Vouchers Defeated. It was clear at the beginning of the session that several K-12 committee members were focused on passing voucher-like provisions. Fortunately, House Sub. for SB 83, giving more public dollars to non-public schools, was decisively voted down by the Senate. However, those committee members tied this policy to increased special education funding. Now, school districts are left to fill in the funding gaps again.
Temporary Budget Fixes for Health Priorities. Advocates supported three key items that will improve child and public health in the state budget. While the goal is to make all of these permanent, the temporary fixes will help Kansans in the meantime. 1) A one-year fix to expand eligibility thresholds for CHIP, 2) Funding to increase the budget cap for the newborn screening program, and 3) Updated local health department funding.
Protecting Vaccine and Public Health Policy. A slim majority of the Senate was determined to dismantle current public health and vaccine policy. Advocates witnessed intense hearings, negotiations, misinformation, procedural maneuvering, and late-night floor debates. In the final hours of the session, a bill upending established quarantine procedure (HB 2285) passed by thin margins, with strong bipartisan opposition. Advocates welcomed the Governor’s veto, but remain concerned for what may be in store in 2024.
Tax Policy. A single vote protected Kansas from going back to the days of underfunded education, crumbling roads, and cuts to vital services. Due to a bipartisan group of Senators, the state’s graduated income tax structure was preserved when House Sub. for SB 169, which would decrease revenue by an estimated $330 million each year, failed to receive enough votes to override the Governor’s veto. Now, the state continues to ensure it meets its obligations to fully fund schools, infrastructure projects, and other services that matter to all Kansas families.
Defeating a Food Assistance Restriction. The Kansas House’s new “Welfare Reform Committee” set its sights on the food assistance program, which temporarily helps low-income Kansans supplement their grocery budgets. Advocates were successful in defeating HB 2141, which would have required non-custodial parents to “cooperate” with child support to receive food assistance. If this bill had become law, children would have been harmed by their parent’s worsened financial hardship.