Kansas State University

  1. Kansas State University
  2. »Division of Communications and Marketing
  3. »K-State Today
  4. »Legislative Update

K-State Today

February 21, 2017

Legislative Update

Submitted by Sue Peterson

Starting Feb. 21, the House and Senate will work long days debating bills on the floor of the two chambers. Bills impacting higher education and Kansas State University can be found on the Governmental Relations website.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on Monday, Feb. 20. This legislation allows Kansas State University to sell three tracks of land: a small part of Marlatt Park on the east side of Seth Child Road; a small triangular piece of land in the University Research Park; and the site the Pure Bred Beef Unit currently occupies on campus.

On Wednesday, Feb. 22, Kansas State University President Richard Myers will testify before the Senate Higher Education Subcommittee Committee on the governor's budget recommendations for fiscal years 2018 and 2019. President Myers' testimony also will be posted on the Governmental Relations website.

Last week the House Appropriations Committee sent legislation to the full House of Representatives for all the budget recommendations put forward by the budget committees. The budget bill passed the House on Friday. Also on Friday the bill providing for a loan to the State General Fund from the Pooled Money Investment Board to fund the remainder of fiscal year 2017 passed. Both bills were passed to the Senate and referred to the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Also last week both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed and sent to the governor a comprehensive tax bill. The Legislature has to pass a FY 17, FY 18 and FY 19 budget, and write a new school finance formula. It was an important step to provide adequate revenue to make the funding decisions.

Please see the weekly updates every Tuesday in K-State Today through the final adjournment of the 2017 Kansas Legislature. In addition, the Office of Government Relations will host Kansas Legislative Review Sessions March 17 and 31 in Hale Library's Hemisphere Room; and April 14 and 28 in 21 Bluemont Hall. These sessions are open to the public and feel free to bring a brownbag lunch.