Uber intensifying campaign for Gov. Sam Brownback to veto taxi bill

Ride-hailing company Uber is increasing its lobbying efforts to persuade Republican Gov. Sam Brownback to veto a bill Uber says will force it to leave the state.

The bill would increase the insurance requirements for Uber drivers and force them to undergo background checks through the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Uber connects drivers and riders through a mobile app.

The company has arranged for a truck with a sign saying, “SB 117 Destroys Kansas Jobs” to circle downtown Topeka since the bill passed the Legislature. Uber’s Kansas general manager Will McCollum said the company also is working to schedule a meeting with the governor.

But legislators say Uber’s threat to leave the state is a bluff, and that it wants changes to the bill that would push out its competition.

This story was originally published April 9, 2015 at 4:11 PM with the headline "Uber intensifying campaign for Gov. Sam Brownback to veto taxi bill."