Kansas Legislative News

Panoramic view inside the legislative chamber at the state capitol.

2020 LWVK Legislative Priorities Brochure		April 17, 2020 Call your members of Congress NOW! Please contact your members of Congress to request they allocate $4 billion in election funding in the next COVID-19 relief bill. It is critical that we protect and expand in-person voting and vote-by-mail in 2020. A bill about permanent advance voting in the Kansas state legislature (SB412) had a hearing on January 20, 2020, but is stuck in the Senate Committee on Ethics Elections, and Local Government, which is not an exempt committee. The only way similar language could possibly appear is by tacking it to another exempt bill. Since that is unlikely, let’s write to our U.S. Congress members for help. Our national League office is already working with Congress, but I am sure they could use our support. Here’s how to do it: Call your US Senator or Representative: It is as simple as saying, “I am a constituent of Senator X and I am calling with concerns about in-person and mail-in ballot options in our primary and general elections.” If you don’t know who they are or need their contact information, click here to locate yours. Click here for some great talking points from the LWVUS website. Tell your friends: make sure to share this information on your social media and by asking your friends to call too! Call your members of Congress and let them know how important it is for the 2020 election to remain fair, safe, and accessible to all. Legislative Observer Corps Volunteers on behalf of LWV Kansas regularly attend committee meetings held by the Kansas legislature. Volunteers observe the committee process, follow targeted bills through the legislative process, and occasionally write and deliver testimony. Read reports by topic and/or committee by clicking on the corresponding link. Voting Rights/Elections (updated 2/25/19) Our Legislative Observers attend meetings of the House Elections and Senate Ethics, Elections, & Local Government Committees. Child Welfare Issues (updated 2/25/19) Our Legislative Observers attend meetings of the House Health & Human Services, House Children & Seniors, and Senate Public Health & Welfare Committees. Medicare Expansion Our Legislative Observers attend meetings of the House Health & Human Services and Senate Public Health & Welfare Committees. Government Transparency LWVK’s Statement on Transparency House Rules and Journal Committee House Session debating Rules on January 22, 2019 Taxation Our Legislative Observers attend meetings of the House Taxation, Senate Assessment & Taxation, and Senate Ways & Means Committees. Education & Education Funding (updated 2/26/19) Our Legislative Observers attend meetings of the House Education, House K-12 Education Budget, House Higher Education Budget, and Senate Education Committees. Ed watchers may also stay up to date on key issues from the KASB Newsroom. Water, Energy and Environment (updated 2/26/19) Our Legislative Observers attend meetings of the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget; the House Energy, Utilities, & Telecommunication; and the Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committees. Death Penalty Our Legislative Observers attend meetings of the House Corrections & Juvenile Justice, House Judiciary, and Senate Judiciary Committees. There are currently no reports. Firearms/Gun Issues & Other Issues (updated 3/20/19) House Federal & State Affairs Senate Federal & State Affairs Senate Judiciary
Policy Watch 2020 Weekly updates from the Kansas legislature by Paul Johnson. Policy Watch publication for the remainder of the Legislative session depends on what the State Legislature decides to do in terms of meeting. We will definitely publish a final wrap-up issue in mid to late May, but will wait to see if another issue is warranted if and when the Legislature returns to Topeka. Most recent report: April 24, 2020 Pandemic Scramble So, what happens now? How and when will the economy reopen and at what pace? What will define “normal” in the near future and long term? Will this pandemic be the catalyst to fundamentally question and reset political priorities? Will this challenge tumble down into normal partisan bickering? The “Pearl Harbor” of this generation should be the mirror to reflect and hopefully restructure fundamental governmental and economic institutions in a just and equitable fashion. This is the time to examine and question health, food/farming, and energy systems to provide more stability and sustainability. The Governor will be the point person for Kansas, but the Kansas Legislature must provide sane, balanced leadership as well. Keep Reading. Previous report: March 27, 2020 Governmental Developments in a Pandemic Crisis The fog of uncertainty over this historical pandemic is slowly rising. Congress has just passed a $2.2 trillion pandemic rescue package – the largest rescue package in American history. After passing a State budget on March 19 – well before the planned regular session end date of April 3rd – the Kansas Legislature went home and will decide a return date for the veto session, which should be from April 27 to the final session day of May 21. Keep Reading.
View past reports in the archive.		View past reports in the archive.

