Legislators returned to work last week after a short break following the first turnaround deadline. KLA and CattleTrace provided an update on the animal disease traceability pilot program for the House Rural Caucus. The same day, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means approved the subcommittee report, which recommended a budget enhancement of $250,000 for the second year of the CattleTrace project.
The House Committee on Insurance heard testimony on SB 32, which would allow the Kansas Farm Bureau to offer a healthcare benefit product to members that is not compliant with the Affordable Care Act.
The House of Representatives passed SB 22, which would reduce state income tax liability on individuals and corporations that increased during the 2018 tax year due to changes in the federal tax code following passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The House added provisions, including a one percentage point reduction in the food sales tax rate and a requirement to collect taxes on internet sales in Kansas. The Senate has the option to concur with the House and send the bill to the governor or direct a conference committee to reconcile differences between the two versions.
KLA provided testimony in opposition to HB 2345 in the House Committee on Taxation. The bill would grant another exemption from the property tax lid for local units of government. This exemption would allow a county or city to immediately return to the highest funding level budgeted in the last seven years, plus inflation, without a vote of the electorate.