Given the fact that it’s a redistricting year and an election year, 17th District Senator Jeff Longbine of Emporia has been quite pleased with the amount of business handled by the Legislature.
Longbine joined KVOE’s Morning Show on Monday to review the regular session and look ahead to the veto session. Longbine says Governor Laura Kelly’s decision to sign over $300 million in tax relief over the next three years is good for residents.
The governor has also vetoed a pair of bills that did not surprise anybody, notably a bill banning transgender athletes from participating in girls or women’s sports and a so-called Parent Bill of Rights designed to give parents more chances to inspect curriculum and other teaching materials. After the governor recently signed bills adjusting district boundaries last week, Longbine said he didn’t mind the changes for his district. Longbine loses the west half of Wabaunsee and part of Pottawatomie counties, but he also regains Morris County and gains much of Geary County.
The veto session begins April 25, with more discussion and possible action on either changing or ending the 6.5-percent sales tax on food, the omnibus spending package and sports gaming policy all ahead. Longbine says lawmakers are watching a report from the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group later this week to see how to adjust the overall budget, but he expects the latest numbers to continue the ongoing trend of revenues topping expectations.
51st District Representative Ron Highland of Wamego will be on Wednesday’s Newsmaker 2 segment. 76th District Representative Eric Smith of Burlington will be on Thursday’s Newsmaker 2 segment. Both interviews will start around 8:20 am.
