Each week during the 2023 Kansas legislative session, we will provide Shawnee Mission area lawmakers the opportunity to share their thoughts about what is happening in the state capitol.
Below is this week’s submission from Democratic Sen. Cindy Holscher of Kansas Senate District 8, covering a portion of Overland Park.
Q: Why didn’t the governor veto SB 113, a school funding bill that contained certain pieces of bad policy, and call a special session for a clean bill that would fully fund special ed?
A: While SB 113 was disappointing in that it expands vouchers and did not add the needed $72 Million for special ed, vetoing it and calling a special session would be extremely dangerous for several reasons:
- The same group of legislators would be called back and unfortunately, the group is dominated by individuals who do not support public education; they could produce a bill that is even worse.
- The governor could give the directive regarding what she wants in an education funding bill, but that doesn’t mean the Legislature would actually do it.
- A special session is not limited in what business can be handled; more Brownback style flat-tax bills could come forward as well as anti-trans bills, anti-abortion bills, etc.
Q: We desperately need to get special education fully funded and stop diverting taxpayer funding to private entities. How can we get that to happen?
A: We have to stop sending extremists to Topeka to represent us. The governor needs a legislature that supports public education to pass bills in this regard. She cannot do it on her own and the small group of public ed supporters in the Legislature is dwarfed by those trying to destroy our award-winning public schools.
Q: I heard there were a couple of different bills regarding abortion this session. Didn’t we just vote on that issue in August and decisively indicate Kansans support access to reproductive health care?
A: There were actually over 20 bills this session to restrict abortion, less than a year after the overwhelming majority of Kansans voted in favor of access to reproductive health care. While Kansans rejected the amendment, those same voters returned nearly all of those same legislators who do not support abortion. As long as that keeps happening, we will keep seeing bills to restrict access and will likely see another amendment on the ballot to ban abortion in the near future.
Q: Why did the governor veto the line item in the budget for the Quindaro ruins in Kansas City, Kan.?
A: This item was inserted into the budget at the last minute without a hearing or vetting of any type. No oversight or specifics were provided in regard to how the funding was to be used, which is not typical of budgeted items. Many of those who are crying foul about the veto of this line item have NEVER shown concern for Quindaro in the past and could have certainly brought forward bills at any time this session or previously in this regard.
Q: The general public supports Medicaid expansion and firearms reform to reduce gun violence, but nothing happened on those topics. Why?
A: Extremists (who have a supermajority and control which bills get scheduled for hearings or are granted a vote) do not support Medicaid expansion, so it has not been allowed to move forward. Additionally, that same group is largely beholden to the NRA and will not allow any bills in that regard.
Q: What happened to legislation regarding medicinal cannabis, which passed in the House last year?
A: The Senate stalled on this issue, then toward the end of the session, the chair of the Fed and State Affairs Committee did an “informational session” on the topic which consisted of three days of opponents, largely presenting misinformation and fear-mongering on the topic. That was followed up with a bill hearing in which the committee tabled the bill, effectively killing it.
Q: What are your highlights of the 2023 session?
A: Defeat of the flat tax which would have shifted the tax burden to the poorest in our state. Legalization of fentanyl strips which will help save lives. And, finally, after four years, my work on SOL reform paid off, as we unanimously passed a bill in both the House and Senate that will allow more time for survivors of childhood sexual violence to pursue justice!
