Legislative Update
Week of March 7, 2016
Last week legislative committees continued to review recommendations made for
efficiencies in state government by Alvarez and Marsal (A&M). Recently,
representatives from A&M testified the top 21 efficiencies identified in the report
will produce 85% of the estimated total $2.0 billion in savings over the next five
years. The House Education Budget Committee specifically looked at
recommendations for efficiencies in K-12 education and higher education. The
Committee will meet again March 7 and 8, 2016 and continue deliberations.
Last week the House Education Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 423. This
legislation will change the name in statute to Kansas State University Polytechnic
Campus. The Committee passed the bill onto the full House of Representatives to
be voted on sometime the week of March 7th.
Dr. Gary Pierzynski, head of the Agronomy department at K-State, testified before
the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Senate Bill 404. He testified in support
of the legislation to reconcile a dispute over property lines with an adjacent
landowner. The Committee took no action on the bill at the hearing.
This week begins the final three weeks before the first adjournment of the
legislative session. On Tuesday of this week, the Joint Committee on State
Building Construction will review the Program Statement and consider bonding
authority for a laboratory building for the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Other committees will be holding hearings and working on bills to send to the
House and Senate floor by March 18, 2016.
If you would like to receive a listing of bills introduced and being considered in the
Kansas Legislature impacting Kansas State University, higher education, and state
agencies please send an email request to kstategr@ksu.edu.