Lawmakers representing Lyon County say they will study a report of a new lobbying group hoping to make major investments in buildings across the Kansas Board of Regents system, including Emporia State University.
Numerous media outlets say lobbyists Ed McKechnie and David Kensinger — without official endorsement from the Regents — have put together a group of commercial contractors and subcontractors willing to tackle a range of deferred maintenance needs. The University Contractors Association of Kansas, as the new group is called, is looking for a seven-year, $315 million investment from the Legislature, or roughly $45 million a year during that stretch. The association, meanwhile, would fund lobbying efforts from McKechnie and Kensinger as lawmakers consider upcoming budgets. Universities may have to provide matching funds of $45 million annually, either from endowments of tuition, if the current plan is approved.
The Regents is asking the Legislature to set aside an extra $25 million per year for maintenance, rehab and demolition projects across its system. The plan as listed on the Board of Regents’ website does not break out specific projects by university. Emporia State University is not commenting on this development.
