A Legislative Report for Kansas Children’s Service League

2011 Legislative Session: Week Five (February 7-11 )

Rescission Bill Moves Forward…. In a test of their newly adopted “pay-go” rule in the House of Representatives, legislators debated the first of several budget bills we will see this session, the Rescission Bill, which makes adjustments for the current budget year. Under this provision, each amendment that calls for more spending must be balanced by a cutting an equal amount in another part of the budget. Figuring out just how the new rule would work made the process more cumbersome than usual with four hours of debate over proposed amendments taking place before moving the bill forward on an 81-40 vote. The final bill emerged looking much like it did when it left Appropriations with only minor adjustments for veterans’ services and deleting funds to Planned Parenthood.

After more than a week from their first deliberations, the Senate Ways and Means Committee made a few more adjustments to their version of the rescission bill before amending it into the House bill, making the new rescission bill Senate Sub for HB 2014. They shifted funds in the Department of Education to find $25.3 million for special education; added the Judicial branch – Supreme Court Justices, Magistrates, District Court and Court of Appeals judges – to those getting a 7.5 percent pay cut through the end of FY 2011; and cut disaster relief funding to the Adjutant General from $4 million to just $2 million.

The next step for the bill is full Senate debate, sometime next week. The bill then moves to a conference committee which will have the responsibility of finding compromise between the two approaches to ending the year in the black with more than a few dollars in the bank.

Prevention Numbers Garner Budget Committee’s Attention…. The Governor’s proposed budget for FY 2012 would eliminate the Juvenile Justice Authority’s prevention grant dollars. Kansas Children’s Service League would be among those affected with grant dollars used for Shawnee County programs including Healthy Families, Spanish Case Management and support for the School Attendance program. The House recognized this as a problem and restored $500,000 to their budget recommendation which has been approved by the Appropriations Committee, but still needs final budget approval before moving to the House floor. The Senate Ways and Means Subcommittee responsible for the JJA Budget was even more concerned after seeing the impact prevention dollars has made in reducing the juvenile offender population. Dona Booe, KCSL’s vice president of program services, was among those who testified. Vicki Schmidt, R-Shawnee and sub-committee chairman, noted “We have results to show the dollars on this one are working” and went on to say “eliminating prevention dollars does not make sense.” The sub-committee, which also includes Carolyn McGinn, R-Sedgwick; , R-Andover; and , D-Kansas City, restored approximately $1,000,000 for prevention grants. The sub-committee’s report still must be approved by the full Ways and Means Committee before the budget bill is finalized for full Senate consideration.

SRS Budget Sub-committee Has Tough Decisions Ahead…. After a week of hearings on the SRS budget, the Ways and Means Sub-committee dealing with this budget delayed their final recommendations until Tuesday afternoon, February 15. Sub- committee members Carolyn McGinn, R-Sedgwick, chrm.; , R-Wichita; , R-Stafford; , R-Thayer; Terrie Huntington, R- Fairway; and , D-Topeka, heard impassioned testimony from those areas which will be significantly impacted by proposed cuts to the SRS budget. One meeting was devoted entirely to early childhood educators and parents who touted the benefits of the Kansas Early Head Start program which is among those areas hardest hit in the Governor’s proposed budget. Committee members questioned the wisdom of eliminating funding for KEHS which has evidence to prove its successes and use, as the Governor suggests, these dollars for a new reading program, which reportedly would only be available in a few areas, as well as child care assistance.

Bills to Watch…. Among those bills we are following are:

SB 16: Supplemental appropriation for FY 2011 (Ways and Means) – Passed out of committee, 2/10, as Senate Sub for HB 2014 SB 23: Concerning juvenile offenders; relating to jury trials (Judiciary) – Passed out of committee, 2/11 SB 38: An act concerning children; relating to permanency; priority of certain orders (Judiciary) – Passed Senate, 38-0; received in House 2/9; referred to Judiciary SB 39: Creating the classification of "aggravated sex offender;" creating additional penalties and restrictions for sex offenders (Judiciary) – Continuation of hearing 2/15 SB 52: An act concerning children and minors; relating to grandparents’ custody of children (Judiciary) – Hearing 2/7 SB 81: An act concerning children and minors; relating to adoption (Judiciary) SB 84: An act concerning children and minors; relating to permanency planning (Judiciary) SB 94: An act concerning children and minors; relating to orders of temporary Custody (Judiciary) HB 2014: Supplemental appropriation for FY 2011 (Appropriations) – Passed House 81-40; Ways & Means passed as amended, Senate Sub for HB 2014, 2/10 HB 2073: An act concerning orders of support of a child (Judiciary) -- Hearing 2/3 HB 2103: An act concerning children in need of care; relating to termination of parental rights (Children and Families and Judiciary) HB 2105: An act concerning children in need of care; relating to removal of a child from parent’s custody (Children and Families) HB 2111: An act concerning child care (Children and Families) HB 2137: An act concerning children and minors; establishing the protective parent reform act (Children and Families) HB 2142: An act concerning children in need of care; relating to the powers of the court (Judiciary) HB 2289: Appropriations for waivers for Fiscal Year 20112 (Appropriations)

Week Six Meetings of Interest….

Monday, Feb. 14: 10:30 a.m. Ways and Means – 548-S Possible action on bills previously heard

Tuesday, Feb 15: 9:30 a.m. Judiciary – 548-S SB 39: Creating the classification of “aggravated sex offender,” creating additional penalties and restrictions for sex offenders

10:30 a.m. Ways and Means – 548-S Subcommittee report on JJA budget; Possible action on bills previously heard

Upon adjournment: Ways and Means Sub-committee on SRS – 348-S Deliberations

For additional information, please contact Jennie Rose, [email protected] web site: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/