Friends:

Here is the action so far today, potentially the last day of the session (so the rumor goes!):

1.  Property Tax accelerator:  This bill is the Governor's "must-have."  It basically makes you pay your property taxes one month early, by May 15 instead of June 20, 2004.  It is my understanding that this will affect those with escrow accounts by increasing their payments by about $5 month.  No one is sure where that figures comes from, but that is the guesstimate.  The way the bill is written, it gives the Governor power to activate this date change if she finds it necessary considering the ending balances and the economic estimates.  The change will be permanent unless the legislature comes back next year and changes it.
I am STRONGLY opposed to this and voted against it.  Unfortunately, the bill passed 75-47.  Again, one more piece of advice - start socking a little extra away for escrow accounts.

2.  Streamlined Sales Tax:  This bill will bring Kansas into compliance with a multistate agreement adopted in 2002.  If you purchase something online the retailer is supposed to collect sales tax and redistribute that to Kansas.  However, this will only take true effect if implemented at the federal level.  This bill just makes us compliant for when/if the feds decide to make it enforceable.  Passed 98-24.

We came in at 9:00 am, broke for lunch at noon (just as storms and potential tornadoes were to be rolling into Johnson County).

3.  Capital Outlay:  We passed an "agree to disagree" motion which sends the bill back to conference committee.  Apparently, this gives Republicans more leeway in committee - we only need four signatures on the conference report, rather than all six signatures, so we may get a better deal...  Yes, this is complicated, and we are all still trying to figure out which strategy is best for the school's end-game!  The agree to disagree passed 74-44.

Storms have apparently weakened at home (whew!) and we are back in session.  Rumor has it we will make this a really long day and this will be it...  There is a lot of downtime, waiting to print compromises and get them out to everyone, waiting on conference committees to actually make the compromise, working on getting votes for the compromise, etc.  Looks like we are breaking again until 4:30.  Will have more then.

Stephanie Sharp
17th District, KS House
Serving Lenexa and Shawnee