YOUR LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM
KANSAS SENATE PRESIDENT TY MASTERSON
|
|
A Note from Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson |
Welcome to the first edition of the Kansans First Report, a periodic legislative update from my office regarding the work of the Republicans in the Kansas Senate.
I chose Kansans First because it reflects our fundamental belief that we should trust the people of Kansas and that the policies we enact should reflect that belief.
The Kansans First Report will provide you updates about our work, as well as important factual information relevant to the matters before us. This first edition will focus on our Republican agenda, entitled "A Better Way: Our Commitment to Kansas."
We will also be highlighting our 28 Senate Republicans and the work each is doing to improve the lives of Kansans, as well as information from around the country highlighting conservative legislative success.
If I can ever be of any assistance, I encourage you to contact my office at ty.masterson@senate.ks.gov or e-mail me at presidenttymasterson@gmail.com.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
|
|
Ty Masterson
Kansas Senate President
|
|
Let's Start with the Facts |
“Let’s Start with the Facts” will be a weekly feature of the Kansans First Report, highlighting key items of information impacting Kansas.
What does ESG mean for Kansas? At the World Economic Forum in Davos this month, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan said that ESG standards were necessary to “align capitalism with what society wants from it.” But this vision of social change is not as efficient as its proponents claim and pose threats to transparency and government overreach from DC to Topeka. (Source)
Students join in the call for school choice at the Kansas capitol. Hundreds of students and parents showed up at the State Capitol two weeks ago to advocate for more school choice. School choice is on the march across the country, and those in attendance urged Kansas to follow the lead of other states, including Iowa. (Source)
Kansas ranks 28th in Economic Outlook. According to Rich States, Poor States, Kansas currently ranks 28th in the country in economic outlook. The ranking is a forward-looking forecast based on the state’s standing (equal-weighted average) in 15 important state policy variables. Data reflect state and local rates and revenues and any effect of federal deductibility. (Source)
New state Treasurer taking hard look at ESG, who manages state pension funds. Newly sworn-in Kansas State Treasurer Steven C. Johnson is taking a hard look at whether ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) policy influences pension fund investment — and who is managing the investments. Johnson said one of his priorities is making sure that state pension funds are focused on the best return on investment — not ESG principles. (Source)
More States Joining the Flat Tax Club. After lawmakers in nearly 10 states enacted income tax cuts in the first half of 2022, a string of special sessions in the second half of the year resulted in further income tax relief and strengthening the recent trend of states moving from graduated to flat income taxes. (Source)
|
|
A Better Way: Our Commitment to Kansas |
Republicans from both the House and Senate joined together to announce a comprehensive legislative agenda entitled, “A Better Way: Our Commitment to Kansas.”
A Better Way contains eight categories that encompass a wide range of issues important to Kansas, ranging from fiscal responsibility and tax reductions to growing the Kansas workforce and protecting the liberty of Kansans. The eight categories are:
- It’s Your Money: Our Commitment to Taxpayers
- It’s Your Health: Our Commitment to Free Market Health Care
- It’s Their Future: Our Commitment to Focus on Students
- It’s Our Economy: Our Commitment to Free Enterprise
- Help Wanted: Our Commitment to Grow the Kansas Workforce
- Protecting the Vulnerable: Our Commitment to the Kansas Safety Net
- Law & Order: Our Commitment to a Safe & Secure Kansas
- Freedom Starts Here: Our Commitment to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
America has always been the land of opportunity, a land where freedom is secure and our hopes and dreams can be achieved with hard work and perseverance. Sadly, in the last few years, that optimism has been replaced by a profound pessimism, as employers struggle to find workers, paychecks remain stagnant, and the cost of living goes through the roof.
The good news is that we are Kansans, and we value hard work, faith, freedom, and family – all of which will guide us through the current challenges and towards a brighter future. The Better Way policy agenda puts Kansas families first by protecting our communities, honoring the value of work, and implements commonsense conservative ideas that will make Kansas a great place to live, work, raise a family, and retire.
