Received: from lgip01.leg.ks.gov ([165.201.70.119]) by bay0-mc2-f13.Bay0.hotmail.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.3959); Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:10:33 -0800 Received: from unknown (HELO legemailout.ks.gov) ([10.154.203.159]) by lgip01.leg.ks.gov with ESMTP; 12 Mar 2010 15:10:30 -0600 Received: from EMAIL01.LGKS.LOC ([fe80::c504:6b9d:cdb5:4803]) by swhtc02.LGKS.LOC ([::1]) with mapi; Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:02:14 -0600 Return-Path: From: "Jeff King" To: "Jeff King" Subject: From the Statehouse - March 12, 2010 Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:02:12 -0500 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_00E7_01CAD37B.33885010" X-Mailer: Microsoft Office Outlook 12.0 Thread-Index: AcrCJ0heBc5n7GOXT0+KW9GmN3LmDg== Content-Language: en-us ------=_NextPart_000_00E7_01CAD37B.33885010 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From the Statehouse - March 12, 2010 The Kansas House has moved well into the second half of the 2010 legislative session. Considerable work is continuing on budget and tax issues, as well as numerous other matters important to those in southeast Kansas. While the most significant work of the session lies ahead, action did occur on a few bills of local importance. HB 2704 - Forced School Consolidation In a hard-fought victory for small schools throughout Kansas, the House defeated a bill that would have financially strangled 6 of the smallest school districts in the state. HB 2704, which focused on Elk Valley in Longton and five other school districts with less than 200 students, was a misguided effort to force school consolidation by financially strangling these districts. I am proud to have led the fight against this bill in the House, speaking at length about the unfairness of stripping $70,000 annually from one of the most successful (though poorest) school districts in the state. All of us are facing tight budgets, from hard working families, to fixed-income seniors, to school districts, to the state of Kansas. I applaud local efforts to cut costs and find new efficiencies in the way we educate our children. Forced consolidation from Topeka, however, is not the answer to the current budget crisis. Instead, I continue to support efforts to reduce unnecessary school mandates and help schools themselves to reexamine their budgets and save much-needed funds. I am glad that my efforts to defeat this misguided legislation helped Elk Valley (and other similar districts) live to see another day. HB 2578 - Property Tax Relief for Montgomery County In previous newsletters, I have discussed HB 2578, a bill which addresses a main cause of last year's substantial property tax increases - the escrow of tax revenues based on the valuation dispute between Montgomery County and the nitrogen fertilizer plant in Coffeyville. HB 2578 is designed to reduce or eliminate the need for any future escrow of local tax dollars. Under that legislation, if Montgomery County loses this property tax dispute, the state would provide a 4-year low-interest loan from which to repay the back taxes in question. HB 2578 overwhelmingly passed the House Taxation Committee this week. The bill also passed received unanimous approval on a preliminary vote today from the full Kansas House. A final vote by the full House on HB 2578 will occur next Monday or Tuesday. If approved by the full House, the bill will proceed to the Kansas Senate for further consideration. I am pleased that HB 2578 has received this approval from the Kansas House. If enacted into law, HB 2578 should truly benefit local homeowners and small businesses in Montgomery County by lowering next year's property taxes. I will keep you posted as HB 2578 moves forward through the legislative process. HB 2707 - Reinstating the Protest Petition for Certain Property Tax Increases House Bill 2707 - legislation that I drafted allowing taxpayers to challenge through a protest petition any local property tax increase greater than the rate of inflation - also passed the House Taxation Committee this week. Prior to 1999, Kansas taxpayers could protest proposed property tax increases by submitting a petition signed by five-percent of local voters. This petition triggered a local election to approve or reject the proposed tax increase. HB 2707 would reinstitute a similar system. After passing this bill, however, tax committee members changed their mind. The day after approving HB 2707 as an amendment to House Bill 2630, the House Taxation committee voted to reconsider this bill. Thus, this legislation was returned to the House Taxation Committee, where it remains for further consideration. Upcoming Legislative Agenda Next week is the final week for committees to consider and pass bills for the 2010 legislative session. After that time, the Kansas House will work on the floor (known as "the committee of the whole") to debate legislation that has passed through committees. Most importantly, the Kansas House will consider a budget for fiscal year 2011 in about two weeks. Also, the Kansas House will likely debate tax policy next week or shortly thereafter. I will keep you informed as the full Kansas House considers these important bills. The regular session of the Kansas Legislature is set to adjourn on April 3. As I have discussed in previous newsletters, however, the final state revenue estimates for fiscal year 2011 will not occur until approximately April 20. Thus, the final budget work for fiscal year 2011 will likely occur in late April and early May when the Kansas Legislature returns for its "wrap-up" session. Thank you as always for your interest in the Kansas Legislature and for the opportunity to serve as your representative. If you have any questions about these issues or other legislative topics, please do not hesitate to contact me at 785-296-7667 or by email at jeff.king@house.ks.gov. ------=_NextPart_000_00E7_01CAD37B.33885010 Content-Type: text/html; boundary="_000_B0D05B633CB60644A35C31737041AFFE23029C3381EMAIL01LGKSLO_"; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

