Hello from Topeka. This week we do a deep dive into the proposals in crafting the 2023 budget. Over the next few weeks, members of the Appropriations Committee will hear from budget committee chairs on what the agencies and other government offices would like for the next budget to include. We are already in the fourth week of this legislative session and there has been so much going on that this is the first column of the year. I continue to serve as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and am a member of the Appropriations Committee and Higher Education Budget Committee.

Senate Highlights

Hello from Agra!

The Legislature wrapped up its work for the regular session on April 9. Lawmakers will return to Topeka on May 3 for the Veto Session, at which time they will finalize the budget and consider any legislation vetoed by the Governor during the April break. I hope to see many of you over the next couple of weeks in person on virtually. 

SENATE HIGHLIGHTS - WEEKLY OVERVIEWS

This week was the last week of legislative activity before VETO session. Late Friday afternoon, the Senate gaveled out for adjournment and will reconvene on May 3rd for VETO Session. The Senate voted on numerous conference committee reports and also debated bills on the Senate Floor the last few short weeks.

Hello from Topeka.  First Adjournment is scheduled for Friday then we will be off for the remainder of April and back for the “veto” session beginning on May 2nd. We were on the floor last week passing both House and Senate bills and this week we will have a number of conference committees; these are made up of select members of the House and Senate to work out differences in bills and then both houses need to pass the bills for them to go on to the governor for either signage or veto. Here are some of the things that happened last week:

SENATE HIGHLIGHTS

Senate Committees continued to review bills which have been sent over from the House and we had two days of General Orders this week in the Senate. As we work though committee bills on the floor, we will also begin to have Conference Committee reports to vote on as well.

SENATE HIGHLIGHTS

Hello from Agra! This past week, the Legislature reached its halfway point known as Turnaround Day. Turnaround marks the last day for non-exempt bills to be considered in their house of origin. The House’s focus will now shift primarily to working bills that were passed by the Senate during the first half of the session, while the Senate takes up the bills that the House passed. The House devoted this last week to floor debate, working a total of 68 bills. Those bills now go to the Senate for consideration.

Hello from Topeka!  What a difference a week makes, as we have seen a temperature shift of nearly 70 degrees. This is not only hard on us humans, but for our pets and especially outdoor livestock and those that are amid calving seasons. We wish you good luck. One of the things that last week brought out was the possibility of higher energy prices in your next bill. Our providers have been working hard to keep costs down and we are continuing to seek answers on where we go from here. This will become one of the top issues we will be dealing with the rest of the session.

Senate Highlights

This week marked the sixth week of session with the first half of the legislative session almost behind us. As we approach “turn-around” the Senate held floor debate on Tuesday and Thursday and worked bills which were sent out of committees to the full Senate. The bills voted on by the full Senate now cross over to the House of Representatives where the process starts over.