6 April 2024
TOPEKA (KSNT) — Kansas lawmakers have passed a budget package, which sets aside billions of dollars over the course of several years. It now heads to the Governor’s desk.
While the bill includes some bipartisan measures, some lawmakers decried other parts of the plan that include provisions to weed out “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” — or DEI — activities in schools. It would withhold $2 million from universities, until they can certify that they didn’t engage in DEI activities for fiscal year 2025.
“Are we going to take away the right for institutions to make sure that the culture of their campus supports the learning?,” Rep. Kirk Haskins, D-Topeka, said.
One Democrat also questioned whether the bill was “equitable” in distributing money for groundwater contamination.
“It always appears as though for those people who look like me… and those communities that look like mine…,” Rep. Ford Carr, D-Wichita, said.
The bill addresses water well contamination from abandoned wells located in Butler County and directs the agency to work with two affected landowners. It would set aside $250,000 for the demolition of habitable structures located on both properties.
However, Carr says he introduced legislation requesting money to address issues for the 29th and Grove community in Wichita, where multiple homes were impacted by groundwater contamination in 2023.
“I look forward to my bill being heard next session… that will apply the same formula to the groundwater contamination and ask the state to appropriate $425 million to allow the homeowners of the 29th and Grove area in Wichita to be able to find new housing, so that it will not poison them,” Carr said.
Among the less controversial measures is money set aside for the 2026 World Cup. The proposal earmarks $28 million in federal ARPA funds for the event. This provision was requested by FIFA World Cup Kansas City earlier this year.
The proposal would also increase Medicaid reimbursement rates, which has been a Republican-led push, countering Democrats’ request for Medicaid Expansion. In addition, it would also increase legislative pay: a change some lawmakers are hoping will help drive interest in joining the Legislature and retain legislators.
“How do keep a person of this quality in the House of Representative making $20 thousand a year?… We ought to be thanking these people for what we do… it’s unbelievable the quality of people that we have here…,” Rep. Chuck Smith, R-Pittsburg, said.
For the full budget proposal, click here.