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Opinion
by Murrel Bland
The Kansas Legislature will open its 2021 session on Tuesday, Jan. 13. The Legislative Committee of the Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber of Commerce is focusing on major issues that are important to its members. The committee is preparing its Legislative Agenda which includes issues similar to past years.
The Legislative Committee, which met last Friday morning, Dec. 11, via Zoom, was briefed on what they might expect this session. One of the issues concerns property taxes. The chamber has favored a law similar to the one that affects agriculture — property taxes are assessed on the basis of a 10-year floating average.
The committee heard from Patrick Vogelsberg, a lobbyist for Kansas Gas Service. He said there is an effort in other states to exclude the use of natural gas as a source of energy. Vogelsberg said such a move could happen here and could substantially increase the cost of energy.
There will be a change in leadership in the Kansas Senate as its president, Susan Wagle, did not seek re-election. The new Senate president will be Ty Masterson of Andover near Wichita. He is a conservative Republican. Ron Ryckman of Olathe will be the speaker of the House. He is also a conservative.
The committee learned that the Legislature generally will be more conservative. That probably means a bill that would expand Medicaid to some 120,000 Kansans has little chance of passing during the next session. The Chamber’s committee has favored expansion of Medicaid.
The committee learned that Gov. Laura Kelly has appointed Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers, a former state senator, as the new state treasurer. The former State Treasurer, Jake LaTurner, has been elected U.S. Representative from the Second District of Kansas.
Speculation is that the new lieutenant govrnor may be David Toland, who is Kansas Secretary of Commerce. If so, Toland would continue to serve as commerce secretary.
State Rep. Tom Burroughs, D-33rd Dist., will speak to the Congressional Forum from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, via Zoom. The forum is a committee of the chamber. Rep. Burroughs is chairman of the Wyandotte County legislative delegation and also a Unified Government commissioner at-large.
Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is executive director of Business West.