Volume 2014, Issue 1
In this Issue:
• Back in the Statehouse
• Kansas House Elections Committee hears from Revenue Secretary
• Governor's Budget Proposals
• All-Day Kindergarten Plans
- Back in the Statehouse
The Kansas Legislature convened for the 2014 legislative session this
past Monday, the 13th of January. It was a busy week as legislators got
into the swing of things under the Dome. At the start of this session,
we welcomed seven new members to the House, which is an unusually large
number, not to mention the fact that last year we had over 50 freshmen
legislators. Nearly half of the House has turned over since 2011. We
jumped right into committee hearings on Monday, and Governor Brownback
delivered his annual State of the State address on Wednesday evening.
To watch it and the minority response, visit WIBW's website at
http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/Brownback-Prepares-State-Of-The-State-240260471.html.
We returned this year to the absence of plywood and construction
barriers. After 13 years, the Capitol renovation was finally completed
just days before the start of session. If you have a chance to visit,
you won't be disappointed by the new visitor center which includes
many images and artifacts tracing the history of our great Statehouse,
as and a beautiful new gift shop where you can purchase pieces of copper
from the old dome.
My calendar will remain full over the next few weeks as bills are
introduced and committees begin their work. This year I continue to
serve on the Veteran, Military & Homeland Security; the Transportation &
Public Safety Budget; and the Corrections & Juvenile Justice committees.
Complete daily calendars are available at www.kslegislature.org along
with other useful information. In addition to this newsletter, I am
also working to keep constituents more informed via Facebook and Twitter
on a daily basis, so be sure to follow me at
www.facebook.com/meier4kansas and www.twitter.com/melaniemeier.
- Kansas House Elections Committee hears from Revenue Secretary
On Tuesday, Nick Jordan, the Kansas Secretary of Revenue, gave a
presentation to the Elections Committee to provide information and
answer questions. Discussion centered on the procedures currently in
place by the Department of Revenue regarding the distribution/renewal of
driver's licenses and voting registration. In compliance with the
Federal Motor Voter Act, citizens who want to register to vote can do so
when renewing their license.
Secretary Jordan stated that for those who want to register to vote but
do not have the proper documents to prove citizenship with them, an
electronic version of their application is sent to the Kansas Secretary
of State's office, and the DMV will inform them verbally and in
writing that they have not completed the voting registration process.
This system is in place in order to help the Secretary of State's
office register voters in Kansas. But Sec Jordan explained that there
are actually thousands of citizens who have had their voter registration
status placed in suspension because of problems in transmitting proof of
citizenship documents from the Department of Motor Vehicles to the
Secretary of State. These are citizens who had the proper documentation
with them. As of this week, it is estimated that nearly 19,800 Kansans
who registered through their DMV office currently have their voter
registration suspended.
These are citizens who have provided sufficient documentation to prove
that they are citizens and have the right to vote, but they find their
registration suspended because the process to transmit that
documentation from the DMV to the Secretary of State is not working.
Unfortunately, unless this is corrected, many may not even know that
their registration has been suspended until they attempt to vote.
If you would like to know more about your own registration, you can
visit this site http://bit.ly/1asWmSk, call the Leavenworth County
Clerk, or you can always contact my office.
- Governor's Budget Proposals
The Governor's Budget Proposals were unveiled Thursday during the
Appropriations Committee meeting. Highlights of the budget proposal
include funding for increased veteran care, all-day kindergarten and
after school literacy programs, the restoration of the regents salary
cap, a pay increase for classified state employees, and additional
funding for the Kansas State Housing Trust Fund.
According to the Governor's office, his proposed changes to the budget
for the 2014 Fiscal Year increase government spending by $30.7 million
over what the 2013 Legislature authorized, and spends $429.8 million
more in 2015. The majority of this increase is the $362.9 million to
the Department of Corrections.
The Governor's proposal relies heavily on spending the ending balance
from last year. I am sure the final budget product for the session will
look very different than this initial proposal. Because the legislature
passed a 2 year budget last session (for 2014 and 2015), the only budget
work that is really required this session is for the Department of
Corrections. Their approved 2014 budget is grossly inadequate and there
is NO money in the 2015 budget for Corrections (due to the Governor's
line item veto last year).
- All-Day Kindergarten Plans
A hot topic during the first week of the legislative session was the
Governor's proposal to fully fund all-day kindergarten. Legislators on
both sides of the aisle have a long history of supporting all-day
kindergarten initiatives, but the plan has been met with mixed reviews.
Evidenced based benefits of all-day kindergarten include: reduction in
childhood poverty, more 4th graders reading at or above grade level, and
more high school graduates who are college or career ready. According
to the Kansas State Department of Education, the cumulative cost for the
proposed five-year phase-in would be about $244.5 million.
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.
Please feel free to contact me with your comments and questions. My
office address is Room 451-S, 300 SW 10th, Topeka, KS 66612. You can
reach me at (785) 296-7650 or call the legislative hotline at
1-800-432-3924 to leave a message for me. Additionally, you can e-mail
me at melanie.meier@house.ks.gov. Be sure to follow the legislative
session online at www.kslegislature.org.
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