Capitol beats (March 13)
Check this spot on Sundays for a few quick hits about what’s driving the debate in the Legislature.
Say what?
“Can we keep it down, please? I’ve got carpal tunnel from hitting the gavel.”
– Rep. Jim Kelly, R-Independence, trying to quiet colleagues while presiding over the Kansas House on Friday
“Terrorists win when we run in fear. … They’re winning today.”
– Rep. Russ Jennings, R-Lakin, criticizing a bill that would have enabled local governments to keep refugees from resettling in their communities. The bill was sent back to committee at Jennings’ urging.
$17 million
That’s the amount of money Rep. Ron Ryckman’s school finance plan would take from the state’s emergency need fund for K-12 schools to help fix inequities between school districts in response to a Kansas Supreme Court order.
Trending
Gov. Sam Brownback found himself at odds this week with a long-time ally, Senate President Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, when lawmakers attempted to override his recent veto of SB 250, which barred use of state money to build a new state power plant. Wagle led a coalition of Republicans and Democrats seeking to override the veto on the bill, which was meant to extract the state from a contract signed without legislative approval.
Brownback and allies in the Senate warned that the bill’s language could cause the state’s bond rating to be downgraded, information that had not been previously disclosed. The motion to override was withdrawn so lawmakers could get more information, but another attempt is expected this week.
The heated floor debate exposed deep divisions within the GOP caucus over support for Brownback and frustration with his financial management.
News ahead
Expect school finance to dominate the Legislature’s focus for the next few weeks, as lawmakers weigh competing bills meant to address a court order to fix inequities between school districts. Tax fairness will also come up on Tuesday when the House Taxation Committee reviews HB 2444, a bill that would close an income tax exemption for business owners as a way to pay for lowering the sales tax on groceries.
Bryan Lowry
For more legislative news, go to www.kansas.com/politics and follow @BryanLowry3 on Twitter.
This story was originally published March 12, 2016 at 3:56 PM with the headline "Capitol beats (March 13)."