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Opinion
by Murrel Bland
The Legislative Committee of the Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber of Commerce is looking ahead to the 2022 session of the Kansas Legislature in developing its legislative agenda.
About 25 members of the committee met Friday, Nov. 12, via Zoom.
The agenda will have many of the same issues as the legislative agenda for 2021 had, according to Mike Smallwood, the Legislative Committee chairman.
Those issues include support for continuing STAR bonds—a financing mechanism which uses sales tax revenue for major developments such as the Legends Outlet; streamlining of the permit process at the Unified Government; equitable rates for storm water control; consistent property tax that would use a several-year valuation average; high-quality education that would provide the necessary work force; expanded Medicaid for the underserved population; expanded gaming that would include sports wagering; lowering the sales tax on food; and origin-based sales tax.
The Kansas Legislature, which is Republican-dominated, has petitioned the Democrat Governor Laura Kelly to call a special session of the Legislature, starting Monday, Nov. 22. The Republicans are alleging that President Joe Biden is overreaching his administration’s authority in forcing Kansans to choose between their personal beliefs and their livelihoods.
The hope is that the session will pass two bills and be completed with its work before Thanksgiving, which is Nov. 25. Two bills have been proposed. One would prohibit employers from questioning the sincerity of a worker’s religious beliefs or medical needs; the other would provide unemployment compensation for workers who would be fired for refusing to get vaccinated.
State Rep. Pam Horton Curtis, a Democrat from the eastern part of Wyandotte County, said she doesn’t feel the special session is necessary.
It would appear that there may be a good chance that the sales tax on food could be removed. Republican and Democrat leaders say they would support the removal. A controlling factor is that the state has about a $1.3 billion surplus. Estimates are that revenue is expected to be about $10.96 billion as of July 1 with an ending balance of $2.89 billion. The governor said although there is enough money to take the tax off food, there is not enough revenue to bundle it with other tax cuts.
One of the issues will be the redistricting of congressional and state districts. The hope is that it can be done early in the legislative session so not to interfere with other legislative matters.
Murrel Bland is the past editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is executive director of Business West.