Listed here are the weekly vote tracking reports for state lawmakers representing Lyon County.
LEGISLATURE UPDATE March 1-3
The Kansas Legislature did not meet February 24, March 1, and March 2; however, the Legislature was in session Wednesday through Friday last week. Several new bills were introduced, committee work continued, and bills voted on are listed below with local legislators’ votes.
Our Emporia League of Women Voters Vote Tracking Committee tracks bills and votes on the following topics: abortion, civil rights, climate change, children, government, gun legislation, education, LGBTQ issues, Medicaid expansion, school issues, taxes, vetoes, voting rights, and water issues.
Last week, the following bills in these categories were voted on and passed; local legislators’ votes are indicated.
HB 2290, authorizing the affiliation of northwest Kansas Technical College and North Central Kansas Technical College with Fort Hays State University. Reps. Droge, Schreiber, and E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2269 would raise the minimum age for the sale, purchase or possession of cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and tobacco products to 21 years of age. Rep. Schreiber voted Yea; Reps. Droge and E. Smith voted Nay.
HB 2058, relating to the special-order shipping of wine; requiring monthly remittance of gallonage taxes. Reps. Droge, Schreiber, and E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2124, allowing businesses to sell cereal malt beverage by the drink on Sundays without requiring that 30% of such businesses’ gross receipts be derived from the sale of food. Reps. Droge and Schreiber voted Yea; Rep. E. Smith voted Nay.
Looking ahead: March 29 is the last day to consider non-exempt bills not in the originating chamber. Exempt bills are those sponsored by, referred to, or acted upon by an exempt committee: House and Senate Federal and State Affairs, Senate Ways and Means, Senate Assessment and Taxation, House committees on Calendar and Printing, Appropriations, Taxation
or select committees of either house when so authorized. The first adjournment is April 6. No bills are considered after this date except bills vetoed by the governor, and omnibus appropriations bills. The Veto Session is expected to begin April
26.
Prepared by Emporia League of Women Voters members Bob Grover, Doug McGaw, and Mary McGaw.
LEGISLATURE UPDATE FEB. 20-24
The Emporia League of Women Voters Vote Tracking Committee tracks bills and votes in the Kansas Legislature on the following topics: abortion, civil rights, climate change, children, government, gun legislation, education, LGBTQ issues, Medicaid expansion, school issues, taxes, vetoes, voting rights, and water issues.
During the week of February 20-24, the following bills in these categories were voted on, and local legislators’ votes are indicated:
ELECTIONS, VOTING:
SB 208, prohibiting the use of remote ballot boxes for the return of advance ballots. Sen. Longbine voted Nay.
SB 209, requiring the return of advance ballots by 7 p.m. on the day of the election. Sen. Longbine voted Nay.
SB 210, allowing candidates for nonpartisan offices to have such candidate’s political party affiliation provided on the ballot with candidate’s name. The bill did not pass. Sen. Longbine voted Nay.
SB 221, requiring affidavits of write-in candidacy for certain locally elected offices; providing requirements for counting write-in votes on ballots. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
HB 2056, requiring the return of mail ballots by 7 p.m. on the day of the election. Reps. Droge and E. Smith voted Yea. Rep. Schreiber voted Nay.
HB 2086 would make Kansas county election officers the only officials responsible for planning, conducting, and coordinating elections within their counties, along with ensuring the elections comply with federal and state laws. Reps. Droge, Schreiber, and E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2087, directing political parties to have procedures for the selection of presidential electors. Reps. Droge, Schreiber, and E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2053, authorizing the secretary of state to adopt rules and regulations for the use of remote ballot boxes. Reps. Droge, Schreiber, E. Smith voted Yea.
HEALTH/MEDICAL/ABORTION:
SB 5, prohibiting the prescribing of medications intended to induce an abortion via telemedicine. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
SB 6, restricting the powers of the secretary of health and environment and local health officers, repealing their ability to isolate or quarantine and impose associated penalties. Sen. Longbine voted Nay.
SB 96, establishing a tax credit for contributions to eligible charitable organizations operating pregnancy centers or residential maternity facilities. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
SB 98 provides scholarships for medical students in obstetrics and gynecology programs. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
Sub SB 131 provides a sports waiver for certain out-of-state physicians to practice medicine on a limited basis in this state during certain sporting events. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
HB 2082, allowing counties to create a code inspection and enforcement fund and expanding the county equipment reserve fund to include electronic technology. Rep. Droge, Schreiber, and E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2094, relating to health maintenance organizations and Medicare provider organizations; specifying certain requirements necessary to demonstrate fiscal soundness. Rep. Droge, Schreiber, and E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2263, authorizing pharmacy technicians to administer certain vaccines. Reps. Droge, Schreiber, & E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2264, enacting the no patient left alone act; requiring hospitals, adult care homes and hospice facilities to adopt visitation policies and procedures. Reps. Droge, Schreiber, E. Smith voted Yea.
