GUEST COLUMN, Shannon Francis, 125th District Representative
This week several of our local residents testified before legislative committees. Kelly Hill and his daughter, Beckett, were here and testified in the Senate Tax Committee. Lindsay Bennett and Sarah Foreman testified at a Social Services Budget Committee hearing. They did an excellent job of representing our community … especially Beckett.
Thanks for coming and participating in our state government. Also this week, the House voted to approve HB 2004, a bill authorizing the Board of County Commissioners of Seward County to put on the ballot a question for a countywide sales tax of a 0.5 percent for financing road and bridge construction. The bill will now go to a Senate committee for consideration.
The Help Not Harm Act
The Help Not Harm Act was passed this week by the legislature and will now go on to the Governor for her signature or veto. SB 63 prevents healthcare providers from prescribing puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or performing surgeries on minors for gender transition purposes. The reality is that many children who experience gender dysphoria eventually reconcile with their biological sex given the time and counseling. Children under 18 are not equipped with the knowledge or maturity to make decisions regarding these life-altering procedures. The treatment prohibited in the bill would not apply to treatment provided for individuals born with a medically verifiable disorder of sex development.
The budget
Fiscal responsibility is not just a talking point, it is a commitment to protecting taxpayers, ensuring economic stability, and securing the future of Kansas. That is why Republican leadership and the House Appropriations Committee are taking decisive action to rein in government spending and keep Kansas on a sustainable financial path. Years of federal spending related to the Covid Response created a sugar high in our economy. The ARPA Federal spending is drying up and we must take action now to curb the spending levels that were reached using these federal dollars.
Spending currently exceeds revenue by $400 million annually. Kansas ended Fiscal Year 2024 with a $3 billion ending balance, but projections show that surplus dwindling to $2.5 billion in FY 2025 and $1.8 billion in FY 2026, a year in which the budget is still being developed. If left unaddressed, this trend would drain our reserves entirely by FY 2029. That is why Republicans on the Appropriations Committee are stepping up to ensure the state budget is not just balanced, but fiscally responsible.
Southwest Kansas highway study
I am excited to be part of the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Southwest Kansas Highway Mobility and Expansion Strategy advisory committee. This study will focus on mobility, safety concerns and accessibility throughout southwestern Kansas, and will determine the region's most effective investment strategies for transportation funding for the future. The scope of the study encompasses 44 counties in the southwest, defined geographically as south of I-70 and west of Wichita. This important study will shape the future of transportation infrastructure in southwest Kansas. Each county in this region has also been asked to select a member for this committee.
