Kansas Association of Community College Trustees

Policy

KACCT Newsletter March 17, 2006 700 S. W. Jackson, Ste. 1000, Topeka, Kansas 66603 - (785)-357-5156

Budget Approaches the Home Stretch….The House of Representatives took final action on the FY 2007 budget bill today, passing it out on a 89-32 vote.  The bill concurs with the Governor’s recommendation to include $5,086,081 for Community College Operating Grants, but also adds in $3.1 million to complete the final year of the out-district tuition buy-down.   The Senate Ways and Means Committee  -- Senators Dwayne Umbarger, Chrm., R-Thayer; Jim Barone, D-Frontenac; Donald Betts, D-Wichita; Jay Emler, R-Lindsborg; Laura Kelly, D-Topeka; Carolyn McGinn, R-Sedgwick; Steve Morris, R-Hugoton; Vicki Schmidt, R-Topeka; Jean Schodorf, R-Wichita; Chris Steineger, D-Kansas City; Mark Taddiken, R-Clifton; Ruth Teichman, R-Stafford; and David Wysong, R-Leawood – took similar action in passing out the Senate budget bill earlier today.  The bill is scheduled for floor debate on Tuesday, March 21.

M & E Tax Exemption Bill Struggling….The Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee has continued to look at HB 2619, the tax exemption for Machinery and Equipment which includes a “slider” to return losses to local units of government over a reduced schedule.  The committee has heard testimony from both proponents and opponents and most recently asked Legislative Research to develop scenarios which forecast possible gains and losses if this bill were to pass.  During the Ways and Means Committee budget discussions today, the committee was reminded to consider the potential cost of this legislation, $73.1 million per year, when looking at projections for the FY ’06 through FY ’09 budgets.  Assessment and Taxation have scheduled deliberations on the bill for next Monday and Tuesday.

Gaming Defeated in First Go-Round….Those pushing gaming legislation as an answer to some of the state’s budgetary shortfall were voted down yesterday when the Senate considered the first Gaming bill of this session.  SB 587, which would have expanded the Kansas lottery act to include electronic gaming machines and other lottery games at certain locations and authorized two destination casinos in Wyandotte County and either Crawford or Cherokee Counties, was defeated in a 16-20 vote.  Supporters of the legislation had hoped to add to their vote count by adding in the reinstatement of demand transfers for local units of government – cities, counties and community colleges.  Not wasting any time at a second attempt, another Gaming bill, SB 6, a carry-over from last summer’s special session, was introduced in Ways and Means this morning and there is hall talk that another Gaming bill could arrive in the Statehouse next week.

Meningitis Bill Ready to Move Ahead….The House Committee of the Whole has given initial approval to HB 2396 which calls for meningitis vaccine for postsecondary students residing in on-campus housing.  Final action is expected early next week.

Deferred Maintenance….There has been a joke circulating among higher education followers this week that it takes a “mini” tornado to touch down on your campus to initiate discussions on deferred maintenance.  Although there have been a number of behind the scenes meetings throughout the session, the devastation to the KU campus after last weekend’s storm only underlined the need for the Legislature to take a serious look at the need for additional dollars for maintenance on the Regents’ campuses – including community colleges and technical schools/colleges.  SB 586, the Regents’ proposal for a statewide mill levy increase and sales tax increase for building maintenance at state educational institutions, is on the agenda for Ways and Means on Tuesday, March 21.  With a number of costly items still on the table – the M & E tax exemption and K-12 finance – the bill may not move this session; however, it is hoped the discussion will at least generate a summer interim to more seriously examine this important issue for Kansas’ colleges.        

The Week Ahead….Committee meetings of interest next week include:

Monday, March 20:  Senate Assessment and Taxation

10:30 a.m., Rm. 519-S

HB 2619:  Property tax exemption for certain commercial and industrial machinery and equipment, materials and supplies – committee deliberations

Monday, March 20:  House Higher Education

3:30 p.m., Rm. 231-N

            Possible action on bills previously heard

Tuesday, March 21:  Senate Assessment and Taxation

10:30 a.m., Rm. 519-S

HB 2619:  Property tax exemptions for certain commercial and industrial machinery and equipment, materials and supplies – committee deliberations

Tuesday, March 21:  Senate Education

1:30 p.m., Rm. 123-S 

SB 586:  Statewide mill levy increase and sales tax increase for building and facility maintenance at state educational institutions

SB 588:  Establishing the Kansas technical college and vocational education school commission

 

Important Resources to gather legislative and budget information:
www.Kansas.gov
www.kslegislature.org Kansas Legislature
http//skyways.lib.ks.us/ksleg/KLRD/klrd.html Legislative Research Department