February 23, 2024

Turnaround is the halfway point of session. The days before turnaround, leadership schedules bills to be debated and brought to a vote. Thankfully, this year Senate leadership didn’t bring an extreme amount of bills above the line for debate. There were still too many bills to report in this update so below are some highlights. All bills can be found at www.kslegislature.org.

Property Rights would be protected from unfounded forfeiture and seizure if SB 458 becomes law. It passed the Senate 36 to 2.  I voted Yes.

Eminent Domain allows government to take your property. A majority of senators, myself included, supported legislation that would remove the Secretary of Wildlife and Parks authority to use eminent domain to acquire land, water, or water rights. SB 417 passed 25 to 14.

Coal Fired Energy Plants in Kansas have announced closures, all except for one in western Kansas. Thankfully, none have closed.  SB 455 would make it more difficult to close these plants by forcing certain conditions, such as requiring that another energy generating plant be in place before the coal plant could shut-down. I supported the bill that passed 29 to 8.

Protecting Patients’ Rights by establishing the Right to Health Freedom Act in SB 391 would limit isolation and allow patients to see their loved ones. It would permit the Secretary of Health and Environment to maintain a list of infectious or contagious diseases. However, they would not have the authority to enact rules and regulations. Local health officers (LHO) could recommend quarantines during a highly contagious or deadly disease outbreak. I voted Yes. The bill passed 23 to 17.

Privacy Protection in current law makes it illegal to record or photograph a person who is nude or in a state of undress when the recording device is hidden. SB 420 would make it a crime no matter if the device is hidden or not. It passed unanimously.

Military Drivers who qualify under the Even Exchange Program would not have to take a knowledge or a skills test to get a commercial driver’s license (CDL) if SB 462 becomes law. It passed unanimously.

Senate Sub for HB 2247 had several provisions in the bill dealing with the Uniform Consumer Credit Code (UCCC) and the Kansas Mortgage Business Act (KMBA). The UCCC has only been adopted by 11 states since established in 1952.  Kansas is one of the eleven. By adopting updated UCCC, consumers will see a credit card surcharge on receipts. It has been against the law for businesses to charge this fee. Colorado’s version will limit the surcharge to 2%. Kansas will not have a limit. The bill would allow creditors after 10 days and written notice to collect a late payment and also charge reasonable cost of collection. If you don’t voluntarily pay, it appears a creditor can take possession. They cannot enter “a dwelling” or use “force”. Does that mean they can access your bank account? Another section of the bill would restrict financial examinations from “open records, subpoena and discovery or admissible in evidence in any private civil action” until July 1, 2030. Why?  There are more questions than answers with the bill so I voted No.  It passed 33 to 6.

It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12^th District State Senator.

Caryn

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February 16, 2024

Debate on the Senate floor was intense on a few issues this week.  One of the most contentious was SCR 1737, supporting Texas efforts to stop illegals from entering the U.S.  The ranking Democrat tried to get the Kansas Senate to say they supported the U.S. Senate border bill in an amendment.  When asked what was in the U.S. Senate legislation she didn’t answer the question.  Reports say it was over $118 billion spending, giveaways to foreign countries, and requirements that wouldn’t stop the border crisis.  Thankfully, her amendment failed.  The original SCR passed, supporting legal immigration and making it clear we support Governor Abbott, Texas, and 25 other states working to protect our borders by blocking illegal immigration and illegal drugs from coming across.  It passed 26 to 12.  I voted Yes.  There will be other legislation to fund the Kansas National Guard in these efforts.

Kansas Public Employment Retirement System (KPERS) currently allows 15% of the funds to be invested in alternative investments.  SB 23 would have removed the 15% limit.  An amendment to increase the limit to 20% passed during debate.  All it did is make a bad bill a little more palatable to get 21 votes.  We stopped this legislation twice last year but could not stop it this year.  It passed 24 to 13.  One legislator that was a banker said his bank wouldn’t risk putting money in those types of investments, but then he voted for the bill.  Another Senator reminded the body that years ago risky investments cost taxpayers and almost broke KPERS.  Legislation was put in place to block alternative investments so it would not happen again.  In the ‘90s, legislation was passed allowing up to 5% of KPERS money to be in alternative investments.  In 2012 it went to a cap of 15% and now 20% is being considered.  The return on these risky investments has been high so some perceive the risk is low.  A gamble, I’m not willing to take with taxpayer money.

