March 15, 2019

Capitol Connection is your weekly report from KAC's Director of Government Relations Adrienne Olejnik on happenings at the Statehouse and issues affecting Kansas children and families. For more updates, like KAC on  Facebook  and follow us on Twitter .

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This week

Beware the Ides of...SB 22. Last night, the Senate   voted 24-16  to concur (agreeing to the House changes) on SB 22. The bill is now on its way to the governor's desk. Based on statements from Gov. Kelly, we expect her to veto the measure, after which SB 22 would return to the Senate for consideration of an override.

If the Senate meets the 27 votes required for an override, SB 22 will be sent to the House, where 84 votes are needed for an override. If the Senate can sustain the veto by maintaining fewer than 27 votes, the bill will be dead. However, elements of the bill are likely to appear again before the session is complete.
 
(SB 22 is the decoupling tax bill on which the House added a 1 percent food sales tax reduction and compliance measures to collect sales tax on internet sales from qualifying vendors.)
 
KAC is watching

No Small Matter | TRAILER for the game-changing documentary on early learning

This Monday evening, March 18th, KAC will be hosting a screening of  " No Small Matter," a documentary film that looks at the importance of early learning and high-quality child care. If you can't make it, we're partnering with organizations across the state to host screenings. Stay tuned!

The House Federal and State Affairs Committee held a hearing Wednesday about HCR 5009 - a concurrent resolution calling a convention of states. We will continue to monitor the resolution to see if it is voted out of committee-and if it comes to debate on the House floor later in the session. We oppose the resolution because calling a convention of states pursuant to Article V in the U.S. Constitution is an uncertain and risky proposition that has little to no precedent or set procedures in what could happen.
 
I provided verbal testimony in the House Taxation Committee on Wednesday afternoon about   HB 2302, which calls for reinstating a refundable food sales tax credit. We were neutral on the bill, recognizing the many pressing needs in our state right now. A broader conversation on tax changes, along with data that includes the April Consensus Revenue Estimate is a prudent course.

A refundable food sales tax credit is a practical, targeted approach to helping low-income Kansans mitigate the cost of sales tax on food - one that could help more than 380,000 Kansas tax filers.  

Just for fun

Today is known as the Ides of March, marking the 15th  of the month as they did in Roman times. But the Ides are notorious as the date of the murder of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C.E. The date has thus been linked to ill fortune, thanks to Caesar and Shakespeare.

But before it was so doom and gloom, the Ides of March were simply noted as a time to settle debts and accounts. If you haven't filed your taxes yet, the 15th  of April will be a similar deadline for your financial reckoning with the IRS.  

Enjoy the beautiful weekend,
Adrienne