HB 2237 resembles 'Whack a Mole' game
If you ever think you’ve mastered the art of legislature-watching in Kansas, think again.
“What appears to be reality may turn out to be fantasy,” said Richard Gannon, director of governmental affairs for the Kansas Press Association.
Take House Bill 2237, for instance.
The trail of this bill during the 2015 session of the Kansas Legislature is mindful of the game “Whack a Mole.”
“About the time we think we understand where the bill is and what we need to do, the bill jumps to a different committee,” Gannon said. “We frankly cannot figure out what the Legislature is doing this year. It’s quite amazing — and frustrating.”
Take Monday, for instance: HB 2237 was heard by the House Commerce, Labor and Economic Development Committee, and no one knows why.
It was obvious from questions asked by the committee members that they were at a loss why the bill had been sent to them.
Just prior to that committee hearing, we learned that a competing bill, which was described as a compromise by its sponsor, Rep. Virgil Peck, R-Tyro, had been introduced in the House Appropriations Committee.
Peck had earlier in the session been chosen to lead a four-person subcommittee of the House Local Government Committee through a review of the bill, but he never called the group back together to consider an amended bill or to gain endorsement of it by the competing organizations — the KPA, League of Kansas Municipalities, Kansas Association of Counties, Kansas Association of School Boards and others.
In fact, KPA did not see the Peck bill until late Monday night. While it does seem to abandon the “option” of placing official notices in newspapers or on a website, it only requires that notices be printed once in a newspaper and also on a website for 180 days.
That would cause severe heartburn for publishers because several public notices require two or even three publications (delinquent property tax lists, for example).
However, the bill also appears to allow municipalities to print in the newspaper more than once if they choose that route.
“Can you imagine the chaos that these new requirements and options are going to create among cities, counties and school districts?” said Doug Anstaett, KPA executive director. “Newspapers know how to get these right now, but this would introduce chaos into a system that works well.”
Wednesday, KPA staff members were still trying to figure out whether the Peck bill would get a hearing and also whether the Commerce Committee would choose to work the bill it heard on Monday.
“This is much a fluid situation that we have to remain vigilant throughout the rest of the session,” Anstaett said. “We may have to call on members once again for support.”