Legislative update from Rep. Stan Frownfelter, D-37th Dist.
Kansans First
Gov. Brownback wants to politicize local elections
The continued assault on Kansas education
Keep in touch
Kansans First
This week I was proud to join fellow Democrats by signing onto the Kansans First initiative, a series of policies to help Kansas families who have been harmed the most by Gov. Brownback’s failed economic experiment. Kansans First is aimed at giving working Kansans the opportunity to succeed and prosper, and includes the: Hire Kansans First Act, a living wage bill, and reinstituting prevailing wages.
Hire Kansans First Act
The Hire Kansans First Act requires contractors receiving taxpayer dollars or tax incentives to hire a workforce composed of at least 70 percent Kansas residents. The bill will prevent the out of state exportation of labor and will keep jobs in Kansas.
Kansas living wage
Unfortunately, too many Kansas are trying to make ends meet with far too little. The livable wage bill will increase the Kansas minimum wage by 56-percent over five years, to $11.32. The bill then ties the livable wage to the Federal Poverty Line so it will continue to increase with inflation. A livable wage is critical to combating poverty and working towards a more prosperous Kansas.
Annual Minimum Wage (per year)
2015 $7.25
2016 $8.06
2017 $8.87
2018 $9.68
2019 $10.50
2020 $11.32
2021 and on Annually amended to 200% of Federal Poverty Line
Prevailing wage
Two years ago the Kansas Legislature prohibited municipalities from requiring contractors to pay prevailing wages, or a set market value hourly wage. This bill will reverse that action and will return local control to municipal governments, because Kansas workers deserve adequate compensation.
Gov. Brownback wants to politicize local elections
In his State of the State Address Gov. Brownback called for the partisan election of school board and municipal officials to take place in November rather than the spring, when they currently occur. Currently local elections transcend partisan politics, and focus on the issues facing communities rather than party agendas. Realizing this, local governments have almost unanimously come out opposed to this issue. If we really want to honor the principles of small government, we’ll allow local governments to keep these elections in the spring.
The continued assault on Kansas education
During the campaign the governor promised to protect education funding, but since beginning his second term, Gov. Brownback and his legislative allies have continued the assault on public education by:
• Issuing an allotment that would rescind 1.5% of each school districts budget for this year, and 2 percent from state universities, totally more than $44.5 million,
• Postponing the transfer of $20.8 million in Capital Outlay funds to June, and
• Proposing a bill which would change the way the state computes local option budgets equalization funds, immediately cutting more $39 million from local districts.
The individual cuts to education add up. As school districts begin to feel the pressure, so do students as class sizes begin to rise, teachers are laid off, and programs are cut. Failing to invest it Kansas’ most valuable asset, our children, is irresponsible and must stop.
Keep in touch
It is a special honor to serve as your state representative. I value and need your input on the various issues facing state government. Feel free to contact me with your comments and questions. My office address is Room 174-W, 300 SW 10th, Topeka, KS 66612. You can reach me at 785-296-7691 or call the legislative hotline at 1-800-432-3924 to leave a message for me. Additionally, you can email me at [email protected]. You can also follow the legislative session online at www.kslegislature.org.