Yes, we’ve read them. The dozens of stories about some little agency we’ve never heard of, and aren’t exactly sure just what it does or for whom, which is going to lose money under Gov. Sam Brownback’s proposed budget for the next two years.

While every agency does something that makes life better or safer or at least regulates manicurists, if you go to the big budget numbers on state activity that we notice every day, well, you generally wind up at the Kansas Department of Transportation. That’s KDOT, or maybe the “Bank of KDOT” if you are withdrawing state sales tax revenues dedicated to it and spending that money on other stuff.

Last week, we got the real look at the governor’s plan to make a withdrawal from the Bank of KDOT. Starting July 1, the governor plans to take back $525.3 million in sales tax from KDOT, and the year after $533 million.

Every now and again, and it’s not all that frequently, state officials actually put out hard numbers that we all understand when they explain the budget cut effects.

KDOT Secretary Richard Carlson did that last week. It wasn’t pretty.

Carlson released a list of $273 million, or 96 miles, of modernization projects to rebuild existing roadways, widen shoulders, flatten hills and straighten curves; $251 million or 43.7 miles of expansion projects, which add capacity to roads by adding lanes or new interchanges; and $311 million in road preservation projects—generally overlays and such—on 247 miles of state road that will be not bid out for construction in the next two fiscal years.

Now, that’s understandable. Not much money—KDOT still gets “unsweepable” motor fuel tax money, and federal money for highway work but the real key for much of the work is the 1.05% share of the state’s 6.5% sales tax that KDOT won’t get.

Maybe it was the list…projects in nearly every county which were part of the state’s highway plan that just aren’t going to be bid out to contractors who will probably hire Kansans, or at least maintain employment of workers, to build those projects.

Things also aren’t likely to change much until the state raises enough revenue or redesigns state government so it requires less money to meet the demands of Kansans, or…goes another way.

That “other way” is to raise the tax on gasoline and diesel fuel that we use to power our cars and trucks that wear out our streets and highways.

The Kansas Contractors Association—the folks who bid on those contracts to build roads—aren’t looking to a turnaround on keeping the sales tax that was dedicated to them, and are talking an increase in motor fuel taxes.

The initial plan, up 11 cents a gallon, would raise $200 million or more a year from us folks who wear out the highways to keep the highways safe and straight and such.

Taking the gas tax from 24 cents to 35 cents a gallon would mean you pay, what, maybe $2 a tankful if you waited until the warning light was blinking before filling up?

Oh, and that gasoline tax can’t be swept from KDOT for other purposes, so it might be the one tax you pay that you know what it’s going to be spent for. If that’s a comfort, well, OK, there you go.

What’s the future? Nobody can tell yet, and it doesn’t seem likely that the Kansas Legislature is going to come up with enough money or budget-cutting to quit filching money from KDOT.

So, you might just want to pencil it out…a higher gasoline tax and no pop for the kids at the gas station, or declining road safety—and bumps that’ll have the kids spilling that pop on the back seat.

Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com

Hello from Topeka!

We are now in week 4 of the 2017 legislative session and a number of bills have been introduced dealing with a myriad of issues.

Once again, several bills which are introduced each session have made it back from abolishing to death penalty to requiring new school buses to have seatbelts for all passengers. Some of the Governor’s budget proposals have been introduced, but it is anyone’s guess on how they will be received if they make it out of committee, they include: HB2142, establishing a Unified School District employee health care benefits program and HB 2143, requiring school districts to procure specific spending categories through the Department of Education.

This legislative session, members are looking for ways to create jobs, increase revenue and bring a cleaner way to develop budgets. A couple of those are: HB2133, which would move the joint revenue estimates from April 20th and extend it to May 1st and HB2168, which is the Ad Astra Rural Jobs Act, this would benefit rural areas working with the Department of Commerce.

Last week the Taxation committee continued a hearing on HB 2023, which would require non-wage business income to be included as income for Kansas income tax purposes (referred to as the LLC Loophole). After the hearing, Acting Revenue Secretary Sam Williams provided the Committee with a revised fiscal note, increasing the revenue estimates to $230.9 million in FY ’18 and $181 million in FY ’19. Later in the week, the Committee discussed Sales Tax Exemptions. We heard from Tom Browne, Jr. from the Department of Revenue. He covered the 3 categories of exemptions: (1) Legal; (2) Conceptual; and (3) Public Policy. The Committee selected a handful of exemptions to further study. Additionally, the Department was tasked with looking at taxing exemptions at a lower rate, possibly for a limited number of years and the impact that might have on the streamlined tax agreement and administration costs involved. I continue to fight for agriculture and that those who produce food, fuel feed and fiber to not get singled out to pay disproportionally more.

A lot of people from the 110th District were in Topeka this past week: Members of the Prairieland Electric Cooperative, Sunflower Electric Cooperative, Midwest Energy Cooperative and Western Cooperative Electric; Northwest Kansas Library System: Northcentral Kansas Library System; Dr. Pam Steinle, Norton Community Hospital; City officials from Plainville, Stockton, Hays, Ellis, Norton and Phillipsburg; and Bethany Solida, Phillipsburg -Kansas Dental Project.

A special congratulation to Cole Keeten, student at Phillipsburg Elementary School as one of the winners of the 2016 Happy Birthday, Kansas! Student Photo Contest. I will say, the highlight of the week was to see Keith and Charlene Ross in attendance at the Kansas Rural Cooperatives reception. I apologize if I missed anyone, check on kenforkansas.com for more information on folks visiting from the 110th District.

I will be one of the guests this Friday night, February 3rd at 7:00 p.m. on KOOD – Public Television. This is a change in time as in previous years it started at 8:00 p.m. It is another opportunity to hear about what is going on in Topeka and we will be taking questions during the program. As they say, check your local listings for the channel number.

When you come to Topeka during the session, my office is in Room: 352-S. The phone number is: (785) 296- 7463 and email is: [email protected] and my personal cell number is (785) 302-8416. You can also follow along with what is going on through social media: kenforkansas on Facebook, @kenrahjes on twitter or my website: kenforkansas.com.
It is my honor to by your representative.

Ken Rahjes, (R-Agra), is the 110th District State Representative.