Kansas lawmakers cut list of bills before session continues
TOPEKA (KSNT) – More than 50 bills are still on the table for Kansas lawmakers. Republican leaders gave them their blessing after last week’s turnaround deadline.
In total, there are 52 bills in the Kansas House and Senate that are getting the green light. KSNT 27 News spoke with our political analyst Bob Beatty and he says some of the remaining bills could stir controversy. A majority of the bills center around healthcare, education and crime.
Beatty says compromise will be the key to getting some of these across the finish line.
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“Governor [Laura] Kelly displayed a year ago she was not shy of issuing vetoes, she issued over 20 of them,” Beatty said. “There may be some bills that are passed, but the governor has her veto pen and she’d probably use it on a few of them.”
One blessed bill discusses a tax cut, it’s similar to the flat tax that republicans failed to revive. However, Kelly has previously indicated that she’ll call for a special session if a reasonable tax cut plan isn’t passed.
Another bill that made it past turnaround day is House Bill 2723. This bill indicates that the state would have $40 million to build or make improvements to homeless shelters. This would take some financial load off individual communities across the state.
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“It’s really been a bit of a burden in a way for towns and communities,” Beatty said. “So, if the state were to step in and pass a bill to offer some help to the cities regarding homelessness, I think that could really have a big impact on small and larger towns across the state.”
If this bill gets passed, the $40 million would be administered by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services.
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