From the Gallery
State Legislation
Taxes
The Kansas Legislature adjourned just before Easter
for the "lull before the storm" hits. The budget
remains the most troubling item for legislators to
solve in the last days of the session. It was good
news to legislators that the March revenues were up
$12 million or 3.5 percent above estimates. The
figures reflected a 7.9 percent increase in individual
income taxes and 2.8 percent increase in sales
taxes. The year-to-date figures are still $92.8 million
below the estimate or 7.3 percent from last year.
Theories vary among legislators on how to deal with
the short-fall with some, including Gov. Parkinson,
calling for tax increases. He blames much of the
state's deficit on tax breaks offered to
Kansas businesses by the state. Interestingly, the
corporate income tax receipts were up 4.6 percent
from last year's figures.
The biggest items in the Kansas budget is money
allocated to schools. Recent Kansas Supreme Court
decisions have required the Kansas Legislature to
place more funds into school coffers; money that
many argue was not there, causing the current
financial crisis. A statewide public opinion survey (600
respondents) conducted by The Research
Partnership on behalf of Kansas Reporter showed
that Kansans are strongly opposed to paying higher
taxes for schools because state aid per-pupil is 26
percent higher now than five years ago. This
additional funding came as a result of the Montoy
decision by the Kansas Supreme Court. The question
asked by the survey, "Would you be willing to
personally pay higher taxes to support Kansas school
districts if the total funding per-pupil that goes to the
school districts is up more than 20%?" The findings:
81.3 percent said "no;" 11.3 percent said "yes:" and
7.3 percent "don't know." Some conclusions as
published in the report:
- Kansans are generally misinformed about school
funding; schools are receiving much more money
than most Kansans assume. Both state aid and total
aid are up (+ 18 percent and + 26 percent
respectively.)
- People with children in school are less informed
than those with no children in school.
A new web page was initiated by the Missouri Show-
Me Institute that provides an interactive tool to help
taxpayers in the United States to study how their tax
burden has changed through the years and how it
compares to other states. The site, www.ShowMeID
EAS.org compares tax burdens on property,
income, sales and use taxes for individual states.
Kansas data shows that the tax burden in our state
increased by approximately 96 percent during a 30-
year period spanning from 1977 to 2007 with
numbers adjusted to inflation. The per capita figures
(adjusted for inflation) increased by about 71 percent
in the 25-year span between 1981 and 2006. In
1981Kansas residents paid $2,347 and by 2006 that
number had increased to $4,020. ["New Web page
Provides Insight into Kansas' Growing Tax Burden"
Holly Smith, Kansas Liberty; April 7, 2010]
Abortion
An insurance bill containing an amendment requiring
private insurance providers only to cover abortions to
save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest
is in conference committee. SB 388 cleared
the House and remains on the calendar for the
Senate. The legislation allows Kansas residents to
purchase an abortion rider to insurance plans if they
wish abortion to be covered. The idea behind the
legislation is to protect those people who do not want
to pay for abortions from being forced to pay for them.
It leaves the abortion decision and whether or not to
pay extra for that coverage up to the woman.
Action: Urge your legislators while they are home
to support this important bill when they return April
28.
Both the House and the Senate passed legislation
containing much of the language included in last
year's SB 218 vetoed by then-Governor Sebelius. The
bill passed the Senate 24-15 and the House 83-36.
To obtain a veto-proof majority the Senate needs three
more votes and the House needs one vote to override
a possible veto.
Provisions in the bill (HB 2115):
- Makes changes in the type of information that
must be provided to the Kansas Department of Health
and Environment (KDHE) requiring the abortionist to
state the actual medical diagnosis in justifying a late-
term abortion. In the past the term "mental health"
has been used to justify these abortions; noted
psychiatrist Paul McHugh reviewed a few of the
redacted records and discovered that mental health
could include a single episodic depressive state to
anxiety.
- The legislation would allow for civil lawsuits to be
filed against abortionists who have allegedly
performed illegal abortions. In the past, people have
testified before legislative committees stating that the
law was not followed in their abortions . . . the required
waiting period; incorrect dating of the fetus' age, etc.
This legislation would not allow for criminal penalties
as included in last year's bill.
- The bill contains the definition of viable unborn
children to include "a reasonable probability that the
life of the child can be continued indefinitely outside
the mother's womb with natural or artificial life-
supportive measures."
Kansans for Life, who have been working on this type
of legislation for the past five years, stated that there
have been 2,945 abortions performed on unborn
viable children in Kansas in the past 12 years in which
the abortionist failed to provide a medical reason for
the late-term abortion.
Action: Urge our Governor to sign this bill:
Governor Mark Parkinson, Capitol, 300 SW 10th Ave.,
Ste. 212S, Topeka, KS 66612-1590, (877) 579-6757,
or on-line through the
Governor's web site.
Federal Health Care Mandates
Unfortunately SCR 1626 did not receive
constitutional majority to be placed on the Kansas
ballot. Those who supported the amendment on the
basis that the U.S. Constitution does not support the
federal government mandating citizens' purchasing of
health care were stymied in their efforts to curtail
federal intrusion into private lives. A resolution asking
that Attorney General Six file a challenge to the
constitutionality of the federal health care reform
package has been filed in the House (HR
6032).
Human Trafficking
S Sub. 353 is awaiting enrollment and will be
sent to the governor for signature/veto. This bill deals
with human trafficking of persons (modern slavery).
We supported this bill and urge the governor to sign it
into law.
Community Defense Act
The Senate has delayed the vote on this until April 28
when they reconvene for the "wrap-up" session. CWA
of Kansas testified in favor of this bill in the House
committee, see our Legislative Update of March 22,
2010.
The bill was HB 2633 in the House and has a
new number in the Senate, SB 514.
Action: Urge your legislators while they are home
to support this important bill when they return April
28.
Concerned Women for America of Kansas
P. O. Box 11233
Shawnee Mission, KS 66207
Phone/Fax: 913-491-1380
Email: director@kansas.cwfa.org
Web site: kansas.cwfa.org
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