Kansas House Representative Mark Schreiber is gearing up for the 2022 legislative session beginning next week.
The 60th District representative says the state is in a rare position of having a lot of cash on hand — $2 billion in ending cash balances from the end of fiscal 2021 this past July, as well as $3 billion possible by the end of the current fiscal year this upcoming July and over $1 billion in unallocated COVID money from the federal government. Schreiber says he would like to bolster Emporia State’s efforts to add students and help to create a thriving economic corridor southwest of Kansas City.
Redistricting will be a major focus after Census numbers were released last year. He doesn’t expect any major movement for his district’s boundaries, but he says there will be a lot of adjustments elsewhere.
On the budget, Schreiber says the state can do “a lot of good things” if it plays its cards right, and he’s concerned about the potential long-term effects if the state eliminates the food sales tax — which could affect the state’s bottom line by around $450 million. Both Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and her main election rival, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, have announced support for ending the tax and Kelly has submitted a plan for legislative approval.
Schreiber’s comments also came after Governor Kelly said the state had over $890 million in tax collections last month, above the monthly estimate by 8 percent and above December 2020 by almost 16 percent.
Before the interview ended, Schreiber said he will run for re-election. He has served the 60th District since 2017 and will be seeking his fourth term in office.
Legislative previews continue at 8:30 am Wednesday with 51st District Representative Ron Highland of Wamego, followed by 76th District Representative Eric Smith of Burlington at 8:20 am Thursday.
