February 23, 2016
Legislative update Feb. 22
Last week was budget week in both the Kansas House of Representatives and in the Kansas Senate. The budget was contained in House Substitute for Senate Bill 161 and makes changes to fiscal year 2016 and fiscal year 2017 to maintain a positive ending balance for both years. The bill was sent to a House-Senate Conference Committee to work out the differences in the bills passed by both chambers. The committee's report was passed by both the House and Senate last week sending the appropriations to Gov. Sam Brownback. The final bill included a Senate-passed floor amendment creating a separate line in the Kansas State University budget for the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus budget. There were no other changes made to Kansas State University that were not in the governor's recommendations.
Also last week, the Senate debated and passed Senate Bill 423. This legislation will change the name in statute to Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus. The bill now goes to the House for consideration.
This week is what is referred to in the legislative calendar as Turnaround Week. All bills out of committees can be taken up on the House and Senate floors. After Tuesday of this week bills are sent to the other house for consideration. There are no committee hearings scheduled in either house this week. The Legislature will adjourn after Tuesday and return March 2.