KPERS Death Benefits would increase to $6,000 from $4,000 if SB 172 becomes law.  It passed the Senate 25 to 14.  I voted Yes.

Tax deferred savings accounts, ABLE (529A for disabled), 529 (for education), and First-Time Home Buyers contributors would be allowed flexibility in taking subtraction modifications from income in the current or previous tax year when filing their state income taxes if SB 360 becomes law.  It passed the Senate unanimously.

Internet sites would be required to use age verification software if 25% or more of the content is pornographic.  We couldn’t get a solid answer why 25% was selected.  After a lengthy debate, SB 394 passed the Senate unanimously.

Tax Cuts are still a hot topic.  At a coffee, constituents from both parties asked that we support the veto override.  They understand that a political volley is taking place and taxpayers are the ones’ to loose if we cannot override the veto.  If CCR 2284 would become law, over 341,000 low income filers would pay $0 state income tax, and Social Security would be exempt from state income tax.  There are inflation busters on income taxes and homeowners’ property taxes.  Also, the state sales tax on groceries would go to $0 on April 1st.  It isn’t reckless or experimental with over $3 billion in the state coffers and many states have a single rate, including Democrat controlled states like Colorado.  Remember the words of Senator Bob Dole, “The purpose of a tax cut is to leave more money where it belongs: in the hands of the working men and working women who earned it in the first place.”

It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12^th District State Senator.

Caryn

February 9, 2024

The Budget starts with the Governor proposing spending for departments and agencies.  The legislature then has hearings and considers the requests with minimal information.  Some states like Ohio, will work on budgets for months without working on any other legislation.  That does not happen in Kansas.  While working on all other topics of bills, legislators also work on the budget.  The Governor’s proposed budget is presented the day after the State of the State speech, which is usually the second or third week of session.  This process needs to be changed so that legislators have more information and more time to research and consider the spending.

The Senate has the standing committees look at the corresponding departments budget.  When working on the Department of Commerce budget, a motion was made to give $28 million of Kansas taxpayer money for the World Cup Soccer Tournament coming to Chiefs stadium.  The money will go to a non-profit with no guard-rails on how the money will be spent.  The World Cup will have teams practicing in Kansas, some could be as far away as Manhattan.  A few of us did not support this spending but it passed out of committee.  I did make a successful motion to cut Public Broadcast System (PBS) funding by 10% because the taxpayer funded station pushes their political agenda using tax dollars.  PBS has some good programs on cooking, sewing, travel, history, and many other topics.  However, a couple of the PBS stations in Kansas choose to push a political agenda without showing both sides of an issue.  If they choose to do so tax dollars should not be funding it.

Proposed Pay Increases for the legislature has made national news.  It’s a massive increase that myself and others are trying to block.  A commission was formed and proposed the increase.  I understand there needs to be some increase so that we get legislators from different walks of life who can serve.  But the commission’s proposal is over a 90% increase in one year.  If the legislature doesn’t take action, the increase goes into effect next year.  There was an attempt to go around leadership by pulling the resolution to block the increase out of committee and force a debate on the Senate floor.  It needed 24 votes but only received 21.

Tax Cuts were vetoed by the Governor because she refused to sign into law tax policy in CCR 2284 that she calls a “reckless flat tax experiment, taking us back to Brownback years”.  How can this be true when several states have this policy, including Colorado, Michigan, Kentucky, North Carolina, Utah, and others?  “North Dakota looks to follow lead of Idaho, Georgia, Arizona, and Mississippi, becoming [the] nation’s 24^th flat tax state,” according to a 9/2/22 Forbes article, “More States To Join The Flat Tax Club.”  Let’s be clear, a flat tax is what people are calling a single rate and that is what is being proposed in Kansas. More accurately, Kansas could be considered a dual rate proposal because low income amounts will not be taxed at all.  The Governor is wrong that CCR 2284 would be a “failed experiment”.  There are red and blue states that have adopted a single rate income tax.  Kansas would tax Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) at 5.25 after subtracting $12,300 ($6150 for individual).  This subtraction makes it a tax cut for all.  It is proven policy, not reckless, not an experiment, and would not break the state – there is over $3 billion in the state coffers.

Remember, over 341,000 low income filers would pay $0 state income tax, Social Security would be exempt from state income tax, there are inflation busters on income taxes and homeowners’ property taxes.  Hopefully legislators from all parties will vote for the veto override and put the people of Kansas above politics.

It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12^th District State Senator.

Caryn

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