Do you have your haircut scheduled? I’m still wearing my mask and washing my hands a lot, but at least the mop on top has been tamed. This should be Personal Services Appreciation Week as they open up for appointment-only services. Be generous in your gratuity as they have been out of work for nearly two months.
Legislature Adjourns, Part 1
About Jan
5th Generation Kansan
3rd Generation State Representative
Retired Fortune 100 Business Consultant
Congregational Care Minister, United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
Husband to Jeanne
Father of 3 girls
Grandpa to 6
The final day of the legislature was awkward for everyone as we attempted to navigate debate and voting while maintaining social distancing and focusing on not shaking hands after not seeing colleagues for two months.
It was made doubly awkward as most legislators ignored the suggestion to wear a mask to protect others. The dedicated entrance and exit from the House chamber was largely ignored after an hour. It also became record-breaking as the longest Sine Die session in legislative history – 23 hours, 55 minutes.
House members were allowed to stay in their offices to listen to debate, and were called to the chamber in groups for voting purposes. The voting group system also quickly dissolved as many stayed clustered on the House floor. Senators sat in their regular desks on the Senate floor – far less than 6’ apart, and far more than 10 people were gathered.
We passed more legislation in that one day than the entire rest of the session. We had little, if any time to read bills before debate. We should have worked most of this legislation over two or three days, not one marathon session.
Legislature Adjourns... Part 2 (COMING SOON)
Part of the hasty legislation mentioned above was the COVID Authority bill detailed below. The components of the bill I didn't like? Well, Governor Kelly didn't like them either. She vetoed the bill and called the legislature back for a Special Session to begin June 3.
My hope is we can stick to what must be done (emergency authority extended) and leave all the pet projects to the side. Stay tuned!
Property Tax Changes
A few years ago the legislature capped local governments’ ability raise taxes. This placed a significant strain on communities. Growing areas could not expand to meet the needs and shrinking areas still had the same infrastructure to support.
Extends the deadline for 1st-half property taxes due from May 10 to August 10.
Repeals the cap mentioned above,
Requires cities to hold a public hearing for property tax increases which exceed the previous year’s rate, and to
Notify taxpayers 10 days in advance of the hearing.
Considering all taxing districts are subject to the Kansas Open Meetings Act, they are already doing this, but the notification piece is new and will add some additional cost to county clerks. The report passed the House 89-28 and the Senate 35-2. I voted YES.
COVID-19 Authority
Senate Substitute for House Bill 2054 (S Sub HB 2054)
This bill has two key functions – funding and emergency declarations:
Funding: Currently, Kansas is set to receive more than $1 billion in COVID relief funds. This bill moved that fund from the governor’s office to the Legislative Coordinating Council (LCC). The LCC consists of five Republican and two Democrat House and Senate leaders (5 R, 2 D). Five votes would be needed to approve expenditure requests from this fund.
Declarations: The bill prohibits any further COVID-related emergencies be declared through the end of 2020, unless the governor requests it from the State Finance Council (SFC), and receives at least six votes from the Council (6 R, 3 D). If the governor declares a state of emergency under the Kansas Emergency Management Act (KEMA), business closures are permitted
up to 15 days. The Council must approve closures beyond 15 and up to 30 days at a time.
Notably, the bill:
Allows counties to set less restrictive rules than the state’s, as long as it is “based upon advice from the local health officer or other local health officials”
Requires “any order issued by the county health officer, including orders issued as a result of an executive order of the Governor, and orders on behalf of a county regarding the remediation of any infectious disease, be approved by the Board of County Commissioners.”
States that “any such approval would be required to include an expiration date set by the Board of County Commissioners and could be revoked at an earlier date by a majority vote of the board.”
The report passed the House 76-34 and the Senate 27-11. The bill has some important and good aspects and some I am not supportive of. On the balance, I voted YES.
COVID-19 Update
Yours in service, ad astra per aspera! Jan Kessinger State Representative Kansas House District 20 Serving Overland Park & Leawood
Part of the hasty legislation mentioned above was the COVID Authority bill detailed below. The components of the bill I didn't like? Well, Governor Kelly didn't like them either. She vetoed the bill and called the legislature back for a Special Session to begin June 3.
