2022 Legislative Update 3

Be sure to answer my 2022 Legislative Survey. We will soon be voting on many of these questions, and I want to know your feelings on the most important legislation before I cast my vote. Your opinion matters to me. The Survey only takes a few moments to answer.

#AxeTheFoodTax Gets a Hearing

The House Democrats’ food tax cut bill, HB 2487, received a hearing on Tuesday, January 25. The bill cuts the state sales tax on food to 0% from 6.5%. The tax has been in place since the 1930s and raised 10 times, most recently under former Governor Sam Brownback. If the bill passes, the average Kansas family will save $500 per year.

Last year, the legislature again cut corporate taxes. Now it is time for hardworking families to see tax relief.

House Republicans Pass Gerrymandered Map “Ad Astra 2”

On Wednesday, January 26, the “Ad Astra 2” map passed the House on a 79-37 vote one day after a four-hour debate. Now the map is in Governor Kelly’s hands.

All House Democrats opposed the map. From the date of introduction to passage was only five days, leaving little time for the public to study the map and submit feedback to the committee. Considering the promises from Republican leadership of “unprecedented transparency,” this was a disappointing timeline.

Ad Astra 2 places Lawrence into the Big First, a heavily rural district with stark differences in economy, geography, socioeconomic status, racial makeup, and partisanship, among other demographics. Lawrence was carved with meticulous attention out of Douglas county -- no other parts of Douglas were moved. It is noteworthy that of the 650+ pieces of testimony received throughout the redistricting process, not a single member of the public called for Lawrence to join the first congressional district. Many of us saw this as a textbook example of gerrymandering.

The map also contradicts public input regarding the third congressional district. Hundreds of Kansans demanded the metro cores of Wyandotte and Johnson county stay intact; despite this clear plea, House Republicans hacked the counties in half. A line was drawn through Wyandotte county to carve up neighborhoods – generally following I-70 dividing the county north/south. The boundaries divide the community along racial lines, another clear-cut example of prohibited gerrymandering.

Clean Slate Legislation

The House Judiciary Committee accepted my request, and the “Clean Slate” bill has been introduced. The bill was drafted based on the recommendations of the Kansas Judicial Council, Criminal Law Advisory Committee. It will provide for an automated process for sealing of criminal records from public view, referred to as expungement.

Other states have adopted various measures of Clean Slate legislation to help remove barriers for returning citizens.

Clean Slate legislation will help thousands of Kansans who are eligible for expungement however lack the time and resources to get their record expunged manually.

Expungement removes a barrier to opportunity and gives people with criminal records a chance to move on with their lives and get back to work once they have paid their debt to society. There is growing support among the business community for Clean Slate legislation and as they adopt and participate in second chance hiring policies.

“Save the Turtles”: The Ornate Box Turtle

A bill to prohibit the unlawful collection or possession of the ornate box turtle had a hearing on Thursday, January 27 in the Agriculture committee. Kansas designated the ornate box turtle the official state reptile in 1986. “Save the turtles” could be heard passing through the halls after the committee adjourned.

Happy Kansas Day!

Kansas Day was Saturday, January 29th. There were events across the state to celebrate the great state of Kansas.

It is a special honor to serve as your state representative. I value and appreciate your input on issues facing state government. Please feel free to contact me with your comments and questions. My office address is Room 452-S, 300 SW 10th, Topeka, KS 66612. You can reach me at (785) 296-7430 or call the legislative hotline at 1-800-432-3924 to leave a message for me. You can also e-mail me at pam.curtis@house.ks.gov.

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