Tag Archives: Kansas Capitol Bureau

Bill would limit wind farms in Kansas

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TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Forty-one percent of the state’s electricity is coming from wind energy. That’s second most in the nation, but some people are saying that’s high enough.

A new bill would put major restrictions on wind farms in Kansas.

People from across the state came to Topeka to share stories about living next to turbines, or being concerned about the possibility of a farm.

“I live in an off-grid solar house, I am not opposed to green energy, however I think it needs to be done responsibly and in the right way,” said Esther Egli, who traveled from Reno County.

The bill would put restrictions on where wind turbines can go, and how construction is approved.
Many wind energy advocates are against the bill.

“Not only are we talking a taking of individuals private property rights, but we’re also talking about literally by way of a piece of legislation just washing our hands of billions of dollars, billions of dollars of potential investment over the next 10 to 20 years,” said Kimberly Svaty with Kansas Advanced Power Alliance.

Turbines would need to be at least 1.5 miles from a home, 3 miles from an airport or park, and one mile from another person’s property line. There also couldn’t be more than one turbine per square mile. The amount of shadows and noise could also be taken into consideration.

The sight and sound of turbines is a complaint that was brought up in the bill’s committee hearing Monday.

“I’ve worked in wind farms where I was working within a thousand feet of wind turbine, and if the conditions are right and it’s facing the right direction, it is obnoxiously loud, you can almost feel it every time those blades turn,” said Frankfort resident Jonathan Sill.

Wind energy advocates said they want to work with concerned Kansans, but a bill like this is already making some companies concerned about the future.

“To have the rug literally pulled out from underneath you, that should send a signal to all business and industry across Kansas, that maybe this isn’t the most stable place to do business,” Svaty said. “Because even if you’re successful, there could be some that are going to seek to derail you.”

Opponents of the bill will get their chance to talk to lawmakers on Tuesday.

New Kansas Senate bill would cover seniors' local property tax increases

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TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – A new bill in the Kansas Senate would use state tax dollars to offset property tax increases for the elderly.

The proposal allows certain people 65 and older to get a refund from the state any year their property tax bill goes up. If your property tax bill from a county went up $50, the state would pay you that difference of $50. The refund could increase in each year after, as the base year amount stays the same. There is a maximum savings of $2,500 a year.

To qualify, household income couldn’t be higher than $50,000 and a home could not be worth more than $350,000. The bill also applies to disabled veterans, and its sponsor said the proposal would give confidence to seniors.

“They’re facing a lot of economic pressures right now, and particularly in a post-COVID economy, my guess is you’re going to see more and more senior folks opting not to go into assisted living or to nursing homes,” said Baldwin City Sen. Tom Holland. “They’re going to want to stay in their homes the rest of their lives, as long as they can.”

Holland is sponsoring the bill with a bipartisan group of lawmakers.

“We need this, we need property tax certainty, we need to provide some housing assurances that our elderly will not be taxed out of their homes,” Holland said.

The Kansas Department of Revenue estimates more than 80,000 households would participate. It would cost the state an average of $20 million each of the next three years.

The bill has yet to be voted on by either chamber.

What Colyer announcement means for 2022 governor race

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TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Former Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer gave the first sign that he is running by naming a treasurer for his 2022 campaign for governor.

Colyer served as Sam Brownback’s lieutenant governor for seven years, then served as governor for just under a year, before Laura Kelly took over in 2019.

He ran for election in 2018 to serve a full term, but lost to Kris Kobach by 343 votes in the Republican primary.

Colyer hasn’t held office since. He declined to run for Pat Roberts’ senate seat in 2020. Now he seems to want to get back into politics.

“It’s certainly possible that by having a big name announcing early, it could scare off some other opponents who don’t want to deal with all the fundraising that’s involved when there’s a big name running,” said KSNT News political analyst Bob Beatty.

Though Beatty said that doesn’t work too often.

Another big name expected to run is three-term Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, but he has yet to commit.

Beatty said a primary between the two well-known candidates could impact whether other people jump in the field, such as state legislators.

A name that will continue to hover over Kansas politics is former United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

No matter who comes out on the Republican side, they will be facing an incumbent governor. Laura Kelly may look vulnerable now, but Beatty said that could change as we move toward 2022.

“The time for Jeff Colyer to enter the governor’s race is good because Governor Laura Kelly is dealing with some very difficult things, and it’s a very difficult year. However, there’s also the possibility that a year from now, the pandemic is mostly gone, the economy is booming, the troubles of the department of labor are fixed,” Beatty said.

He said much of politics hangs on timing.

“It’s early enough for Colyer to enter the race, but it’s also early enough for Laura Kelly to rebound from the difficulty of this year and be in good solid position for reelection,” Beatty said.

Voters won’t get to cast their ballots until the primary in August of 2022.

State officials prepare for snow in addition to frigid temps

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TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – The Kansas Department of Transportation is preparing for snow for most of the state. The cold weather is changing how it could manage the roads.

“Depending on the temperatures, the amount of wind, and if it’s a dry snow, if you don’t put chemicals out, it’ll just keep blowing across the cold road, and so we just have to keep the accumulations pushed back,” said Jaci Vogel, bureau chief of maintenance for KDOT.

Plowing will be the biggest task for those working to keep the roads clear. Normally trucks would put down salt mixtures beforehand, but that loses its purpose to prevent freezing when it gets this cold.

“With these extreme cold temperatures, it’s not warranted, because it wouldn’t be effective. So our tools in our toolbox are very reduced,” Vogel said.

The Kansas Division of Emergency Management is encouraging people to stay at home if they can because you don’t want to get stuck in this weather.

