2022 Legislative Update 9

The week was cut short due to inclement weather. House Representatives fled Topeka on Wednesday evening in anticipation of heavy snowfall.

Here's a quick run-down for the week:

• The Convention of States failed on a final action vote.

• A rally was held in the rotunda to oppose anti-transgender youth policy.

• An amendment was proposed to give 82,000 KPERS retirees a cost-of-living adjustment increase amid rampant inflation.

• Teachers and college students may now receive grants or scholarships if they take a computer science course, and all K-12 schools are recommended to offer a technology class.

• Janet Stanek was confirmed by the Senate as the new KDHE Secretary, replacing former secretary Lee Norman.

• A watered down #AxeTheFoodTax bill gets a final action vote next week in the House Tax committee.

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.

The Kansas Legislature Meets the U.S. Constitution: Convention of States

Republicans in the Kansas Legislature have called repeatedly for a  Convention of States, which convenes ⅔ of the states -- 37 -- to amend the U.S. Constitution. HCR 5027 is the application for a Convention of States.

On Tuesday, March 8,  the House debated the Convention of States. The vote was far from party lines. During the debate, it was highlighted for the body that as-written,  the resolution allows for a vote to codify the right to an abortion and room to compromise the Second Amendment.

Numerous Republican representatives indicated they felt HCR 5027 was poorly written, ill-timed, short-sighted, or otherwise “dangerous.”

On a Final Action vote, HCR 5027 failed to muster the ⅔ support required for passage.

The “Punching Down on Suicidal Children Act,” AKA the Anti-Transgender Youth Sports Bill

The  “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” (SB 484)  -- a misleading and manipulative title for a discriminatory bill targeted at children was again brought forward. A rally was held in the first-floor rotunda of the statehouse to oppose the bill with speakers from Equality Kansas, a nurse practitioner from Wichita and the LGBTQ caucus.

There was  a hearing on the bill  following the rally in the  Senate Education Committee.

There were 108 written opponents to the bill, including medical doctors, religious leaders, state representatives, parents, students, activists, attorneys, Title IX experts, and professors.

Proponents repeatedly said women are genetically inferior to men, and thus transgender youth participation in sports was an aberration of Title IX.  KU Law Professor Kyle Velte  and  ACLU’s Aileen Berquist  disagree. In fact,  a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision  found Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 granted transgender individuals protection against discrimination.

SB 484 passed out of the Senate Committee on Education  on Tuesday, March 8 and heads to the full senate for a vote.

SB 484 is not only harmful to LGBTQ youth, but to the overall economy. Last year when this issue came to a head, the NCAA spoke out aggressively against the efforts, promising to prevent any current or future events from happening in Kansas. The Office of the Attorney General indicated the bill was likely to be challenged on constitutional grounds, which could take nearly half a decade to make its way through the court system -- federal or state. And if a case challenging the bill made it to the U.S. Supreme Court, then litigation costs and time would increase. The OAG further indicated the “specialized civil liberty components of the litigation” is likely to require hiring specialized outside counsel to defend the bill, again raising the taxpayer costs of SB 484.

Clay Wirestone with the Kansas Reflector wrote an opinion piece  on the bill: “Anti-trans sports bill sprouts from ignorance. We owe Kansas kids respect and support.”

Kay Facts on Transgender Youth from  The Trevor Project:

●   86% of LGBTQ youth said that recent politics have negatively impacted their well-being.

●   More than 50% of transgender and nonbinary youth have seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months.

●   Transgender and nonbinary youth who reported having pronouns respected by most or all people in their lives attempted suicide at half the rate of those who did not have their pronouns respected.

●   1 in 5 transgender youth has attempted suicide.

●   More than 3 in 4 transgender and nonbinary youths reported symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder in the last 2 weeks.

●   Over 60% of transgender and nonbinary youths reported engaging in self-harm in the past 12 months.

You may find your state senator at  www.ksleglookup.org. It is critical that state elected officials understand Kansans oppose bigoted and discriminatory legislation. If SB 484 passes the Senate and crosses to the House, we promise to fight. But we need your help. Tell your state senator to vote NO on SB 484.

KPERS Retirees, We Hear You.

In a debate over SB 421, which applies $1 billion from the State General Fund to the KPERS system, Democrats introduced an amendment to give 82,000 KPERS retirees a cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase. A one-time, lump sum payment of $238 million would sustain the COLA increase in perpetuity. KPERS retirees have not received an adjustment for cost of living since 1998 -- over 24 years. Despite pleas from constituents for assistance, Republicans voted down the amendment.

