LEGISLATURE IN SUPER SAUSAGE MAKING MODE!

The Kansas Legislative Week in review with news and analysis by Chuck Weber, executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference

In this Week's Newsletter:

• FOLLOW THE MONEY--THE KANSAS GOVERNMENT BUDGET DEBATE
• LET'S TALK EDUCATION--FOR CATHOLICS AND ALL KANSAS KIDS
• HELP NOT HARM -- PROTECTING CHILDREN AND PARENTS FROM MILITANT GENDER EXTREMISTS
• THE WEEK AHEAD IN TOPEKA 

The family-owned custom butcher shop where I spent countless hours working as a kid made delicious sausage. Customers were not very interested in seeing how the sausage was made, or what went into it, but they sure enjoyed the taste of the end product.   

This age-old analogy to the legislative process of making laws is probably as good as any. During the past week, your elected officials in Topeka were busy with the "sausage making" of legislation, shaping the Kansas budget (plus other issues) and prioritizing how your Kansas tax dollars are allocated and spent.

We all want safe roads, effective law enforcement, schools that educate our children and a host of other government services. The taxes and fees we pay help make that happen. The process of making these decisions is complex, tedious and difficult. The end product--The Kansas Budget--is a reflection of Kansas priorities.  

Sacred Scripture says this:  

As the voice of the Kansas Catholic Bishops on matters of public policy, the Kansas Catholic Conference (KCC) does not often enter into the budget debate. We certainly care about taxes, spending and budget priorities. They can impact the well-being of individuals and the health of families. There are a few instances where we raise our voice in support, or protest, of certain budget policies. For instance, we vehemently oppose the use of tax dollars for abortion. We supported the elimination of sales taxes on groceries. 

It is difficult to follow the budget process in Kansas. For those who wish to learn more, start with the budget page of the Kansas Legislative Research Department (KLRD), the non-partisan source of information for legislators and citizens: Kansas Legislative Research Department Budget page. Here you will find a good overview of where your tax dollars are being spent in Kansas. 

If you're up for it, here is a partial taste of the "legislative sausage-making process" on the Kansas Budget from this past Friday. House Appropriations Committee Budget deliberation February 7 2025 

Here's what's happening. 

Members of the Appropriations Committee go through the budget recommendations that come from other committees (like Agriculture, Social Services, Commerce, etc.) line-by-line, asking questions, explaining decisions and making recommendations. The Appropriations Committee will soon "pass out of committee" (by a vote) their recommended budget.  This recommendation is then moved to a full floor debate in the House--with questions, explanation of decisions and sometimes changes.

The process isn't over, because the Senate is going through the same process right now! 

Eventually, the House and Senate pass their own versions of the Budget, which will almost certainly be different from each other.  These differences will be ironed out later in a Conference Committee made up of leaders from the House and Senate. 

Eventually, the House and Senate will come up with ONE BUDGET PLAN. Legislators cannot adjourn until the House and Senate have agreed upon a Budget--and the Governor signs it into law.  Pray for our legislators, that the decisions they make reflect policies and priorities that benefit the common good.     

Catholics & The Education Debate

There are few topics in the halls of the Kansas Statehouse creating as much tension, and as much vitriol, as the education debate. We ALL want what's best for our children. It's the path to "what's best" that causes a lot of friction. 

Regrettably, this discussion often degenerates, as it did this past week, into rhetoric that leaves the needs of children behind, and touches upon questions that may reflect anti-Catholic and anti-Christian bigotry.   

Roughly one-half of the Kansas State Budget is dedicated to education. According to data from the Kansas Department of Education, (and published by the Kansas Policy Institute), the cost of K-12 education in Kansas, per pupil, is $18,324: Kansas Policy Institute Briefing Book 2025. 

There is a growing sense that taxpayers are not getting the excellence in education they want and deserve for their children. This is unacceptable--for any citizen or any parent in Kansas, no matter where your child goes to school, or how they are educated (i.e. public school, private school, Catholic school, home school, etc.).  

It is indisputable that children from low-income families score lower on achievement tests than their wealthier counterparts.  It is these very low-income children that do better when afforded the opportunity to attend a school that best matches their needs!   

Catholics care so much about the education of children that they typically support TWO school systems--a parish or diocesan school, and their local public school.  

It must be acknowledged that the public school system in Kansas (and around the country) is in many cases failing our children. Our friends at the non-partisan Kansas Policy Institute do a good job of keeping tabs on the details of educational opportunities, achievements and the overall state of education in Kansas. Here is the latest from KPI: Education Scores in Kansas

This past week there were two public debates on the same legislative proposal. The Kansas House Education Committee heard and discussed HB 2136, the Kansas Senate Education Committee heard and discussed SB 87.   

These nearly identical bills address what is commonly called the low income tax credit scholarship program, which has been serving low-income families and their students in Kansas for almost 10 years. Here is the official page of the Kansas State Department of Education that describes this program: The Kansas Low Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program

Here's the shorthand description: 

The Low Income Student Scholarship Program in Kansas allows taxpayers to donate to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGO's), and receive a tax credit in return. These SGO's are non-profit groups that distribute scholarships. The donations to an SGO help fund scholarships for eligible students to attend qualified schools. 

