February 3, 2022
John Wayne was asked in one of his movies if he was having a “day off” and his response was “off day”. That definitely applied to the fourth week of session. Because of the winter storm, most meetings and session were canceled Wednesday and Thursday. One would think it would mean a few days off, however, that was not the case. There were hundreds of emails and phone calls, plus work to be completed on legislation.
Last year the legislature passed property tax transparency almost unanimously (after the Governor vetoed it the previous year). It has been reported that as a result of passing Senate Bill (SB) 13, over 50% of local governments didn’t increase property taxes last year. It is a major win for Kansas taxpayers. I was humbled to receive Legislator of the Year from a national organization for my leadership in passing this legislation and my work in the Senate. There is a website that lists local governments and if they collected more in property taxes than the previous year or remained revenue neutral. The information can be found at www.KansasOpenGov.org. Click on the ‘County’ button and select ‘2022 Property Tax Increase/Decrease’ in the Report drop-down. SB 13 provides government transparency, which is critical for a government of “We the people”.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12th District State Senator.
Caryn