BY: MORGAN CHILSON
Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday vetoed a bill that would roll over the previous year’s state budget if the Legislature failed to pass one, pointing out that every legislative body since the state’s founding had managed to pass a budget and she expects nothing less of today’s legislators.
Senate Bill 14 sets in place a continuous budget that would change only if amended, lapsed or eliminated by the Legislature. Kelly sharply rebuked the idea that such a bill is necessary.
“If this Legislature cannot do what every previous Legislature has been able to do since our founding — through periods of war, famine, pandemic, recession, the Dust Bowl, and even the Great Depression — then they will have to do it over my veto because I will not sanction it, nor will the people of Kansas,” Kelly said in a news release.
In a joint statement, Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, said SB14 prevents government shutdowns at the state level by providing for continuing appropriations.
“Kansans are tired of watching the government shutdown drama at the federal level, where politicians use people’s livelihoods as leverage to get their way,” the two legislative leaders said. “Sadly, the governor decided that she prefers the ways of Washington over ensuring state government, including our schools, is always open and operating. We stand ready to override her veto when we return.”
The Legislature is scheduled to return April 10-11 to consider the governor’s vetoes and pass any last-minute legislation before adjourning for the year.
Along with SB 14, Kelly vetoed Senate Bill 5, which restricts the use of federal funds for elections and election-related activities without legislative approval.
Addressing concerns voiced by a few legislators about voter fraud and foreign interference, Kelly said election officials would be more capable of addressing such threats if they received Congressional funding.
“It doesn’t make sense to turn down these resources that make our local elections in Kansas safe, secure and accurate,” she said. “Given that the Legislature only convenes for three months each year, how can we expect them to approve funding when they are not available year-round? Instead of obstructing our electoral process, lawmakers should concentrate on the real issues impacting Kansans, rather than complicating the management of election funds.”
Masterson and Hawkins also promised an override on this veto. SB 5, they said, is about ensuring the integrity of elections.
“Federal taxpayer money flowing into our elections threatens the integrity and opens the door to nefarious actors who might want to tip the scale in favor of partisan politics,” their statement said. “SB5 simply ensures that election officials cannot accept outside funds unless it’s allowed by law. It’s disappointing the governor chose to side with those who want to undermine our elections or give the appearance of mischief. We side with common sense and election security, and that’s why we’re committed to overriding her veto.”
Three bills pass scrutiny
Kelly allowed three bills to become law without her signature.
House Bill 2106 bans contributions from foreign nationals for the support or defeat of a proposed amendment to the Kansas constitution. Kelly said she supports stopping foreign influence on elections in Kansas, and said federal law prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to federal, state or local elections.
She chose not to sign the bill because she believes it goes “too far.”
“I cannot sign a bill that takes away the ability of Kansans and Kansas businesses to support elections if they accept money from overseas for any purpose, not just those related to elections,” she said. “Forcing Kansans to choose between accepting financial support for any reason or surrendering their voice in the political process is wrong.”
Kelly said HB 2106 potentially opens the opportunity for litigation because of limitations on speech and association, as well as potential violations of First Amendment protections in the U.S. Constitution.
House Bill 2027, which reorganizes sections of the public assistance law, became law without Kelly’s signature because she refused to be associated with the HOPE Act, which passed in 2015 and restricted Kansans’ ability to access social service programs.
“The HOPE Act was wrong then, and it remains wrong now,” Kelly said. “Legislators are only trying to put lipstick on a pig, and I refuse to associate myself with the HOPE Act. Now, more than ever, the Legislature should look for ways to support working Kansas families rather than further shredding the safety net that gives Kansans a bridge back to self-sufficiency.”
Kelly called Senate Bill 105 a “partisan power grab by the Legislature.” This bill allows the Legislature to have a say in the appointment process for filling vacancies for U.S. senator, state treasurer, and insurance commissioner.
Kelly critiqued the process laid out in the bill as “overly bureaucratic.”