State of the State in Kansas, 2022
This week saw vying assessments of Kansas and different visions for the future. (more…)
13
Jan
01
Apr
Kansas school spending
Kansas school district spending, updated through 2020 and adjusted for inflation. What is the trend in Kansas school spending? This visualization presents several tables and illustrations of spending data. It is presented separately for each district, with a special district "State Totals - 999" being the sum of all districts. (more…)
21
Feb
Historic buildings bill on tap
A bill designed to protect two buildings in downtown Wichita has a legislative hearing this week. Last year a citizen group gathered signatures on a petition that would prevent the City of Wichita from disposing of two downtown buildings without an approving vote of a majority of citizens. Based on having the required number of valid signatures, the petition was certified as valid. But the city sued to have the petition thrown out, contending the petition went beyond what Kansas law allows as the subject of municipal petitions. A judge agreed with the city. Now the group has a bill…
14
Feb
Say no to special tax treatment, again
In Kansas, a company seeks to avoid paying property taxes, again. In a bill presented in the Kansas Legislature, the owner of health clubs seeks to avoid paying property taxes. The same company and its owner have tried this before. In 2014, I explained how granting this exemption was a bad idea. What has changed since then? This exemption is still a bad idea for reasons of public policy. Additionally, Brandon Steven, the owner of the health clubs, plead guilty to a gambling charge and forfeited one million dollars in earnings. The companies also owe a lot of the tax…
20
Sep
Kansas school spending, through 2020
Charts of Kansas school spending presented in different forms. Recently Kansas State Department of Education released spending figures for the 2020 school year, that is, the school year starting in 2019 and ending in 2020. One of the most important charts shows state spending per-pupil, adjusted for inflation. It shows the total of state and local spending, which is useful because in 2015 the state made a change in the way revenue is allocated between state and local sources. It also shows base state aid per pupil, which is an important number as it is the starting point for the…
11
Sep
Kansas general fund spending and receipts
The Kansas budget is volatile, with rising spending and a large deficit. Figures from Kansas financial reports show that state spending has risen. Based on that and shifts in revenue flows, deficits are large. The following tables and charts show actual data through fiscal year 2019. Figures for 2020 are revised estimates, and for 2021, the figures are from the approved budget. The primary source of data is Kansas Comparison Report: The FY 2021 Governor’s Budget Report with Legislative Authorizations. [2. Kansas Division of the Budget, Kansas Comparison Reports. Available at https://budget.kansas.gov/comparison-reports/.] The revised estimate of receipts is $826.9 million…
28
Apr
Regulation reform could jump-start Kansas economy after COVID
Regulation reform could jump-start Kansas economy after COVID By Michael Austin. The COVID-19 outbreak has not only posed a severe public health risk, but actions to combat it now risk a global economic collapse. With nearly half of all Kansas hourly jobs gone, the Kansas Department of Labor is overwhelmed processing unemployment claims. Roughly 40 percent of Kansas small businesses are shuttered, with more than half of them saying they are weeks away from closing permanently. Kansans need a pathway through this economic disaster. Will we come back stronger than ever before, or fall deep into an economic depression? To…
06
Feb
Wichita should post fulfilled records requests
When the City of Wichita fulfills records requests, it should make those records available to everyone. When governmental agencies like the City of Wichita fulfill records requests, they could also publish the records on their websites. When records are supplied electronically to requestors, this is an additional simple (and low cost) step that would leverage the city’s effort and increase its value. Some federal agencies do this. For example at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website, there is a page titled FOIA Library. An example entry on this page is titled "Executive Orders on Travel Records." The explanation for…
30
Jan
Wichita legal notices an easy start on the path to transparency
Kansas law requires publication of certain notices in newspapers, but cities like Wichita could also make them available in other ways that are easier to use. As Wichita's new mayor takes office, there are a few things the city could do to increase the availability and distribution of government information. An easy project to accomplish would be placing legal notices on the city's web page. Kansas law requires that many legal notices must be printed in a newspaper. That law needs to be changed. Newspapers resist this reform, as it might mean a loss of revenue for them. (That's right.…
21
Jan
From Pachyderm: Leader Dan Hawkins
From the Wichita Pachyderm Club: Kansas House of Representatives Majority Leader Dan Hawkins. Representative Stephen Owens provided the introduction. This audio presentation or podcast was recorded on January 17, 2020.