The Trunk Report

A weekly re-cap, courtesy of Senator Susan Wagle

Kansas Senate Republican Caucus June 2, 2016 Sine Die

HARD FACTS

The Supreme Court is threatening to shut schools down over how less than 1
percent of the K-12 budget is distributed.
Funding for public education is now at a record high of nearly $4 billion.
Schools across the state currently have roughly $190 million in unencumbered
funds.

LEGISLATURE ADJOURNS SINE DIE

On Wednesday, June 1, the Kansas Legislature adjourned sine die, Latin for without a
day, marking the official end of the 2016 session. This session was the shortest session
since 1976 as veto session ended 17 days short of the constitutional allowance.

COURTS THREATEN SCHOOL CLSOURES

The Kansas Supreme Court continues to hold school children hostage by threatening to
close schools on July 1. In a blatantly political decision, the Court released its equity
decision in the Gannon v. State of Kansas lawsuit on Friday, May 27, shortly before 5pm
on Memorial Day weekend. This ruling was based on how less than one percent ($38
million) of the total K-12 budget is distributed, however due to the nonseverability
clause, the entire Block Grant funding system was deemed unconstitutional. With little
time to analyze the decision and develop the appropriate solution, the legislature
determined it was imprudent to rush legislation during the sine die session.
This ruling tramples the checks and balances enshrined in the state constitution. Making
students the collateral damage of their judicial activism should weigh heavily on the
minds of all Kansas voters when many of these justices are up for retention in November.
The Kansas legislature will do everything possible to stop the courts from closing our
schools. Unfortunately, the court has decided to play politics with our schools instead of
focusing on the educational interests of students in our state.

PROTECTING TAXPAYER RIGHTS

The Kansas Senate, on a 39-1 vote, overrode the Governors veto of SB 280, a bill that
would guarantee a uniform due process step for aggrieved taxpayers in the appeals
process. This is simply a taxpayer rights issue and we owe it to Kansans who disagree
with a tax court decision a reasonable opportunity to have that decision reviewed in an
appeals court for both accuracy and fairness. This common sense effort to clarify this
right for Kansans is why both the House and the Senate supported this bill unanimously.
The Governor turned his back on Kansas taxpayers with his veto by refusing to ensure
these basic protections. The Legislature continued to put the taxpayer first by overriding
the veto. The override passed the House unanimously and the bill will now go into effect
notwithstanding the Governors veto.

SENATE OPPOSES FEDERAL OVERREACH

Kansas Republican Senators passed Senate Resolution 1798, which addresses the recent
directive ordered by the Obama administration, thereby allowing transgender students to
use the school restrooms and locker rooms in which they identify. This would allow
members of the opposite sex to be present while students are in a state of undress and
using private facilities. President Obama has instructed our schools to implement this
directive, while threatening to unconstitutionally withdraw Title IX funding for public
education. With a vote count of 30-8, the resolution aimed at reaffirming our state
sovereignty, and defending the rights of our local school boards to design their own
policies. Moreover, the legislation protects the privacy, safety, and security of all
students.
In addition the legislation urges Congress to repudiate and overturn this form of
excessive overreach by the executive branch. The resolution also thanks Attorney
General Derek Schmidt for his efforts in joining the federal lawsuit alongside several
other states, challenging the directive. Kansas is the twelfth state to file litigation
against the Obama administration for this specific bathroom policy.