Slim hopes for tax plans

BY: Mario Sequeira, Staff Writer

There is still hope for a bill in the Kansas Legislature giving sales tax authority for public safety projects and a research triangle in Johnson County.

Sen. Barbara Allen, Overland Park, chairwoman of the Senate Assessments and Taxation Committee, kept the bill alive Monday by incorporating the provisions into House bill 2264, dealing with tax cuts.

The committee recommended the Senate approve the bill. Allen said Monday the Senate is expected to pass HB 2264 after debate. The bill would then go to the House Taxation Committee.

Allen said she anticipated the Taxation Committee would pass a non-concurring motion, meaning the committee disagrees with the amendment, requiring further negotiation in a conference committee.

Allen remained cautious regarding the bill's fate.

“Anything can happen,” she said. “I'm not saying for sure we're going to get this bill to conference committee but that would be the Senate's goal.”

Allen said the proposals are “a pretty big issue and I think it's fair to say it would be good for the House to have a debate on the issue.”

The Senate on March 21 passed the public safety and research triangle bill, Senate Bill 375, 36-4. But in the House, Majority Leader Ray Merrick, Stilwell, referred the bill to the calendar and printing committee, effectively killing the bill.

Merrick said in a newspaper report he opposes advancing the bill because Johnson County commissioners do not support it.

Despite the rejection, House Taxation Committee Chairman Rep. Kenny Wilk, Lansing, agreed Friday to hear testimony from the bill's proponents on an informational basis.

Johnson County Sheriff Frank Denning advocated for a quarter-cent sales tax authority for up to 10 years to pay for jail expansion, a crime lab and other criminal justice needs.

Mary Birch, government relations coordinator at Lathrop & Gage, and Bob Regnier, president of Bank of Blue Valley, spoke for the research triangle plan.

The Johnson County Education and Research Triangle would encompass a cancer critical trials unit run by the University of Kansas Medical Center in northeast Johnson Count; expansion of the University of Kansas' Edwards campus in Overland Park, offering new programs in math, engineering and science; and a Kansas State University campus in Olathe offering food security and bioterrorism programs.

The bill proposes a two-tenth cent sales tax, a 2-mill property tax or a combination to fund the triangle.

In both cases, Johnson County commissioners would have to approve the proposals and obtain residents' approval through a vote.

Birch said a hard task lies ahead trying to win support from House legislators.

“We will be spending time over the next few days trying to secure support from enough House members that, should they have an opportunity to vote on the bill, we can get that support,” she said.

“All we're asking is enabling legislation to allow us to put together a plan that leaders and the community can support and try to make this project a reality.”

Allen said the sheriff's public safety proposal is an important need for the county.

“These sales tax proposals are about local control and allowing voters the right to decide for themselves,” she said. “If voters want to spend their hard-earned tax dollars on these proposals, I think they should have the opportunity to do that.”

Denning expressed disappointment the bill did not get a House hearing but remained optimistic.

“Everybody has worked so hard and we were just trying to keep some momentum here so we could solve some of these very critical infrastructure needs,” he said. “To say the least, we're disappointed. But we won't quit. We're going to continue to try. We're going to come back again.”