With the veto session beginning Monday, 51st District Representative Ron Highland of Wamego is looking at tax policy and the Kansas Department of Labor’s response to COVID-19 jobless benefits as action items for lawmakers.
Highland joined KVOE’s Morning Show this week for his perspective on successes, concerns and what lies ahead. He says one highlight was a bill to transfer oversight of the Kansas Department of Labor’s unemployment insurance program to an outside agency because of ongoing concerns about the Labor Department. Highland is not happy with the department’s response, and part of that goes into a bill on tax policy changes recently vetoed by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly.
The Labor Department angle involves a forensic audit of benefit payments connected to fraudulent activity.
Highland believes lawmakers have a chance to override that veto. Other recent vetoes on transgender athlete participation in girls’ and women’s sports, voter law adjustments, concealed carry policy and civics tests as a high school graduation requirement have a less certain future.
60th District Representative Mark Schreiber of Emporia will join KVOE’s Newsmaker 2 segment Monday with his look on the upcoming veto session.