“These temperatures are deadly, and it is not safe to be outside for extended periods of time, and that includes if you were to become stranded on a road if you were driving out in winter weather,” said Devan Tucking, response and recovery services section chief for KDEM.

Tucking said to prepare for the worst.

“Keep in mind that the unexpected could happen and it’s very, very dangerous for that to occur right now,” Tucking said. “If you do get stranded, try to leave a light on in your vehicle, try to stay warm, and then call for help, and make sure you do not leave your vehicle to try to walk for help.”

Officials also said to be prepared at home with food and water and to make sure animals are taken care of.

Kansas lawmakers hold final hearings on rework of unemployment system

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KANSAS — Lawmakers in Topeka held their final day of hearings on a bill to revamp the state’s unemployment system.

Lawmakers heard from the Kansas Department of Labor, sharing their thoughts on the bill. But, amid the hearing, concerns of fraudulent activity in the state’s unemployment system took center stage.

The Kansas Department of Labor fielding questions from lawmakers hungry for answers on fraud and identity theft concerns that states are experiencing nationwide, and here in Kansas.

Rep. Kristey Williams, (R) Augusta, said, “We don’t understand how the mistake could have gotten that big.”

Rep. Stephanie Clayton, (D) Overland Park, said, “I really for one would be curious to see a lot of these workings, and to see it first-hand.”

Lawmakers held a hearing for a bill to make changes to the state’s unemployment system, like updating the state labor department’s computer system, and helping aid employers that are expecting increasing tax rates from jobless and fraudulent claims.

Brett Flaschbarth, KDOL Deputy Secretary, said, “Every time there is a sharp increase in unemployment claims, there is a sharp increase in fraud.”

A communication spokesperson for the department says they have not been breached, but the deputy secretary addressed concerns lawmakers mentioned about past fraud and identity theft in the hearing today.

Rep. Sean Tarwater, (R) Stilwell, said, “There’s been news reports with visual evidence of being able to type in social security numbers, and download self-populated information. Have you looked at getting the word out, or getting warning out?”

“The preliminary information we have from all of our security officials is that there was not an actual breach, such that would trigger broad reporting requirements,” said Flaschbarth.

While, the department says the issue’s been resolved, and there should be no impact to unemployment claimants going forward, some lawmakers fear for those that may have had their information accessed.

So, cracking down on fraud is one of the focal points for lawmakers as they work the bill. But, the fiscal note has been a concern. With some lawmakers receiving quotes of $700 million in estimates for how many fraudulent claims have been paid out.

“We are taking our time with the bill, we are involving all stakeholders, and I’m sure we will have a more solid fiscal note when it comes to that,” said Clayton.

Lawmakers say this bill is a long-term fix to these issues. Lawmakers plan to work the bill in committee next week. In the meantime, they’re asking for Kansans to reach out to them for help to get in contact with the department.

Opponents fear overly broad school 'voucher' bill will target large portion of Kansas public schools

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TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT)— Kansas lawmakers held a hearing on a proposed school ‘voucher’ bill Monday. The bill would create an education savings account program for at-risk students in the state.

Lawmakers in the House K-12 Education Budget committee have taken no final action on the bill yet. However, public school advocates are concerned about what this could mean for struggling students if it does pass.

Among opponents’ top concerns is the overly broad nature of eligibility for the program. Some public school advocates believe the bill would not only target a larger portion of Kansas students, compared to other states with similar programs, but it also doesn’t guarantee that students that are severely at-risk will get the help they need.

“A modest income student from a large family could qualify, even if they’re doing fine in school right now, and a truly struggling child in poverty,” Mark Tallman, a spokesperson for the state’s school board association, told the Kansas Capitol Bureau. “There’s absolutely no guarantee that, that child could take advantage of this. We don’t know whether the school would accept them, or whether the family would be involved to make that happen. These are bills to say they are helping struggling kids, but neither the current program [n]or this program actually require[s] that to be the case.”

Under some of the eligibility requirements, the program would be extended to students that are Kansas residents determined to be at-risk, and students who have participated in a form of virtual or hybrid instruction.

Tallman pointed out that it would consist of the majority of public students in the state, who have participated in hybrid learning programs due to the coronavirus pandemic. He spoke at the hearing Monday, providing examples of other states that have education savings account programs in place.

The fiscal note estimates about 10% of Kansas’ student population using the program. A similar effort in Arizona had about 7,000 students take part, despite about 25% of the student population being eligible.

“I tend to think most kids and families are pretty happy with their public school system, and I don’t think there’s a lot of dissatisfaction, but it’s really hard to know,” Tallman said, who estimated about 200,000 students to qualify for the program in the bill.

However, lawmakers estimated eligible students to be closer to around 2,000.

The bill would take base-aid funding usually used for public schools, and use those tax dollars to subsidize private and home schools, or other tutoring and educational services to best serve the child’s needs. If a child qualifies for the program, parents are able to withdraw them from public or charter schools and receive a deposit of public funds into a government-authorized account.

Tallman suggested placing a limit on state funding to the program to eliminate some of the concerns regarding the use of public funds for private and home schools, which don’t have to meet the same standards as public schools to operate in-person classes.

Committee chair, Representative Kristey Williams, R-Augusta, addressed the concerns of opponents, during the hearing. As a supporter of the bill, Williams believes it will benefit students in the state.

“For most people, it doesn’t matter what kind of place they go, it’s just that they are learning,” Rep. Williams said. “It’s just about helping kids, all kids, we need all hands on deck.”

Five states have similar education savings account programs in the U.S. This includes Arizona, which was among the first to implement the program in 2011 to help at-risk students.