Inflation is rising and gas prices average over $4 per gallon. This affects everyone, but particularly those on a fixed income, such as retirees. These Kansans spent their careers -- often many decades -- improving and supporting the state. The least the Legislature can do is ensure they are able to live comfortably in retirement by adjusting their KPERS payments for cost of living.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, $1 in 1998 is roughly equivalent to $1.74 in 2022. The vote on the amendment is yet another example of Republicans sidelining the needs of Kansas families over issues of partisanship.

Computer Science Courses For All

On a 115-4 vote, the House passed legislation to promote instruction in computer science among prospective and current teachers. Each high school in Kansas must offer at least one computer science course by the start of the 2023-2024 school year. Alternatively, the school may file a report with the state explaining their plan moving forward.

The Kansas Board of Regents received $1 million for $1,000 scholarships for college students seeking a teaching degree, if they take a computer science course. $1 million is also going to the Kansas Department of Education. This money is in the form of grants for teachers who are already teaching but wish to further develop their computer science skills.
   
On Wednesday, March 9, Janet Stanek was confirmed by the Senate to be the new Kansas Department of Health & Environment Secretary. Stanek was appointed Secretary in November.

Other Legislation Passed by the House

• HB 2548: Implementing additional reporting requirements for informational technology projects and state agencies and requiring additional information technology security training and status reports. Passed on final action, 116-3.

• HCR 5027: Applying to the Congress of the United States to call a convention of the states. Passed 78-42. Failed to achieve ⅔ majority on final action.

• SB 2: Allowing consumption of beer, wine or other alcoholic liquor on the Kansas state fairgrounds; increasing the number of temporary permits an applicant may receive from four to 12 permits per year; limiting what cities, counties or townships may charge for a temporary permit to not more than $25 per day; and crediting a portion of moneys collected from the liquor drink tax and the liquor enforcement tax to the state fair capital improvements fund. Passed on emergency final action, 87-31. Nonconcurred with amendments; Conference Committee requested; appointed Sens. Olson, Hilderbrand, and Faust-Goudeau.

• HB 2462: Removing the standing committee membership requirements for members of the joint committee on state-tribal relations. Passed on a voice vote.

• SB 421: Transferring $253,866,022 from the state general fund to the Kansas public employees retirement fund during fiscal year 2022 and eliminating certain level-dollar KPERS employer contribution payments. Passed on emergency final action, 113-5.

• SB 286: House Substitute for Substitute for SB 286 - Continuing the governmental response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Kansas by extending the expanded use of telemedicine, the suspension of certain requirements related to medical care facilities and immunity from civil liability for certain healthcare providers, certain persons conducting business in this state and covered facilities for COVID-19 claims until January 20, 2023. Passed on emergency final action, 102-17.

• HB 2466: Substitute for HB 2466 by Committee on Education - Establishing the promoting advancement in computing knowledge act to increase the availability of computer science education in Kansas schools. Passed on a voice vote.

This Week

#AxeTheFoodTax gets a final vote in the House Tax committee on March 15. However, HB 2711 isn’t what Democrats or Governor Laura Kelly want.

House Bill 2711  calls for a 3.5% state sales tax on food commencing July 1, 2022. There is a possible yearly decrease of 1.2% if there is $100,000,000 in the budget stabilization fund starting July 1, 2023.

As written, the bill excludes bottled water, candy, dietary supplements, vending machine food, soft drinks, and tobacco from exemptions.

Reach out to   members of the committee  and demand they oppose HB 2711. Demand they pass a food sales tax cut to 0%, not 3.5%.

ICYMI:

●   Did you know? All committee hearings and chamber proceedings can be found on the   Kansas Legislature’s YouTube page.

●   “House Adopts Bill Broadening Health Care Providers’ Immunity to Lawsuits Amid COVID-19,”  Kansas Reflector, 03/09/2022

●   “KDHE, Revenue Department to Waive Fees for Victims of Latest Wildfires,"  Kansas Reflector, 03/08/2022

●   “Kansas Lawmakers Seek Solution to Confusion Over Delta-8 and Medical Marijuana,”  Topeka Capital-Journal, 03/03/2022

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

Resources

My Legislative Facebook Page
Follow me on Twitter 
Kansas Legislature Website 

Watch Legislative Proceedings Live on YouTube

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.

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