Category: Kansas Legislature

Kansas House unveils sports gambling plan with support of casinos, opposition by greyhound industry

by Sherman Smith, Kansas Reflector

Topeka — The Kansas House unveiled Tuesday a plan for legalizing sports wagering in Kansas through online platforms and bets placed at casinos, convenience stores and racetracks.

House Bill 2740 has widespread support from gaming interests that have squabbled for years over who gets to control the action and how to slice up the revenue.

“I never thought this day would get here,” said Rep. John Barker, an Abilene Republican and chairman of the Federal and State Affairs Committee.

The committee heard testimony in support of the bill from three state casinos, a tribal casino, the Sporting Kansas City soccer team and a lobbyist for billionaire Las Vegas casino owner Phil Ruffin, who for years has tried to resurrect operations at his now-closed Sedgwick County horse track. The only opponents to offer testimony were concerned by restrictions placed on greyhound racing.

Animal rights and gambling addiction organizations expressed concerns while asking for their testimony to be considered neutral.

The bill authorizes sports gambling by allowing the Kansas Lottery to contract with gaming facility managers. Those managers could offer wagering through websites, interactive mobile applications and on site. The legislation also allows wagering on machines at Ruffin’s facility, but it bans machines at greyhound races.

The state would get 20% of revenue through online gambling and 14% from in-person bets. Whitney Damron, a lobbyist for Hollywood Casino at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas, said revenue estimates suggest the state could receive $50 million in annual revenue. An official fiscal note has not yet been determined for the new House bill.

Jim Gartland, executive director of the National Greyhound Association, and Mike O’Neil, representing the Kansas Greyhound Association, submitted written testimony that named Ruffin and raised concerns about his influence on the bill.

“This is akin to letting a McDonalds franchise owner write the laws on what other fast food companies are allowed to be operated in the state,” Gartland said.

O’Neil said provisions of the bill dealing with greyhounds are not germane to the subject of sports betting.

O’Neil also asked that lawmakers not make judgments about greyhounds unless they have the opportunity to tour a facility.

“Believe me,” O’Neil said, “if there were such a thing as reincarnation, I’d want to come back as a Kansas greyhound. They’re the sweetest athletes you’ll ever meet.”

Barker said the committee would consider amendments and take action on the bill next week. If the House were to adopt the legislation, representatives would have to work out a deal with senators who passed a competing bill last year.

Kansas Reflector stories, www.kansasreflector.com, may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
See more at https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/22/kansas-house-unveils-sports-gambling-plan-with-support-of-casinos-opposition-by-greyhound-industry/.

Legislative update from Rep. Pam Curtis, D-32nd Dist.

State Rep. Pam Curtis

Guest opinion

by Rep. Pam Curtis, D-32nd Dist.

Much of the focus last week was on the House redistricting maps and #AxeTheFoodTax.

Following up on the rally earlier in March, a resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine passed the House with near unanimous bipartisan support.

Read my complete update from Week 10 in the Kansas Legislature. Each of my weekly updates are available at curtisforkck.com/blog.

Next week we will be on the House Floor all day Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday voting on bills as we approach first adjournment on April 1st.

Please take the 2022 Legislature Survey if you haven’t already, at https://www.curtisforkck.com/2022survey. We will soon be voting on these important issues in the Legislature, and your opinion matters to me.

It is a special honor to serve as your state representative. I value and appreciate your input on issues facing state government. Please feel free to contact me with your comments and questions.

My office address is Room 452-S, 300 SW 10th, Topeka, KS 66612. You can reach me at 785- 296-7430 or call the legislative hotline at 1 -800-432-3924 and leave a message.

Kansas panel clears House redistricting map after changes in western part of state

Senate votes 28 to 8 in favor of GOP-backed proposal

by Noah Taborda, Kansas Reflector

Topeka — A panel of state representatives approved Friday an updated proposal to redraw Kansas House districts that makes changes in western Kansas but ignores testimony urging changes in Leavenworth County and surrounding areas.

The updated Freestate 3 map would see many of the incumbents drawn into the same district under a previous iteration remain together, but a dramatic change out west would get rid of the district currently occupied by Rep. Tatum Lee, a Ness City Republican, pairing her with Rep. Jim Minnix, R-Scott City. Rep. Kyle Hoffman, R-Coldwater, and Rep. Boyd Orr, R-Fowler, are no longer together in the same district.

The amendment would keep several counties whole, something Rep. Adam Smith wanted to be prioritized in the process. He said these changes kept confusion down during elections where people are used to one representative for a clean group of counties.

“Also, it might sound a little bit strange for some of our more urban counterparts, but in western Kansas, we like to follow our highway systems that make it efficient for people to get around,” the Weskan Republican said. “The very first time I saw this, I played around with Google Earth a little bit, and (the 116th District) goes all the way from Copeland to Wellington. That is almost six full counties, and I believe that would be the longest, most stretched-out district in the history of the state.”

The amendment also makes changes in Johnson County. Another amendment brought by Smith would make a change to a district in Hutchinson.

Unchanged in the brand new 125 House districts are areas in Leavenworth County, where several members of the public expressed concerns. In the map, the city is still divided and a finger runs from one end of the county to relocate one precinct from the center of Leavenworth into another district.

Some opponents argued the map was grossly gerrymandered to improve the standing of Republican House redistricting chairman Chris Croft.

The map, introduced earlier this week, pairs House Speaker Ron Ryckman with Rep. Megan Lynn, R-Olathe, in the 49th House District. Ryckman has held office since 2012 and is in his third term as speaker.

Ryckman’s current district is trending less conservative. Ryckman won reelection by five points over a Democrat challenger in 2020, but in 2016 that margin was 23 points.

“The gerrymandering of Leavenworth needs to be stopped, with population numbers adjusted through movement of the southern or western boundaries, not through cherry picking the one precinct that is a thorn in Rep. Proctor’s side,” said Jeffery Howards, chairman of the Leavenworth County Democratic Party in testimony Wednesday.

Across the rotunda Thursday, legislators approved Republican-backed Senate maps that would dramatically alter Shawnee County and the northeast part of Kansas. Under the plan, Topeka would gain a fourth Senate seat that would run along Interstate 70 and rope in part of northwest Lawrence.

The three senators who represent Shawnee County currently will add other parts of eastern Kansas counties to make up for the new district. It is possible under the plan that all four senators could reside outside Shawnee County.

Critics argue it unfairly dilutes the voting power of one of the state’s largest cities, but supporters say this would better represent the left-leaning parts of the county. The measure passed 28 to 8 with a handful of Democrats and Republicans opposing the map.

“I have said how the western Kansas voice is being eroded and it continues to be eroded by maps like this,” said Sen. Alicia Straub, R-Ellinwood. “Without sufficient time to propose thoughtful amendments to this, I absolutely cannot support a map that’s neither transparent, nor honest.”

Kansas Reflector stories, www.kansasreflector.com, may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

See more at https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/18/kansas-panel-clears-house-redistricting-map-after-changes-in-western-part-of-state/.