Editor’s note: Sen. Mark Buhler, R-Lawrence, was appointed to fill out the remaining two years of the term of former Sen. Sandy Praeger, R-Lawrence. Buhler’s journal-style column will be published online throughout the 2003 session of the Legislature.

January 22, 2003

Streamlined Sales Tax

What should be simple of course is Not. Hearings began –this will take a while–on Streamlined Sales Tax (code word for internet sales tax collection among others).

Kansas Statutes now provide for you and me to report and pay sales tax on items purchased outside the State of Kansas. Obviously without an effective vehicle to collect and remit these monies, compliance is non-existent.

This is also an issue of fairness for local merchants that do in fact collect and remit sales tax.

There are many details that will be heard and discussed, it will be a long haul, so stay tuned.

Monday 27, 2003

Light day–quick session

Tuesday 28, 2003

Caucus reg Senate Bill #30
Supplemental Appropriations Bill-HAHA! It cuts the $48,000,000 Graves cut and re-authorizes (funds) LOB money for school districts. I’m still trying to understand how quickly they can cut local government (cities and counties). Must be the size of the hole we are in … State Funding for local government to raise money other than the Sales Tax…i.e. Savings Tax, not currently authorized by law for cities and counties or more Sales Tax. This bill is to be voted on Wednesday.

Wednesday 29, 2003

Financial Institutions and Insurance (F I & I) hearings on state health care. It seems that more costs, more people and more frequency are the reasons health care costs are outstripping inflation times seven. Our generation (baby boomers) are using health care at an alarming rate.
Senate Bill #16 on Drivers License regulation goes to Final Action on Thursday for passage. Senate Bill #30 is a supplemental appropriations bill that is, in fact, Governor Graves November allotments (cuts) to the tune of $48,000,000. The House is working on a similar bill HB #2026.
The Senate was “poised” to action on the bill on Wednesday. These are tough cuts that almost everybody feels obligated to support for now. It directly hits Local Government and the Highway Plan. The minority party was not quite ready to vote on these provisions so we will take action on Wednesday or Thursday. The first of many votes we will make that we know hurts somewhere else at home. This part is no fun!

Thursday 30, 2003

Met for lunch with the City of Lawrence officials, Mayor Sue Hack, Commissioner Jim Henry, City Manager Mike Wilgen and Assistant City Manager Dave Corliss. Talked about the impending cuts to Local Government, as well as the upcoming legislation regarding the current legal notice provision that requires cities and counties to publish legal notices in the newspaper. Cities and Counties would like to publish on the Internet in lieu of newspapers to save many thousands of dollars, hearings next week I don’t think newspapers will like this one…what do you think? Also heard a bill introduced regarding expansion of the Open Meeting Laws to cover newly elected
officials. The newspaper will like this one. The challenge to me is when do we go from the private citizen to the elected official. Now it’s when we are sworn in, I think. These kinds of bills are all about trust–something I’m noticing there isn’t much of around here.

Friday 31, 2003

Short session but you ought to know that as of Friday there are 122 Senate Bills and 142 House Bills in the works and we’re not finished–264 new ideas on how the state ought to change something. This is a very interesting process, a little confusing but interesting.