have a large enough support base to help keep this important revenue continuing to serve Kansas citizens.  There will be several amendments and probably a lot of debate, but I am fully confident that the lottery will be renewed.

School District Property Tax Levy

Another important issue reaching the capitol is making sure we continue the 20 mill levy that provides much needed funding for the school districts.  My Senate Assessment and Taxation committee defeated an effort this past Thursday that would place limits on the revenues generated by the property tax levy for schools.  This amendment would have required approval of a resolution each year stating that the mill levy was generating more tax money than it was the year before if we wanted to spend the extra money.  For example, the approximate amount of $34l,072,904 we will receive this year would be the cap unless a resolution was passed each year.  Each year we see an increase in the money generated as property values raise.  In the year 2005, it is estimated the property tax levy will generate approximately $442,072,632, if that amendment had been approved and the legislature failed to pass a “truth in taxation” resolution.  It could have cost Kansas schools over l00 million dollars that they desperately need.  We see all kinds of games being played with education funding.

School Consolidation Task Force

Certain members of the House and Senate Education Committees have now been appointed to make up the House-Senate Joint Committee on School District Consolidation.  The recommended charge to the joint committee is to study the report and/or propose new legislation that will direct the State Board of Education to take further action if it is so deemed to merge some school districts.  On the other hand, the joint committee may make the decision to not ask for mergers but to mandate schools to rise to better performance and to better manage their already frugal budgets until those results are accomplished.  I attended the first joint meeting held on Monday, February 5, and will be attending all subsequent meetings in my effort to keep all persons in my district informed of any action being proposed by the joint committee.  I am committed to staying on top of this very contentious and emotional issue for my district during the rest of the session and will be meeting with local school officials at periodic intervals throughout the process.

 Merit Selection of Judges

During hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee we have heard from many lawyers and judges throughout Kansas promoting a constitutional amendment to provide for uniform, statewide merit selection of judges.  Testimony has been very convincing for a need for the constitutional amendment from long-time practitioners of both the merit selection and the elective system. 

Very partisan lawyers have come forward to testify that the judge election systems do not assure the selection of quality judges, cannot provide for meaningful evaluations and do invite substantial money raising and campaign contributions at astounding levels.  Statistics in Kansas demonstrate that only 9% of elected judges are ever opposed once installed; hence, they are never evaluated. 

You can follow the progress,  or lack thereof, of the Senate Judiciary’s action on Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 1604 on the internet.

In Conclusion

As the legislative pace escalates as the session progresses, I am out of the office a great amount of the time.  Betty, my most capable administrative assistant, is always eager to help with constituent concerns.