Dear Friends,
The regular 2009 legislative session ended Saturday, April 4. The Legislature will reconvene Wednesday, April 29, for veto session.
New financial estimates will be calculated April 17 by the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group to help the Legislature determine if more steps will be needed to shape the budget. Based on the March 31 report of March revenues being down $57 million, there will likely need to be more spending reductions. For four consecutive months we have had lower revenues than expected, and March is the biggest drop since the 2008 November CRE report. 2009 fiscal year-to-date receipts are $135 million lower than the Nov. 4 estimate.
What does it all mean? We didn't cut enough spending to match the declining revenue.
The 2009 rescission bill anticipated a $167 million ending balance, but the March revenues indicate an ending balance of $110 million, and the $57 shortfall rolls forward reducing the beginning 2010 budget as well.
The Legislature relied on federal stimulus money to keep spending at high levels for Medicaid, K-12 education and higher education. Overall, spending for K-12 education was reduced by only 0.1% below FY 2009 and higher education was reduced 0.8%. In comparison, other state agencies, including those representing social services and public safety, had budgets reduced by 6.0 - 9.0% or more. When the one-time federal stimulus money goes away, the state is likely to be facing a $1.250 billion deficit.
An increase of $4 million was targeted to the Home and Community Based Services for the physically disabled, but I am sorry to say we did not address the waiting list for the developmentally disabled and I am hoping we can make some adjustments in the veto session for those most vulnerable in our society who need our help.
I voted against this budget. I believe we could have done much better for our most vulnerable, and we did very little to address the state budget's severe structural problems.
Another comprehensive energy bill was passed and it was designed to:
- Address our state’s need for base load energy and transmission lines;
- Encourage the expansion of renewable energies and energy efficiency;
- Ensure affordable electricity for all Kansans; and
- Restore regulatory fairness in Kansas.
The details will be listed on the Legislative Reports page on my website.
I was planning on giving a legislative update at the next Northwest Johnson County Republicans (NWJCR) meeting, but it would be at the end of a pretty full agenda so I don't know if you will want to ask questions. However, you are welcome to pull me aside and ask me about any private concerns you might have. There will be another legislator attending, Rep. Lance Kinzer, who will be speaking about the recent late-term abortion legislation we just passed which will hold abortion providers more accountable to already existing Kansas law. I expect Rep. Kinzer might have a few choice words to say about the state budget as well.
In addition, Mary Kay Culp, who lives in the 10th senate district and is director of Kansans for Life, will be speaking briefly to introduce Laurie Hermesch and Michelle Armesto-Berge who will relate their experiences with late-term abortion. At a future date, we will have Jack Confer, the executive director of the Kansas Board of Healing Arts explain his state agency's role in protecting Kansas citizens' health.
The meeting will be held at Barley's off Midland Drive on Monday, April 6 at 6:30 pm. You are encouraged to order food or drinks and you don't have to be Republican to attend. It's a great atmosphere and we are a very friendly crowd.
Please let me know if you are not comfortable with my effort to blend my townhall meetings with the NWJCR meetings. The NWJCR members are some of our most engaged citizens in the 10th senate district and I work with Chairman Mike Pirner to formulate the agenda so we can give appropriate information about state legislative action. I sincerely care about your concerns and look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Mary Pilcher Cook
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