From the Statehouse – March 12, 2010

The Kansas House has moved well into the = second half of the 2010 legislative session.  Considerable work is continuing = on budget and tax issues, as well as numerous other matters important to = those in southeast Kansas.  While the most significant work of the session = lies ahead, action did occur on a few bills of local = importance.

HB 2704 – Forced School Consolidation

In a hard-fought victory for small schools throughout Kansas, the House defeated a bill that would have financially strangled 6 of the smallest school districts in the state.  HB = 2704, which focused on Elk Valley in Longton and five other school districts with = less than 200 students, was a misguided effort to force school consolidation by financially strangling these districts.  I am proud to have led the = fight against this bill in the House, speaking at length about the unfairness = of stripping $70,000 annually from one of the most successful (though = poorest) school districts in the state.

All of us are facing tight budgets, from hard working families, to fixed-income seniors, to school districts, to the = state of Kansas.  I applaud local efforts to cut costs and find new = efficiencies in the way we educate our children.  Forced consolidation from Topeka, however, is not the answer to the current budget crisis.  Instead, = I continue to support efforts to reduce unnecessary school mandates and = help schools themselves to reexamine their budgets and save much-needed = funds.  I am glad that my efforts to defeat this misguided legislation helped = Elk Valley (and other similar districts) live to see another = day.

HB 2578 – Property Tax = Relief for Montgomery County

In previous newsletters, I have discussed HB = 2578, a bill which addresses a main cause of last year’s substantial = property tax increases – the escrow of tax revenues based on the valuation = dispute between Montgomery County and the nitrogen fertilizer plant in Coffeyville.  HB 2578 is designed to reduce or eliminate the need = for any future escrow of local tax dollars.  Under that legislation, if = Montgomery County loses this property tax dispute, the state would provide a 4-year low-interest loan from which to repay the back taxes in = question.

HB 2578 overwhelmingly passed the House = Taxation Committee this week.  The bill also passed received unanimous = approval on a preliminary vote today from the full Kansas House.  A final vote = by the full House on HB 2578 will occur next Monday or Tuesday.  If = approved by the full House, the bill will proceed to the Kansas Senate for further consideration.

I am pleased that HB 2578 has received this = approval from the Kansas House.  If enacted into law, HB 2578 should truly = benefit local homeowners and small businesses in Montgomery County by lowering = next year’s property taxes.  I will keep you posted as HB 2578 = moves forward through the legislative process.

HB 2707 – Reinstating the = Protest Petition for Certain Property Tax = Increases

House Bill 2707 – legislation that I = drafted allowing taxpayers to challenge through a protest petition any local = property tax increase greater than the rate of inflation – also passed the = House Taxation Committee this week.  Prior to 1999, Kansas taxpayers = could protest proposed property tax increases by submitting a petition signed = by five-percent of local voters.  This petition triggered a local = election to approve or reject the proposed tax increase.  HB 2707 would = reinstitute a similar system.

After passing this bill, however, tax = committee members changed their mind.  The day after approving HB 2707 as an amendment to House Bill 2630, the House Taxation committee voted to = reconsider this bill.  Thus, this legislation was returned to the House = Taxation Committee, where it remains for further consideration.  =

Upcoming Legislative = Agenda

Next week is the final week for committees to consider and pass bills for the 2010 legislative session.  After = that time, the Kansas House will work on the floor (known as “the = committee of the whole”) to debate legislation that has passed through committees.  Most importantly, the Kansas House will consider a = budget for fiscal year 2011 in about two weeks.  Also, the Kansas House will = likely debate tax policy next week or shortly thereafter.  I will keep you informed as the full Kansas House considers these important bills.  =

The regular session of the Kansas Legislature = is set to adjourn on April 3.  As I have discussed in previous = newsletters, however, the final state revenue estimates for fiscal year 2011 will not = occur until approximately April 20.  Thus, the final budget work for = fiscal year 2011 will likely occur in late April and early May when the Kansas = Legislature returns for its “wrap-up” session.

Thank you as always for your interest in the = Kansas Legislature and for the opportunity to serve as your = representative.  If you have any questions about these issues or other legislative topics, = please do not hesitate to contact me at 785-296-7667 or by email at jeff.king@house.ks.gov.

 

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