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All Blog Posts
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If the Legislature allows it, Kansans could vote to change the state's constitution to clarify 2nd Amendment gun rights. The US Supreme Court recently ruled it is an individual right, not a collective one, but an old Kansas court opinion says otherwise...
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Senate Bill 296 will be heard today, to prevent Kansas from spending any federal "stimulus" money until detailed agency reports show its effect on the state budget deficit in two years. What do you think of the proposal?
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The House Taxation Committee held hearings today on whether property tax valuations should be limited to 2% annual growth while local governments would be free to vote into place whatever mill levy they choose to cover their budget needs. What do you...
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The federal stimulus bill, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was signed into law by President Obama. Kansas stands to receive $1.7 billion from it over the next two years. Should state lawmakers turn down any parts of it over which they...
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SB 242 was introduced recently to gradually subject motor vehicles to school property tax mill levies once again, although it also gradually reduces the overall property tax "assessment rate" on vehicles. Different counties could see a net vehicle...
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A federal judge is now considering whether to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Sunflower Electric claiming the state unconstitutionally blocked its coal-fired plants. The Kansas Attorney General argues the expected carbon dioxide emission is a danger that state...
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The full House chamber this week will debate a $208 expenditure cut to the current year's state general fund budget. Of that cut, $66 million would come from K-12 education, which makes up more than half the budget. What do you think of the proposal...
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The State General Fund budget for this year is projected to end with more than a $186 million shortfall, or about 2.9% short. Assuming it's addressed with budget cuts, should they be made upon all agencies across-the-board, or should specific programs...
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It was a large part of the Governor's annual state address this week. How much greater attention do you think the Legislature should commit to promoting wind-generated electricity in Kansas?
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News reports quote Governor Sebelius, despite the state's budget woes, as saying "I'm not proposing a tax increase." Regarding K-12 education funding, Sebelius said there will be no significant increases, "...but there are, trust...
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The November unemployment rate in Kansas was 4.8 percent, up from 3.8 percent last year, but still well below the current national rate of 6.5 percent. How do you think the Kansas economic outlook through 2009 will fare versus the national?
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To tide over the current year's Kansas budget deficit at least until February, the State Finance Council just authorized a $250 million loan while Governor Sebelius was recommending $400 million. This same time last year, the state borrowed $350 million...
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Although the state budget is expected to end with a $141 million deficit this year and roughly a $1 billion deficit next year, Senate President Steve Morris said a new mulit-year transportation program is needed and "We don’t want our contractors...
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Governor Sebelius recently attended a conference of state governors in Philadelphia at which President-elect Obama spoke. Today's Topeka Capital-Journal (12/2/08) said Sebelius remembered Obama cautioning that states "could deepen the U.S. recession...
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An interim legislative committee today recommended that next year's legislature enact a special funding provision for K-12 that de-couples it from inflation, that is, when the consumer price index goes down, K-12 funding does not. What do you think...
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