House, Senate leaders look ahead to 2024 Kansas legislative session

(The Sentinel) – Will Kansans see a flat tax, property tax reform, and school choice in 2024? How about Medicaid expansion? What to do with a projected $4.5 billion budget surplus?

We asked Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins to preview the session that begins on January 8.

Mike Pirner is the Director of Policy and Communications for Sen. Masterson:

1 – Will the Senate override the governor’s expected veto of a flat tax again?

“If the governor vetoes it, the Senate will certainly hold a vote to override.  We hope that senators who have built strong records on standing up for the taxpayer will vote in a way consistent with that record.”

2 – What of the fate of the constitutional amendment to limit property tax vaulations?

“The Senate has already passed it and does not need to again. That is purely a House question.”

3 – Can Kansas join other states recently that have passed School Choice?

“School choice has been and will be a priority for the Senate President.”

Speaker Hawkins addressed the Medicaid expansion issue in an op-ed in the Kansas Informer. Aside from its inclusion of able-bodied workers with no dependents, Hawkins criticized the proposal’s reliance on a “work requirement” for recipients:

“The bill doesn’t contain a real work requirement. You could work as little as one hour in a year to satisfy the requirement. In addition, there are numerous exemptions to the work requirement, including a hardship exemption where the Kelly administration could just let anyone have a pass.

“The biggest concern with the work requirement is that it would never actually go into effect. Remember that Medicaid is a dual federal/state program. Any work requirement would have to be approved by the Biden administration. The Biden administration doesn’t like work requirements and has struck down attempts by 13 other states to impose them. Governor Kelly knows this, it’s why she’s inserted a provision that ensures if the Biden administration shuts down the work requirements, the expansion program would still go into effect.”

The 2024 legislative session begins next week and typically ends in May, with a three-week recess in April.