SENATE HIGHLIGHTS
This week marked the sixth week of session with the first half of the legislative session almost behind us. As we approach “turn-around” the Senate held floor debate on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and worked bills which were sent out of committees to the full Senate. When we return this week, there are two more days for committees to meet and send out bills for debate on the Senate floor.
BUDGET PROCESS AND TAXES
The budget committees and subcommittees continued the annual work through the budgetary process. Budget priorities are beginning to take shape as multiple committees look at the priorities for the state as FY 2024 approaches. Discussion in both Chambers includes adding funds to the “rainy-day fund” and tax reduction which is focused on the removal of more Social Security income from the state income tax, a flattening and lowering of the income tax.
FLOOR ACTION – BILLS VOTED ON AND PASSED OUT OF THE SENATE
SB 73 amends elements of the crimes of burglary and aggravated burglary to add domestic battery and violation of a protection order to the list of crimes that a person can have the intent to commit when they enter or remain in a location specified in the law. SB 73 passed 38-0. I voted yes.
SB 106 protects consumers by prohibiting fake air bags – which the bill defines as knowingly or intentionally manufacturing, importing, distributing, selling, offering for sale, installing, or reinstalling a device intended to replace a supplemental restraint system component in a vehicle SB 106 passed as amended 37-1. I voted yes.
SB 116 The bill would allow local school boards to provide firearm safety education programs. Under the bill, the State Board of Education would be directed to establish curriculum guidelines for a standardized firearm safety education program modeled after the Eddie Eagle Gunsafe program and would be required to include accident prevention. SB 116 passed 30-8. I voted yes.
SB 44 enacts the Kansas financial institutions information security act. The bill would designate covered entities, define terms, outline requirements for covered entities, and provide for responsibilities of the State Bank Commissioner under the Act. SB 44 passed 33-5. I voted yes.
SB 130 requires certain license plates to have the motor vehicle county of registration identified on the plate. SB 130 passed 32-4. I voted yes.
SB 59 would designate the Thursday immediately preceding the third Monday in January of 2023 and in subsequent years as “Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at the Capitol.” SB 59 passed 38-0. I voted yes.
SB 143 would authorize equipping a motor vehicle with any type of ground effect lighting rather than only neon ground effect lighting. The bill would make conforming amendments to specify that no portion of the bulb or lighting fixture, rather than neon tubes, could be visible and define “ground effect lighting,” which is lighting that illuminates the ground below the vehicle. SB 143 passed 38-0. I voted yes.
TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
This year four Kansas Vehicle License tag bills have been proposed for new Kansas vehicle license tags. SB 132 – Buffalo Soldiers, SB 229 – City of Topeka, HB 2296 – Knights of Columbus, and HB 2346 – Back the Blue. Another tag related bill, SB 130 which just passed out of the Senate, would require plates to have the county two-letter identification of registration on the plate such as CD for Cloud County.
UTILITY COMMITTEE
The Senate Utilities Committee spent last week hearing testimony on SB 68. This bill provides incumbent electric transmission owners a right of first refusal (ROFR) for the construction of certain electric transmission lines. This bill was supported by Midwest Energy who also provides energy for this district and local rural electric coop’s. The bill allows Kansas utilities to have the first right to build transmission lines that would attach to their infrastructure. In testimony it was shown that the Kansas utilities have been responsive to customers during outages; works with landowners in siting of transmission lines; and jobs and revenues from building transmission lines. Key for my support was assurances that every Kansan has reliable and affordable electricity and I support local control and state oversight of electric utilities. Proponents of the bill, including Kansas Farm Bureau, state the ROFR will help ensure a more reliable source of energy as transmission lines are built to match increasing energy demands. Proponents also testified that the incumbent utilities would provide cost savings to energy customers in Kansas in the long run because they understand the design standards necessary to maintain adequate transmission lines in the state while also having existing relationships and local representation with landowners where the lines are sited. Opponents state competition will lead to lower energy prices.
Kansas is not alone debating ROFR’s – neighboring states Oklahoma (who currently has a ROFR is attempting to strengthen their existing law) and Missouri currently have bills moving through. Other members of the SWPP (Southwest Power Pool) North Dakota and South Dakota have a ROFR in place (Nebraska has public power and ROFR would not apply). These ROFR bills attempt to return this failed and harmful federal regulation (order #1000) and let states resolve this issue and retake control of utility infrastructure planning within their own borders. The bill is now below the line on Senate General Orders.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
SB 212 was heard in the Local Government Committee this past week. This bill deals with staffing requirements for vehicles used to provide emergency care in counties with a population less than 10,000. The bill would require a vehicle providing emergency care to operate with one person that is certified as an emergency medical service provider and a second person that either meets the same requirements or is a person certified in first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This issue has become prevalent in recent years with fewer volunteers who are trained EMT’s; however, many volunteers (fireman for instance) are certified in CPR but with less training as an EMT. It is important to note, the driver of the ambulance does not help with patient care while driving to the hospital – this bill is truly dealing with life-safety issues in rural Kansas.
INSURANCE AND PROPERTY TAX
INSURANCE
Insurance questions and assistance with claims can be addressed to the Kansas Insurance Department. You can also file a complaint online at insurance.ks.gov, by phone at 785-296-3071, or by email at KID.webcomplaints.ks.gov.
TAXES
During the 2022 session several changes were made to tax law including property tax relief. One change is a first step in a property tax freeze for low-income seniors and disabled veterans via a rebate program administered by the KS Department of Revenue (KDOR). Applications for property tax relief must be submitted by April 18, 2023 and can be found at
https://www.ksrevenue.gov/pdf/k-40svr.pdf. Please note that to qualify for the “freeze” a household annual income must be $50,000 or below, a homeowner must be 65 years or older, and the value of the home cannot be above $350,000. A disabled veteran must be at least 50% disabled. Property taxes are still paid to the county and then a homeowner may apply to KDOR for a refund on their increase, resulting in a freeze.
To help small storefront businesses shutdown or negatively impacted by the shutdown during COVID, the legislature established a program to provide some property tax relief. Details of the program can be found here: https://www.ksrevenue.gov/taxnotices/notice22-04.pdf and applications can be found at https://www.kdor.ks.gov/Apps/Misc/PropTaxAssistance/StoreFront. Feel free to call our office to have a representative from the Department of Revenue call you for assistance.
KANSAS.GOV – FILE YOUR TAXES FOR FREE
You can file your Kansas Income Tax Return and Homestead Refund Claim with Kansas WebFile, a free state tax return service provided by the Kansas Department of Revenue and www.Kansas.gov.