*Policy Watch* is a publication of the Kansas Rural Center with sponsorship from the following: League of Women Voters of Kansas, Kansas Natural Resource Council, Kansas Farmers Union, Climate and Energy Project, and Friends of the Kaw. Visit KRC’s website .

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Review 2017

“SUPPLEMENT TO PRELIMINARY SUMMARY OF LEGISLATION 2017 KANSAS LEGISLATURE,” by the Kansas Legislative Research Department, April 12, 2017.

This publication contains summaries of selected bills enacted by the Legislature from noon on March 31 to adjournment on April 7.

KASB Legislative Statement on School Finance

Kansas’ Future Requires a Fair, Well-Funded School Finance Formula, May 2016 (pdf)

Kansas tax news

Read Paul Johnson’s June 9 Policy Watch, Tax Law Veto Overridden, for historic context, 2017 passage of SB 30, and what to expect in 2018.

Post-2017-session update: HB 2333 and SB 37 did not pass in the 2017 legislative session. They may return in 2018.

When the Senate Ethics, Elections and Local Government Committee heard HB 2333 Short Title: Audits of election results; voting machine requirements; timing of the canvass on March 15, Secretary of State Kobach asked the Committee to attach SB 37 (the bill which would create a bifurcated/two-tiered voting system and disallow all persons on the suspense list from voting in state and local elections) to HB 2333. In addition, Mr. Kobach asked for a watering down of the audit requirements. LWVK opposes SB 37.

Read LWVK testimony in favor of HB 2333.

Please contact the Committee on Ethics, Elections and Local Government, which includes: Sen. Elaine Bowers; Sen. Steve Fitzgerald; Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau; Sen. John Doll; Sen. David Haley; Sen. Randall Hardy; Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook; Sen. John Skubal; Sen. Dinah Sykes. Tell these senators to

support HB 2333 as passed unanimously by the House
reject SB 37
reject any dilution of the audit requirements

Senate Committee on Ethics, Elections and Local Government heard SB 37. Short Title: Elections; voting procedures where proof of citizenship not provided.

SB 37 reflects the Kansas Secretary of State’s defiance against State and Federal judges and the U.S. Supreme Court. It denies the expense, complexity and entanglements of the law for the ordinary Kansan. The proposal demonstrates an embarrassing eagerness to establish and defend the highest barriers to the vote in the nation with no proof of their need, and extraordinary evidence of their hindrance to the exercise of the right to vote. Read LWVK testimony here.

Post--2017-update: HB 202 and SB 49 were in committees and may return in 2018.

Of particular interest in 2017 is Election Day Registration. Short title: Elections; registration; election day registration.

Heard by House Elections (Introduced 1/9/2017 by Rep. Gail Finney as HB 2020) and Senate Ethics, Elections and Local Government (Introduced 1/20/2017 by Sen.Oletha Faust-Goudeau as SB 49.

LWVK testimony to the Kansas House Elections Committee. League supports HB 2251, (Short Title: Audits of election results; voting machine requirements; timing of the canvass.) and HB 2333, sponsored by Rep. Jarrod Ousley, because they move to protect the equal access and integrity of the vote for all. We also support the extension of the deadline for canvassing after elections that would follow random sampling of the ballots.

The House Committee on Elections heard HB 2225, regarding vote-by-mail permanent status. Read LWVK testimony. Please also see LWVK recommendations: Free State Election Reform.

Post-2017-session update: HB 2167 had a hearing on Feb 13, but no vote. It may return in 2018.

The latest bill to overturn the death penalty, HB 2167, was introduced in the Kansas legislature in January 2017 and referred to Corrections and Juvenile Justice. Short title: Abolishing the death penalty and creating the crime of aggravated murder. Read LWVK testimony and simple background material on the death penalty in Kansas.

Post-2017-session update: HB 2301/previously SB 70 on open meetings, which now includes open records, was passed by both chambers and signed by the governor on May 15. It will become law upon publication in the Statute Book.

SB 70 Open meetings; justifications for closed or executive meetings. Sponsored by Sen. Marci Francisco and Sen. Molly Baumgardner
The amendment to the Open Meetings Act has been sent by the Committee on Federal and State Affairs to the full senate with recommendation that it be passed. Additional details. Read testimony by LWVK board member Alan Cowles, M.D., Ph.D.