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Opinion column
by Murrel Bland
U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (D-3rd Dist.) originally was expected to attend the monthly meeting of the Congressional Forum Friday, Dec. 20, at Children’s Mercy Park. However, the rush of yearend business in Washington, D.C., meant that she communicated with forum members via a video screen. The Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors the forum.
Rep. Davids said she was pleased to vote in favor of The Lower Drug Costs Act. This legislation gives Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies for lower drug prices and makes those lower prices available even to those with private insurance. Information from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office indicates taxpayers would save $456 billion from 2023 through 2029. The law also provides for vision, dental and hearing benefits.
Rep. Davids said she also voted for improvements to the United States-Mexico and Canada Agreement (USMCA.) She said the act should bolster the Kansas economy and assure a strong, fair trade agreement.
Rep. Davids said, after a long deliberation, she voted for two articles of impeachment of President Donald J. Trump.
A panel of four Kansas state legislators from Wyandotte County then discussed the upcoming session which begins early next year. The panelists were State Reps. Pam Curtis, Kathy Wolfe Moore, Tom Burroughs, all Democrats, and State Sen. Kevin Braun, a Republican. Rep. Curtis is chairwoman of the Wyandotte County delegation.
One of the issues that panelists discussed was property tax relief. A recent national survey indicated that Kansas was one of the least desirable states for retired persons, citing high taxes as one reason.
The panel indicated that one possible solution to high property taxes could be the Local Ad Valorem Tax Reduction—LAVTR. The LAVTR law has been in effect for many years. However, it has not been funded since 2003. Simply stated, LAVTR rebates money from the state general fund to reduce property taxes.
Rep. Burroughs said LAVTR could be considered during the next legislative session now that the state is in better shape financially. This would help local units of government who would not have to be so dependent on property taxes.
Rep. Moore said she favors expansion of Medicaid that would help serve those who are presently underserved. She said this is particularly important to smaller Kansas communities and their hospitals.
Sen. Braun said the legislature will be looking at STAR bond legislation. He said it will be important to assure that those who receive STAR bonds would be developers who would clearly meet qualifications.
The use of STAR bonds allows for state sales tax to be used for such things as infrastructure. The first use of such financing in Kansas was used in Wyandotte County to help develop Village West; it has been considered a model use of STAR bonds. However, other developments in other Kansas areas have not been successful.
Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is executive director of Business West.