School funding, budget and tax collection top issues at forum

The state’s budget and tax collections, and school finance were the major issues discussed at a public forum with area legislators Saturday morning at Andover City Hall.

The 90-minute-long forum was attended by about 50 people and nine Kansas legislators: Rep. Chuck Weber, R-Wichita; Rep. Henry Helgerson, D-Eastborough; John Carmichael, D-Wichita; Rep. Kristey Williams, R-Augusta; Sen. Michael O’Donnell, R-Wichita; Sen. Ty Masterson, R-Andover; Rep. Dennis Hedke, R-Wichita; Rep. Blake Carpenter, R-Derby; and Rep. Jim Ward, D-Wichita.

Members of the public asked questions by writing them on note cards that were handed to O’Donnell, who led the forum held in the Andover City Council chambers.

▪ Education dominated most of the morning’s discussion, with Democrats and Republicans split on the adequacy of state funding of public schools. The Kansas Supreme Court recently ruled to fix inequities in school funding. A bill that reshuffles school funding dollars — yet keeps overall spending flat — is heading to the floor of the Kansas Senate.

One issue some Republicans and Democrats seemed to agree on was efforts to repeal Common Core standards. “I am not a proponent of repealing Common Core at this time,” said Williams, who said she was a teacher and has four children attending Augusta public schools. She said Augusta schools have spent nearly $500,000 on Common Core standards curriculum and training in the past few years. “My concern is if we repeal Common Core what do we fall back on?” O’Donnell said.

▪ Legislators were asked about reinstating the collection of taxes on small business owners as a means to restoring the state’s revenue collection and budget. Tax revenue collections were $53.5 million less than expected in February. Democrats on the panel supported the move. Carmichael said there are 350,000 owners who aren’t paying taxes because of Gov. Sam Brownback’s income tax cut program. “It’s wrong and I would repeal it tomorrow morning,” Carmichael said. Masterson said there are more than just small business owners in Kansas who don’t pay income taxes, citing rural opportunity zones as an example, and that “Kansas is a small business state.”

This story was originally published March 19, 2016 at 7:34 PM with the headline "School funding, budget and tax collection top issues at forum."