This program does NOT:

• Take money away from public schools.
• Give anyone a "financial break."  If a taxpayer owes the state $1,000, that taxpayer still must pay $1,000. But instead of going to the State of Kansas, the dollars go to the scholarship fund. 
• There are other misconceptions about this program which you can read about in this article that provides the basics: Tax Credit Scholarship Myths and Truths

This program DOES:

• Serve low-income families and students who seek a better fit for their unique educational needs.   
• Demonstrates better achievement when these high-risk students are able to attend a non-public school. 

The data below is a few years old, but still applicable. It shows low income student scores for Math and English Language Arts. 

Catholic Schools are the single-largest educator of children in Kansas, outside the public school system. Because of this, The Kansas Catholic Conference, Catholic schools and our students and families were front and center in this debate. During the hearings in House and Senate Education Committees this past week, we were astounded by some of the questions asked of us by legislative members.  

You can watch the House hearing here.  The proponents (our side) testimony on the low income tax credit scholarship measure begins at about 15:10.  Our short testimony begins at 19:30, followed by an absurd and unrelated question asked by low income tax credit opposition legislator Rep. Featherston at 20:46.  The same legislator also asks a Catholic priest from Wichita the "definition of charity" at 31:23.   

Another State Representative, Mari-Lynn Poskin, calls the low income tax credit program a "holy tax scam" and "a shell game" at 52:45. You can read her written testimony here: Poskin Parental School Choice Opposition Testimony  Not only are these comments beyond the pale of honest, civil debate, they demonstrate a basic misunderstanding and ignorance of the program serving low income families and students, as well as the nature of tax credits in Kansas. Tax credits are used by dozens of organizations and purposes. They are hardly a "scam" (let alone a "holy" scam), and have been around for a long time. Here is a review of tax credit programs in Kansas.Kansas Tax Credits  

You can read through all the proponent and opponent testimony here.  

We welcome the debate about education in Kansas.  We have a solution.  We point out these ridiculous and some might say bigoted examples to demonstrate what we are up against when trying to serve low-income students in Kansas--a great many of whom come from minority families--with better educational opportunities. We also point out that our Catholic schools serve a great many students who are not Catholic.

We will continue to do our best to provide outstanding educational opportunities to all Kansas children, no matter their ethnicity, religion, household income or zip code. 

Help Not Harm is on the Governor's Desk

We anticipate that Governor Kelly will soon veto the Help Not Harm Act, designed to protect children in Kansas from gender mutilation through surgery or chemicals.  We believe there are enough votes to override the veto. SB 63 Help Not Harm Act

Please contact your State Senator and your State Representative and urge them to vote to override this veto so we can eradicate Kansas from this insidious practice that is deceiving children and parents and is permanently altering the minds and bodies of Kansas children.  

On the national level, President Trump signed an Executive Order on Wednesday, February 5th, titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports".  We established this in Kansas with HB 2238- Fairness in Women's Sports, during the 2023 Legislative Session. 

Honoring the Late Great Rep. Marvin Robinson

This past week, the Kansas Legislature honored the late great Rep. Marvin Robinson by designating a portion of a highway near his Kansas City, Kansas home with his name.  Here is the bill: HB 2029 Honoring Rep Marvin Robinson  We have talked about Rep. Robinson in past issues of this newsletter. I invite you to read about him in my recent column published in The Leaven, the newspaper for the Archdiocese of Kanas City in Kansas. Honoring the late great Rep Marvin Robinson

The Week Ahead

The 2025 Kansas Legislative Session rolls forward.  We touched on the Kansas Budget at the start of the newsletter. Closely connected to the Kansas Budget is the Kansas Tax Question. Income taxes. Property taxes.  All sorts of taxes. We'll keep an eye on what happens. 

There are two bills of interest coming up this week. On Monday, the Senate Education Committee will hear testimony on SB 76  which would require employees of school districts and post secondary educational institutions to use the name and pronouns consistent with a student's biological sex and birth certificate. The Kansas Catholic Conference views this as a parental rights measure, and we will be offering testimony in favor. 

On Thursday, the House Federal and State Affairs Committee will hear testimony on SCR 1602 "Encouraging the governor to fully cooperate with federal enforcement of immigration laws." The KCC supports the enforcement of our immigration laws. Law enforcement can and should be done in a humane and orderly way. 

We realize that the world of politics and policy, particularly when viewed through the lens of the Catholic worldview, can create heated rhetoric.  We urge all involved to "civilize it," and refrain from personal and religious attacks that serve no purpose.  

Here is some guidance for all to consider--myself as well!  https://www.usccb.org/civilizeit

Pray for your legislators as they strive to use the law and civil authority to fashion laws that protect and respect all people.  

Until next week, we persevere.

Chuck Weber
Kansas Catholic Conference