Kansas Democrats back bills to make government more transparent, accountable

Kansas Democratic leaders outlined legislative proposals aimed at increasing government transparency and accountability Thursday.

Today’s proposals come a week after they outlined four priorities for this legislative session: transparency and good government, strong schools, an innovative economy and increased public safety.

“Good government and transparency is the very foundation of our democracy – it’s how we build trust with Kansans,” said House Democratic Leader Tom Burroughs, D-33rd Dist., of Kansas City, Kan. “And far too often in recent years, this trust has been broken and abused. Having an open and transparent government is absolutely critical to all the work we do in the capitol on behalf of Kansans.”

Democratic leaders outline four specific, commonsense proposals and provided several other bills being introduced by their caucus members that focus on opening government to the public and increasing accountability.

● House Bill 2300 will end the use of private email accounts to conduct state business.

● House Bill 2153 makes the process of awarding state contracts more open and adds layers of accountability by creating a database of the contracts and requiring efficiency studies on the contracts impact on Kansas.

● A bill introduced later today in the Senate, sponsored by Sen. Tom Holland caps legislators pay at 90 days during odd years when the biennial budgeting process takes place, and 60 days during even years, to avoid government waste.

● Senate Bill 163 prohibits legislators and employees of the governor from becoming a lobbyist for two years following the end of their term or employment.

“When it comes to the state budget, critical investment in education and public safety, the people of Kansas have a right to know what is taking place,” said Rep. John Wilson of Lawrence, Kan. “And emails discussing these issues should be open for citizens to review. We must be responsible managers of taxpayer money and HB 2300 and 2315 make the process more open, more transparent, and more accountable.”

In recent years, the legislative session has far exceeded the 90 days set in state law. These extended sessions cost Kansas taxpayers nearly $2 million since Gov. Brownback took office.

“With overwhelming majorities in both chambers, the Governor and the Republican leadership should be ashamed of this serious mismanagement of tax dollars,” said Sen. Tom Holland of Baldwin City, Kan. “We can do better. If Gov. Brownback and his allies refuse to address the challenges our state faces in a timely fashion, taxpayers should not have to foot the bill.”

The Democrats believe that improving government transparency and accountability is essential as the legislature faces critical decisions affecting Kansans for years to come.

“These are steps we can take to make Topeka run more efficiently and effectively – and more openly,” said Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka. “These steps will ensure that as we address challenges like the budget, schools, and so many more – that we do it in an open way that gives Kansans the opportunity to observe or participate in their government. It is their right.”