The Kansas Legislature is in recess between the regular and veto sessions, but Governor Laura Kelly has been busy in between sessions.
Kelly signed a handful of bills Friday, including one to expedite the use of sex assault testing kits. House Bill 2228 now requires sex assault kits to be tested within 30 days of them being used. The new law also gives law enforcement agencies an option of collecting evidence at child advocacy centers, where victims may feel more safe than they might in other settings. On top of those provisions, HB 2228 now lets the Kansas Bureau of Investigation keep the kits for up to 20 years instead of the current limit of five years.
Meanwhile, one of the issues that will likely dominate the veto session — the state sales tax on food — had another discussion point added Friday as the Governor’s Council on Tax Reform officially pushed for an immediate end to the 6.5-percent tax now on the books. The Council says a better balance of sales, income and property taxes will offer the budget more stability and will increase equity for taxpayers.
Governor Kelly, a Democrat, and her main Republican challenger this election cycle, Attorney General Derek Schmidt, have both championed plans to end the sales tax on food. Republicans in the Statehouse have mentioned several concerns with that general idea, including exactly what food would qualify for lower or eliminated taxes and how to fill the estimated $420 million budget shortfall.
The veto session begins April 25.
