Tagged: Kansas Statehouse

Topeka, Kan. – Kansas House members rejected portions of a bill that would have reduced state aid for some small school districts.

The chamber was debating a proposal Tuesday that would have pushed six districts with enrollments of fewer than 200 students and fewer than 200 square miles to consolidate.

Under the bill, those smaller districts would have had state aid reduced to the same level as those with 200 students. However, that provision was stripped from the bill on a 75-39 vote.

Topeka, Kan. – A bill aimed at exempting Kansas from federal health care legislation is moving forward. The bill passed the House Health and Human Services Committee Tuesday.

It's a constitutional amendment, and says the state would be exempt from any federal rules requiring Kansans to have health insurance.

State representative Jim Ward, a Wichita Democrat, opposes the bill. He says it could limit debate in Kansas on health care legislation before it's even finished in Washington.

Kansas City, Mo. – House lawmakers this week kicked off a series of hearings looking into tax exemptions in Kansas.

Topeka, Kan. –
In the future, Kansans could be paying a fee to file their taxes the old-fashioned way, on paper. Statehouse reporter Stephen Koranda explains.

Topeka, Kan. – The Kansas House of Representatives took a step yesterday towards banning what law enforcement officials call synthetic marijuana. The product, sold under the name K2, contains chemicals similar to those found in marijuana.

Olathe Republican Rob Olson argued for the ban, pointing to cases where young people have been made ill by the substance.

"Are we going to pass over this and not support it, and then someone dies, and then be back here next year saying we should have done this?" asked Olson on the House floor.

Topeka, Kan. – The House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee is working on legislation that lawmakers hope could reduce domestic violence in Kansas. The measure would add new ways to identify domestic abusers.

Currently, domestic abusers can be charged with domestic battery. If the legislation becomes law, other crimes could have the designation of domestic violence added. This would include crimes like destruction of property if the victim and the offender had a relationship.

Topeka, Kan. – Kansas House lawmakers are going to be looking at new ways to fill a projected $400 million state deficit. That's because Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson's proposal to use a sales tax increase to help fill the hole was rejected by a House committee. The proposal would have increased the state sales tax by 1 percentage point for a three-year period.

Topeka, Kan. – The Kansas Senate has rejected an attempt to restore 22 million dollars in Medicaid provider payments cut by Governor Mark Parkinson.

Republican Senator Jeff Colyer of Overland Park authored the proposal. He says the cuts cost the state 60 million dollars in federal matching funds and could hurt the availability of services.

On the Senate floor today, he told lawmakers they should restore the cuts while officials look for efficiencies and other ways for the Medicaid program to save money.