Kansas State University

Kansas Legislative Update

Submitted by Sue Peterson

This week begins the sixth week of the Kansas Legislative Session. Activity last week saw many bills being introduced in both Chambers and committee hearings are plentiful.

The House and Senate committees will be wrapping up hearings this week and sending bills to the floor for debate before the Feb. 27 deadline. This deadline is known as Turnaround Day, when all House bills need to be sent to the Senate and all Senate bills need to be sent to the House. The Legislature will not meet again until March 4 as members work toward the first adjournment on April 3.

Committee activity of interest this week includes:

• The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee will discuss SB283 implementing sports wagering in Kansas on Monday, Feb. 17.
• The Senate Ways and Means Subcommittee on Agriculture and Natural Resources made recommendations for K-State Research and Extension FY 2021 Budget on Monday, Feb. 17.
• Ernie Minton, dean of the College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension, will present the College/KSRE Annual Report to the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and the House Agriculture Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
• President Richard Myers will testify on the governor's budget recommendations for higher education and Kansas State University, K-State Polytechnic, College of Veterinary Medicine and KSRE on Wednesday, Feb. 20. The testimony will be presented to the House Higher Education Budget Committee and the Senate Ways and Means Higher Education Subcommittee.
• The Senate Ways and Means Higher Education Subcommittee and the House Higher Education Budget Committee will deliberate and make recommendations at the end of this week. The recommendations will be reported in the Feb. 25 Legislative Update.

• Feb. 28, Union Room 209.
• March 6, Union Room 209.
• March 20, Union Cottonwood Room.
• March 27, Union Cottonwood Room.
• April 3, Union Cottonwood Room.
• April 10, Union Cottonwood Room.