We had a shorter week than usual as the legislature was not in session on Monday in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. A day of reflection and a day of service as we honor the legacy of MLK.

The Kansas Association of Community College Trustees hosted coffee and donuts at the Capitol. I appreciated the opportunity to visit with Don Ash, KCKCC Trustee, who attended the event. So good to hear about the many wonderful things happening at KCKCC including the success with the new student housing and the progress being made on the downtown campus. 

Randy Callstrom, President/CEO of Wyandot Behavioral Health Network, was also in Topeka for the Kansas Association of Community Mental Health Centers Legislative Reception. That same day Rep. Melissa Oropeza and I attended a lunch and learn at the Kansas Health Institute about suicides in Kansas. There is much work to be done in the area of mental health and we very much appreciate the insight and expertise Randy provides as we try to address and serve the mental health needs of Kansans. 

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.

Last week the House Judiciary Committee accepted my request for the introduction of HB 2028 which will provide for an automated process for the sealing of criminal records from public view, referred to as expungement.

A hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday, January 25, 2023, in the House Judiciary Committee which meets at 3:30 pm in room 582-N at the Capitol. I want to thank all the members of the Clean Slate Coalition, that has been meeting for the past 3 years, for their work to move this issue forward. 

HB 2028 is legislation that has been before the House Judiciary Committee before and was passed out of committee unanimously last session however failed to make it above the line in the House due to time. The bill is drafted based on the recommendations of the Kansas Judicial Council, Criminal Law Advisory Committee.

Other states have adopted various measures of “Clean Slate” legislation to help remove barriers for returning citizens. A more streamlined, automated process will help thousands of Kansans who are eligible for expungement, as many 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. 

Sunday, January 22 is the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Last August, we all witnessed the undeniable rejection of the anti-abortion constitutional amendment, with nearly 600,000 Kansans choosing to protect the right to reproductive healthcare, From rural towns to urban centers. Kansans could not have been more clear -- the government has no right to say what a woman does with her body. In November, Kansans overwhelmingly retain the Kansas State Supreme Court justices who proclaimed a woman’s right to bodily autonomy is protected by the Kansas Constitution. 

Governor Kelly renewed her push to immediately eliminate the state sales tax on food as a part of a broader “Axing Your Taxes” plan. Rep. Tom Sawyer (Wichita) introduced the original #AxeTheFoodTax bill in 2022, and as the ranking member on the House Tax Committee, Rep. Sawyer will again urge the legislature to cut food tax to 0% by April 1, 2023.

Democratic Leader Vic Miller (Topeka) is pushing for a full elimination of the state sales tax on hygiene products. Taking a tag-team approach, they’ve introduced two bills: One focused on feminine hygiene products and diapers, and one that expands the reach of the bill to include other more generic hygiene products, such as toilet paper, toothbrushes, and shampoo.

There are also plans to introduce legislation to cut the state sales tax on over-the-counter medications. 

The House Rules & Journal committee took under consideration a number of provisions that would significantly alter how legislators are permitted to communicate with one another on the House floor, how bills may be debated and proposed, and more. Ranking Member Rep. Boog Highberger in pushing for amendments that increase transparency and accountability stated, “I don't think we can achieve democratic results with an undemocratic process.” 

The Kansas Legislature has been criticized for its failure to provide the public and media transparent access to the legislative process. "I spent six years in city government before being elected to the House. I know that if we tried to do things there the way they are done here, our constituents would kick us all out, and we would deserve it-- that's why House Democrats are committed to making House procedures more fair and transparent,” he explained.

The House is expected to vote on the proposed changes next week. You may read the document here.

The Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee held hearings on two back-to-school sales tax holidays, SB 21, which institutes a two-day sales tax holiday for school supplies. Governor Kelly’s proposed sales tax holiday also received a hearing.

Next Tuesday, a bill providing restricted driving privileges for certain individuals with suspended drivers licenses has a hearing in Senate Transportation.

Governor Laura Kelly will deliver her State of the State Address on January 24th at 6:30 pm. You can watch Governor Kelly’s State of the State address live on YouTube through the Kansas Legislature’s YouTube page. 

On Tuesday, January 24, the K-12 Education Budget Committee will host a hearing on HB 2030, a bill to allow nonpublic school students to participate in activities regulated by the Kansas State high school activities association. Additionally, the committee will have a hearing on HB 2060, which establishes the special education and related services task force.  

The K-12 Education Budget committee will have another hearing on Wednesday, January 25. This hearing is over HB 2048, which is an expansion of voucher programs.

• HB 2005: Creating a traffic infraction for operating a vehicle while fatigued. 
• HB 2009: Providing for sales tax exemption for feminine hygiene products and diapers.
  
• HB 2012: Requiring offenders on probation, parole or postrelease supervision to complete a citizenship curriculum.
• HB 2030: Authorizing nonpublic school students to participate in activities regulated by the Kansas state high school activities association and allowing nonpublic school students who enroll part time in a public school to participate in nonpublic school activities.
• HB 2034: Requiring a referral of an alleged victim of child abuse or neglect for an examination as part of an investigation, creating a program in the department of health and environment to provide training and payment for such examinations.
• HB 2036: Creating a property tax exemption for retired and disabled veterans.
• HB 2044: Amending the definition of "race" in the Kansas act against discrimination to include traits historically associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles.
• HB 2046: Requiring all persons to be 18 years of age to be eligible to give consent for marriage and eliminating exceptions to such requirement.
• HB 2049: Changing the length of the nurse aide course required for unlicensed employees in adult care homes to 75 hours.
• HB 2050: Updating income eligibility requirements for the state children's health insurance program.
• HB 2051: Establishing the advisory commission on Asian-American Pacific Islander affairs.
• HB 2060: Establishing the special education and related services funding task force.
• HB 2061: Providing an income tax rate of 5% for individuals and corporations, decreasing the surtax for entities subject to the privilege tax and providing that future income tax rate decreases be contingent on exceeding revenue estimates. 

Did you know?! 

All committee hearings can be found on the Kansas Legislature’s YouTube page.