Bill Tracking Report for the Week of March 1, 2010

Last week while compressed into four days was predictive of how the remainder of the Session may play out at least in the House of Representatives.  On Thursday, the House considered a motion to concur with the Senate changes to the statewide smoking ban, a proposition that is largely unpopular with House Leadership.  A coalition of moderate Republicans and the Democrat caucus pooled their resources and votes, reminiscent of the budget passing last year over House Leadership objection, and passed the smoking ban handily with 68 votes. 

House Leadership is adamant that no new taxes should be enacted by this legislature and is of the opinion that they can still cut their way out of the 400 million plus budget hole they are facing.  With services cut to the bone from last year’s cuts and this year’s allotments, the consensus is that there must be new revenue to keep from further crushing essential services to Kansans.

The whole story will not unfold in the first budget that will inevitably be passed before the Legislature adjourns in early April, but during the veto session that commences at the end of April.  The consensus revenue estimators that prognosticate about the State's future revenue forecast will not present their official numbers until April 15 when the legislature is not in session.  It sets up a similar dynamic to last year when the Senate formulated budget was adopted by the House over the objection of House leadership.

The House is currently slated to put a tax bill on the floor next week which will be a test of the resolve of those claiming to be willing to increase taxes to generate the revenue necessary to keep services flowing at even the current levels.  

Your bill tracking report is set out below. I have included information on the happenings at the post secondary level related to Technical Education for your review as well this week.

School Finance Related Matters 
Bill Number / Sponsor / Subject / Current Status / Last Action

SB 149
Senate Education Committee
School districts; relating to school finance; relating to supplemental general state aid
In Senate Education
02/20/2009 - Withdrawn from Ways and Means; rereferred to Education

SB 362
Senate Ways and Means Committee
School districts; relating to contracts of employment
In House Education Budget
02/24/2010 - Scheduled Hearing: Tuesday, 3/2/2010, 3:30 PM, Rm 159-S

HB 2095
House Appropriations Committee
School districts; relating to school finance; relating to the powers and duties of school boards
 In House Appropriations
04/03/2009 - Withdrawn from Calendar; rereferred to Appropriations

HB 2103
House Education Committee
School districts; relating to school finance
 In House Appropriations
02/20/2009 - Withdrawn from Calendar; rereferred to Appropriations

HB 2105
House Education Committee
School districts; relating to contracts of employment
 In House Appropriations
03/19/2009 - Withdrawn from Education Budget; rereferred to Appropriations

HB 2239
House Appropriations Committee
School districts; relating to reports submitted to the State Board of Education
In Senate Ways and Means
02/25/2010 - Referred to Ways and Means

HB 2280
House Appropriations Committee
School districts; relating to state aid for capital improvements and capital outlay
In House Education Budget
02/25/2010 - Referred to Ways and Means

HB 2410
Legislative Post Audit Committee
School districts; relating to school finance; relating to at-risk pupils
In Senate Education
02/25/2010 - Referred to Education

HB 2495
House Education Committee
School districts; relating to school finance; relating to certain property tax exemptions
In House Education / In House Taxation
01/25/2010 - Withdrawn from Education; Withdrawn from Taxation; referred separately to Education and Taxation

SB 62
Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee
Department of Health and Environment; relating to tuberculosis evaluation requirements and prevention and control plan for postsecondary educational institutions; rules and regulations
Pending motion to concur or nonconcur
02/25/2010 - Final Action: Passed as amended; Yeas 122, Nays 0

SB 131
Senate Education Committee
Technical colleges; relating to the powers and duties of the governing bodies thereof
In Conference Committee
03/20/2009 - Acceded; appointed Huntington, Rhoades and Mah

H Sub for SB 205 
Senate Ways and Means Committee
Making and concerning appropriations for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2009, June 30, 2010, June 30, 2011, and June 30, 2012, for state agencies; authorizing certain transfers, capital improvement projects and fees, imposing certain restrictions and limitations, and directing or authorizing certain receipts, disbursements, procedures and acts incidental to the foregoing
On General Orders in House
05/06/2009 - Committee Report: Substitute be passed by Appropriations

SB 244
 Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee
Economic Revitalization and Reinvestment Act; relating to eligible businesses
In Senate Assessment and Taxation
03/04/2009 - Scheduled Hearing: Thursday, 3/12/2009, 10:30 AM, RM 535-N

Sub for SB 416
Senate Ethics and Elections Committee
Governmental ethics; eliminating the filing requirements for certain faculty of state education institutions
In House Elections
02/18/2010 - Referred to Elections

SB 430
Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee
Income taxation; relating to credits, limitations
In House Taxation
02/18/2010 - Referred to Taxation

SB 485
Legislative Educational Planning Committee
Postsecondary education; relating to private and out-of-state postsecondary educational institutions
In House Education
02/26/2010 - Scheduled Hearing; Tuesday, 3/2/2010, 9:00 AM, Rm 711 DSOB

SB 548
Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee
Taxation; relating to technical colleges; authority of county or counties to impose and levy sales and property taxes for support thereof; procedures
In Senate Assessment and Taxation
02/23/2010 - Scheduled Hearing; Thursday, 2/25/2010, 10:30 AM, Rm 152-S

HB 2108 
 House Higher Education Committee
Income taxation; relating to credits; education expenses
In House Taxation
01/28/2009 - Referred to Taxation

HB 2205 
 Lance Kinzer, R-14th
Public post-secondary education; concerning residents for purposes of tuition and other fees
In House Federal and State Affairs
02/03/2009 - Referred to Federal and State Affairs

S Sub for HB 2222
House Government Efficiency and Fiscal Oversight Committee
Making and concerning appropriations for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2010, and June 30, 2011, for state agencies; authorizing certain transfers, imposing certain restrictions and limitations, and directing or authorizing certain receipts, disbursements and acts incidental to the foregoing
Pending enrollment and presentation to Governor
02/18/2010 - Adopted Conference Committee Report on House bill: Yeas 114, Nays 5

HB 2252
Mitch Holmes, R-114th
Post-secondary technical education; relating to funding therefore
In House Education
01/19/2010 - Withdrawn from Higher Education; referred to Education

HB 2415
Legislative Educational Planning Committee
State Surplus Property Act; relating to state educational institutions
In Senate Ways and Means
02/24/2010 - Scheduled Hearing: Monday, 3/1/2010, 10:30 AM, Rm 548-S

HB 2446
Legislative Educational Planning Committee
Certain postsecondary educational institutions; relating to investments and gifts
In House Appropriations
02/19/2010 - Committee of the Whole: Committee Report be adopted; Motion to refer to committee, adopted; rereferred to Appropriations

HB 2621
House Taxation Committee
Income taxation; relating to certain credits; repealing certain credits; angel investor tax credit, procedure
On General Orders in House
02/18/2010 - Committee Report: Be passed as amended by Taxation