Before this year’s session started I agreed to sponsor a bill, SB 9, which would make a postponed KPERS payment from 2016 that the legislature had promised to pay with interest in 2018. In 2018, the legislature opted to postpone the payment, to see what future revenues produced. Kansas’s revenues ended FY18 with $317 million more than expected. This left the approved ending balance at $905 million. Eighteen Republican senators, including myself, have signed on to sponsor SB 9. Some Democratic senators want to stall this payment. We made a promise to make this payment with interest and believe we should not build our ending balances by breaking promises.

Last Tuesday, the Senate Ways & Means Committee heard testimony on SB 9, which would transfer $115 million from the state general fund to the KPERS system. One hundred percent of the payment would be applied to the public-school group, a group that carries the largest unfunded liability. Ways & Means heard from Executive Director of KPERS, Alan Conroy, who explained to the committee that not making the payment would cause an increase of $630,000 to the unfunded liability/interest expense monthly. Making the payment would result in meeting the actuarial required payment for the first time in 25 years.

Thank you for those hundreds of people who gathered at the Statehouse, Tuesday, January 22, in freezing rain to participate in the annual Kansas March for Life. In particular I would like to thank people from the 40th Senate District who braved bad roads to attend this rally, including people as far away as St. Francis, KS. Many gathered due to the anticipated ruling by the Kansas Supreme Court that would say the constitution provides a right to an abortion. The march and rally took place on the 46th anniversary of the Roe vs Wade decision. In light of the New York Legislature adopting the Reproductive Health Act, allowing abortions up until the point of birth, it is more important than ever that we continue to fight for the unborn.

Hard Facts: Aviation in Kansas has a $20.6 billion economic impact and is responsible for 91,300 jobs. According to the Kansas Department of Labor, Kansas’ December unemployment rate was 3.3% compared to the 3.9% national rate.

Middle School and High School students (12 years of age or older) are invited to come to our Kansas State Capitol, in order to be my sponsored Senate Page for a day. The dates available are February 11th, 18th, 25th and March 11th. Please contact my office, if you know a student who may have an interest in being a Senate Page.

I am honored and grateful to represent the 40th Senate District in Kansas. Please do not hesitate to contact or call me with your questions and concerns, my office number is 785 296-7399 or my cell is 785 899-4700. If you are in Topeka stop by my office at 236-E.

Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, is the Kansas state senator for the 40th District, which includes Cheyenne, Decatur, Ellis, Gove, Graham, Logan, Norton, Rawlins, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, Trego and Wallace counties as well as portions of Phillips county.