March 8, 2016
Legislative update March 7
Last week, legislative committees continued to review recommendations made for efficiencies in state government by Alvarez and Marsal, or A&M. Recently, representatives from A&M testified the top 21 efficiencies identified in the report will produce 85 percent of the estimated total $2 billion in savings over the next five years. The House Education Budget Committee specifically looked at recommendations for efficiencies in K-12 education and higher education. The committee will meet again March 7-8 and continue deliberations.
Last week, the House Education Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 423. This legislation will change the name in statute to Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus. The committee passed the bill onto the full House of Representatives to be voted on sometime the week of March 7.
Gary Pierzynski, head of the agronomy department at K-State, testified before the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Senate Bill 404. He testified in support of the legislation to reconcile a dispute over property lines with an adjacent landowner. The committee took no action on the bill at the hearing.
This week begins the final three weeks before the first adjournment of the legislative session. On Tuesday of this week, the Joint Committee on State Building Construction will review the program statement and consider bonding authority for a laboratory building for the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Other committees will be holding hearings and working on bills to send to the House and Senate floor by March 18.
If you would like to receive a listing of bills introduced and being considered in the Kansas Legislature impacting Kansas State University, higher education and state agencies please send an email request to kstategr@k-state.edu.