Blog

Senate passes comprehensive tax reform bill (Sub HB 2178)

The tax bill to start the process of getting Kansas out of its current economic crisis passed the Senate today after passing the House yesterday. It now goes to Governor Brownback’s desk. He can sign it, veto it, or just not sign it in which case it becomes law without his signature. In the Senate, the final vote was 22-18. Please thank the following Senators who voted yes: Berger, Billinger, Bollier, Doll, Faust-Goudeau, Francisco, Givens, Goddard, Haley, Hardy, Hawk, Hensley, Kelly, Kerschen, Longbine, McGinn, Pettey, Rogers, V. Schmidt, Skubal, Sykes, Taylor The following Senators voted no. Are they...
Read more Leave a Comment

North Carolina “Opportunity Scholarship” school involved in embezzling case

Here’s the latest on the “Opportunity Scholarship” neo-voucher program in North Carolina. “The athletic director of a private religious school that has received the most publicly-funded school vouchers in the state of North Carolina was arrested this week on charges of embezzling from the school nearly $400,000 in public tax dollars, the Fayetteville Observer reports. “Heath Curtis Vandevender is charged with embezzling $388,422 between Jan. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2015, from Truth Outreach Center Inc., located in Fayetteville. Trinity Christian School, which has received nearly $1 million in publicly-funded school vouchers since 2014, is under the Truth Outreach...
Read more Leave a Comment

Kansas House passes tax fix (Sub HB 2178)

The House passed a tax plan (Sub HB 2178) that will help Kansas fund its schools 76-48. We support this bill as way to help restore fiscal sanity and appropriate school funding to our state. Please thank those voting yes: Alford, Baker, Ballard, Becker, Bishop, Brim, Campbell, Carlin, Carmichael, Clayton, Concannon, Cox, Crum, Curtis, Deere, Dierks, Dietrich, Elliott, Eplee, Finney, Francis, Frownfelter, Gallagher, Gartner, Helgerson, Henderson, Hibbard, Highberger, Hineman, Holscher, Jennings, Johnson, Judd-Jenkins, Karleskint, Kelly, Kessinger, Koesten, Kuether, Lewis, Lusk, Lusker, Markley, Miller, Murnan, Neighbor, Ohaebosim, Orr, Ousley, Parker, Patton, Phelps, Phillips, Pittman, Proehl, Rafie, Ralph, Rooker, Ruiz, Sawyer,...
Read more Leave a Comment

KNEA editorial on partisanship

We share the sentiments expressed in this editorial from KNEA. [EDITORIAL] When Tempers Flare “Sometimes, under the dome, people get a tad cheesed off. We know we do! When that happens things can be said that might be regrettable later and much of that is expressed in hyper-partisanship. “Such has been the case over the last couple of days. Things are heating up in the capitol and tempers do flare. “We are counting on a bipartisan coalition of level-headed, common sense Kansas legislators to get Kansas through this current fiscal crisis and put us back on a path...
Read more Leave a Comment