CHILDREN:
SB 115, requiring notice of hearing on a petition for adoption. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
SB 195, authorizing the Children’s Cabinet to establish a nonprofit corporation to raise funds to benefit the Dolly Parton's imagination library book gifting program. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
Sub SB 232, establishing the office of the child advocate as an independent state agency and prescribing certain powers, duties and functions. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
SB 243, providing requirements and procedures for a person having legal custody of a minor to enter into a settlement agreement on behalf of the minor. Sen. Longbine voted ne voted Yea.
HB 2024, allowing the surrender of physical custody of an infant to a newborn safety device; adding the requirement of great bodily harm to the crime of child abandonment. Rep. Droge, Schreiber, and E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2034, requiring a child abuse review and evaluation referral; creating a program in the department of health and environment for the training and payment for child abuse reviews and exams. Reps. Droge, Schreiber, and E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2141, requiring cooperation with child support to determine food assistance eligibility for custodial and non-custodial parents; disqualifying such parents from food assistance when delinquent in child support payments. Rep. Droge vote Yea; Reps. Schreiber, E. Smith voted Nay.
HB 2191, authorizing the Children’s Cabinet to establish a nonprofit corporation to raise funds to benefit the Dolly Parton’s imagination library book gifting program. Reps. Droge, Schreiber, and E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2240, relating to qualified residential treatment programs and requiring the clerk of the district court to give notice of placement. Reps. Droge, Schreiber, & E. Smith voted Yea.
SCHOOLS/TEACHING/HIGHER ED:
SB 13, permitting certain local broadcasters to cover a school’s postseason activities notwithstanding such exclusive contracts. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
SB 66, enacting the interstate teacher mobility compact; recognizing equivalent teacher licenses from other member states, Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
SB 83, providing for additional student eligibility; increasing the tax credit for contributions made for the low-income students’ scholarship program. Sen. Longbine voted Nay.
SB 123, concerning postsecondary education; deeming veterans and dependents or spouses of such veterans who were stationed in the state for at least 11 months as residents for purposes of tuition and fees. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
HB 2092, relating to the membership of the Washburn university board of regents; reapportioning the districts of certain members thereof. Rep. Droge, Schreiber, and E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2080 authorizes students enrolled in virtual schools to take virtual state assessments. Reps. Droge, Schreiber, and E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2082 would authorize counties to create a Code Inspection and Enforcement Fund, a Municipalities Fight Addiction Fund, and expand the existing County Equipment Reserve Fund to include purchases of technology and technology services. Rep. Droge, Schreiber, and E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2092, relating to the membership of the Washburn university board of regents; reapportioning the districts of certain members thereof. Rep. Droge, Schreiber, and E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2138, providing state aid to school districts, community and technical colleges and the Washburn Institute of Technology for students enrolled in high school who obtain a credential; establishing the career technical education credential and transition incentive fund. Reps. Droge, Schreiber, E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2322, revising the definition of “children with disabilities” to replace emotional disturbance with emotional disability. Reps. Droge, Schreiber, & E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2236, establishing parents’ right to direct the education and upbringing of their children, including the right to object to educational materials and activities that are not included in approved curriculum or standards or impair a parent’s beliefs, values or principles. Reps. Droge and E. Smith voted Yea; Rep. Schreiber voted Nay.
GENDER/WOMEN/LGBTQ:
SB 180 would establish the Women’s Bill of Rights and provide a meaning of biological sex for purposes of statutory construction. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
SB 233, creating a civil cause of action and requiring revocation of a physician’s license against a physician who performs childhood gender reassignment service. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
HB 2238, restricting participation on women’s teams to female students. Reps. Droge and E. Smith voted Yea; Rep. Schreiber voted Nay.
TAXES:
SB 33, exempting all social security benefits from Kansas income tax. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
SB 37, expanding the transferability of income, privilege and premium tax credits relating to the Kansas housing investor tax credit act. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
SB 83, providing for additional student eligibility; increasing the tax credit for contributions made for the low-income students’ scholarship program. Sen. Longbine voted Nay.
SB 91, establishing an income tax credit, sales tax exemption and loan and grant program to be administered by the secretary of commerce for the purpose of developing film, video or digital production in Kansas. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
SB 169, providing a 4.75% tax rate for individuals. Sen. Longbine voted Nay.
SB 248, providing a sales tax exemption for sales of certain food and food ingredients and a sales tax exemption for purchases for the construction or repair of buildings used for human habitation by the Kansas state school for the blind and the Kansas state school for the deaf. Sen. Longbine voted Nay.
WATER/CLIMATE:
SB 49, authorizing any county to issue revenue bonds to finance some or all of the costs of the installation of a light-mitigating technology system. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
SB 205, authorizing certain water rights in a water bank to participate in multi-year flex accounts on a temporary basis. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
HB 2047, authorizing the secretary of health and environment to adopt rules and regulations for an annual certification program for water infrastructure projects and replacement of distribution systems. Reps. Droge, Schreiber, and E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2279, requiring groundwater management districts to submit annual reports to the legislature. Reps. Droge, Schreiber, & E. Smith voted Yea.
HB 2302, creating the water technical assistance fund and water projects grant fund; authorizing the Kansas water office to provide grants from such funds. Reps. Droge, Schreiber, E. Smith voted Yea.
Prepared by Emporia League of Women Voters members Bob Grover, Doug McGaw, Mary McGaw, and Gail Milton.