From the farmer in western Kansas to the blue-collar worker in our airline industry to the small business startup in Johnson County, Republicans are fully committed to this agenda that puts individuals, their freedom, and their way of life before government.
|
|
Masterson Delivers Republican Response to State of the State Address |
Governor Kelly delivered her State of the State Address in late January, and Senator Masterson was honored to deliver the Republican Response.
|
|
GROWING THE KANSAS ECONOMY AND WORKFORCE:
INTEGRA MEGAPROJECT APPROVED
|
Thanks to the work of the Republican legislature, another large-scale economic development and job growth project is coming to Kansas. Last year, Panasonic decided to build a battery plant in De Soto. This week, it was announced that Integra Technologies will build a new semiconductor factory in Wichita as a result of an incentive package offered under the APEX bill. According to the Department of Commerce, it is the second largest economic development project in state history – with the first being the Panasonic project. The agreement with Integra was approved by the State Finance Council on Thursday.
Integra Technologies is the largest U.S. OSAT Company providing semiconductor back-end services to companies worldwide. The employee-owned company’s headquarters is in Wichita.
As part of the release announcing the deal, Ty Masterson offered support, noting that it falls under the tenets of the “Better Way: Our Commitment to Kansas” Republican legislative agenda.
“APEX exists to promote unique large-scale opportunities at economic and job growth, and there is no better way to do that than having a Kansas company step up and fulfill our commitment to boost the Kansas economy and grow the Kansas workforce. Wichita is increasingly the epicenter of critical global industries and this exciting megaproject continues that proud tradition.”
Benefits to the project include $1.8 billion in capital investment, 2,000 high-quality jobs, a boost to an important sector of the Kansas economy, and assisting reducing recent risks identified in the U.S. semiconductor supply chain. This all with a company headquartered in Kansas. Learn more about the project by clicking here.
It will also result in the reduction of taxes for all Kansas businesses. Under the APEX bill, upon the successful location of an APEX project, the corporate income tax in Kansas will be reduced by 0.5%. So, as a result of both the Panasonic and Integra projects, the corporate tax rates will drop a total of 1% - which will benefit all corporations in Kansas.
Last year, the Republican legislature adopted the “APEX Bill” that allows the Department of Commerce to negotiate a megaproject once a year as long as the policy is in place. APEX stands for Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion, and allows for incentives to be offered to attract targeted industries that plan to invest more than $1 billion to the Kansas economy by expansion or relocation of their business anywhere in Kansas
|
|
Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Bill Passes |
Teaching young people about the importance of gun safety also plays a role in keeping Kansas safe and secure, while also educating students about an important life skill.
On Thursday, the Senate passed SB 116, a gun safety education bill that drew strange opposition from most Democrats. The bill, carried by Senator Chase Blasi, would simply allow local school boards to provide firearm safety education programs.
Under the bill, the State Board of Education would be directed to establish curriculum guidelines for a standardized firearm safety education program modeled after the Eddie Eagle Gunsafe Program and would be required to include accident prevention. Democrats offered several amendments to try to score political points due to the fact the program originates from the National Rifle Association, but ultimately the bill passed in bi-partisan fashion by a vote of 30-8.
|
|
Republicans Unite In Support of Energy Independence |
Last week, the Senate adopted SCR 1603, a resolution carried by Senator Mike Fagg, urging President Biden to restore energy independence in the United States by doing the following:
- Reject unscientific environmental mandates that restrict domestic energy production and raise costs for American families;
- Consider current geopolitical tensions and support policies that ensure America’s long-term energy affordability, security, leadership, and progress, including actions to increase investment in domestic refineries and natural gas production;
- Expand domestic energy production and ensure energy reliability and affordability for consumers by cutting through the red tape purposefully hampering the building of energy infrastructure, especially pipelines;
- Reevaluate energy policies that have curtailed domestic production of oil and natural gas; and
- Utilize our nation’s abundant natural resources and relationships with energy-producing allies as leverage against a Russian regime that is intent on disrupting world peace and threatening global stability.
The Senate adopted SCR 1603 by a vote of 28-10, with Republicans unified in support and zero Democrats supporting the resolution.
|
|
Visitors to My Office: Courage Comes to the Capitol |
I was delighted to welcome these two brave young women who were in Kansas this week to speak against experimental procedures being done on Kansas children. They know first hand how life altering these procedures can be. That’s why I am in full support of SB 233, the Kansas Child Mutilation Prevention Act, and encourage every Kansan to stand up for our children. |
|
I also had the pleasure of meeting Riley Gaines Barker, a courageous woman who understands first-hand the importance of upholding the original intent of Title IX. Riley was in Topeka to testify in support of SB 180, the Women's Bill of Rights. |
|
Last week, hundreds of families came to Topeka and celebrated the freedom they have to homeschool in Kansas. Republicans will always support the right to homeschool and it was an honor to welcome them to the Kansas Senate! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
