There aren’t a lot of issues yet to resolve in the 2019 legislative session. That’s not to say there’s a lack of business to attend to as the veto session gets underway Wednesday.
Two main issues remain — the overall budget and Medicaid expansion, which passed the House earlier this session but hasn’t moved in the Senate. The upper chamber had a chance to move expansion out of committee Wednesday but fell one vote short. 17th District Senator and Senate Vice President Jeff Longbine of Emporia supports Medicaid expansion, but on KVOE’s Morning Show this week, he mentioned concerns about the procedural side of things as the discussion continues.
In a separate Morning Show interview this week, Governor Laura Kelly said the House plan passed earlier this session “is what Kansas needs” and the plan was researched already.
There is at least one more avenue to expand Medicaid. Lawmakers, notably Democrats, could write expansion into an appropriation bill. Steps on that front are pending.
Kelly vetoed a Republican plan to adjust the state’s income tax itemization policy and reduce the food sales tax because of the amount of money the state could lose over the next few years. She anticipates more study of those issues later this year as part of a more comprehensive look at the state’s tax structure.
Longbine says income tax policy may get another look during the veto session.
Kelly says the budget should include pay raises for state employees when it’s finalized.
The veto session lasts three weeks. Longbine expects the Legislature may end its business a lot sooner than that.
